The Washington herald., 1914-05-24
The oPsll FORUM


President Vflsa.. d Sssthes. Negro,
and De h1s,jcas Pea.
To the Editor: s-Fsss sesas which thu
builders refused u ssesns hs,Sssdstons
OF the corner : u --'ztass.
This taxi fron the Psalms b uaxKssted
By the frank statemsnt Of Prssidsnt VII
son. published in Quotation By samusI G..
Blythe. ~ to the ultimate purposs Of his
Mexican policy: -0f course. It would not
do for NJ to insist on an exact procedure
for the partition Of the land for example.
for that would set ~ up - dictators
which We are not and never shall be;
but II 10 not our intention 20 cease In our
friendly ofices until We are assured that
all these matters are on thar way to sue
cessful settlement. Il y . crest and com
plicated question. but have every hope
that . suitable solution viii b found, and
that the day win come when the Mexican
people viii be put in full possession Of
the land, the liberty and the peaceful
prosperity that are rightfulIy theirs"
In an earlier part Of the interview
President Wilson Ii quoted e. saying:
I'm diplomatic matter we can see our
way clear. because ordinarily eli the ele-
ments are within our view and sconsider-
alton: but here was trouble, that had
its active movements In another and an
adjacent and . somewhat remote coun-
try. and We are forced to sit and watch
and await sush dsveiopments ss might
be-" iD[EIf
Woodrow Wilson was born In virginia
In 1856; his boyhood days were spent in
Augusta, Ga, Columbia. .. c. and VIII
minston. N. C. He was educated in the
South. practiced Law, in Atlanta. Ca.
from 1881 to 1sss. and then began his
work AZ teacher. $3.50
Those were trying times In the South
when Woodrow Wilson was there ~ q
boy. college student and young lawyer.
and he must have received Impressions
from that life The Civil War. the recon-
struction period. the adoption OF the 18th.
18th, and 18th amendmeuts to the Federal
He was 20 years old when BENJAMIN Har-
rison was elected President On . plat
form demanding the enforcement Of these
constitutional amendmenta That Repub-
lican platform In 1sss declared: I'VE
charge that the present administration
and the Democratic majority IN Congress
owe their existence to the suppression of
the ballot and q criminal nuIlihcation Of
the Constitution and the laws Of the
United states-" --.--
President Harrison was q PRESBYTERIAN
like President Wilson. He believed his
platform was a command placed upon
him by the majority of the people. and
that he and his party were pledged to
carry out that command. In his inau-
gural address and In his first massage to
Congress he recommended Legislation to
that end. He said:
1T has been the hope of every pstriot
that a sense Of justice and of respect for
the law would work a gradual cure OF
these fragrant evils Surely no one sup
poses that the present can BE- accepted
as permanent condition II Il is said
that these communities must work out
this problem for themselves. We have a
right to ask whether they are at work
upon IL Do they suggest any solution?
When and under what conditions IL the
black man to have free ballot? When
Ia he In fact to have those fHl civil
rights which have % long been his in
law? When Ii that equality of influence
which our form Of government was in
tended TO secure to the electors to be
restored? This generation should eour-
aseously face these grave questions. and
not leave them as q heritage OF woe to
the next The consultation should pro-
coed with candor. calmness and great
patience. upon the lines Of justice and
humanity. not Of prejudice and cruelty.
No question in our country can be at
rest except upon the firm base OF. justice
and Of the law"
Speaker Thomas B. Reed and the Re
publican majority in the House pressed
forward such legislation and II was re-
sisted by the Southern men as a new in
dignity which threatened their part nj
the country. 1t was the last great bat
tie over the sectional issues which caused
and followed the Civil War. II was beat
en- in the Senate by the strategy Of SEN
ator German and the appeal of the South
TO be freed from sectionalism and oppres-
sion II was a great battle in the Senate
with Hoar and Edmonds, and Spooner
and Frye and Dolph and other Republic
cans on one side. and German and But
Ter and Gray and Morgan and George
and other Southern Democrats on the
other side.
The Republicans contended that it was
purely a national question of the rights
of the citizens of the United States under
the Constitution. The Democrats insist
ed that il was an attempt to invade the
rights of the States to control their own
domestic affairs. The Constitution was
discussed pro and con and its whole his
tory brought into view. The Republicans
insisted that the negroes had been clothed
with citizenship In the most solemn and
complete manner by amendments to the
and that those amendments
authorized Congress to carry them into
effect by appropriate legislation. But the
Southern States had refused to comply
with the Federal Constitution. They had
enacted State laws which practically
placed the negroes back In slavery. Those
laws had in some States. provided that
the former slave should be confined to
certain kinds Of labor. that he should
be sold at public auction as a vagrant
when without work, and that It should
be q misdemeanor for any one to aid
him to work other than that provided by
law.
Mr.. Justice Harlan, in his dissenting
opinion in the civil-rights cases Qos L.
2. % said: Recall the legislation OF
this court In the slaughterhouse cases
said that II imposed upon the colored
ace onerous disabilities and burdens:
lie, liberty, and property to such an eS-
value; forbade them to appear in the
towns in any other character than mental
servants; required them to reside on and
cultivate the soil without the right TO
or own it: excluded them from
many occupations Of gain. and denied
hem the privilege Of giving testimony
n the courts where q white man was Q
,arty."
The South had the large landed estates
hen as before the war. The negroes
wanted land, but they were denied the
light to purchase even il they had the
price. They were not to be permitted to
become land holders. and they were not
10 be permitted tC have any part IN