The broad ax., 1920-10-23
BOLD AND COURAGEOUS SPEECH OR GRAFTON OF
HON. MARTIN B. MADDEN DELIVERED IN TIE
Halls OF CONGRESS TIE FIRST PART OF
April. 1916, FOR THE PROTECTION OF NEGRO
WOMANHOOD."


The following eloquent oration wa
delivered in the halls Of Congress by
Hon. Martin B. Madden, the latter
part Of April, 1916, and it is wen to
reproduce il once in awhile for it is
wen worth reading especially at this
time while 50 many white gentlemen
in and from the south are engaged in
spending much Of their Unavailable
time in harping on that old "soeial
equality stu6 and that the eolored
folks are endeavoring to break or bust
into the homes Of the whites, without
an invitation from them to do so and
place themselves on the same social
plane with them.
FOr the Protection Of Negro Woman
hood.
Mr.. Madden. Mr.. Speaker, am op-
posed to intermarriAge of the races.
The Negroes themselves are opposed
to such marriages. But am opposed
to legislation making such marriages a
crime. If a white man and a black
woman want to marry, it should be
matter for them TO decide. 1 think
they would both be foolish to thus
ostraeize themselves from association
with their own people, and that is what
they do when they marry. But If they
want to ostraeiEe themselves, that is
a personal matter between them, and
should be.
To make such marriages criminal
and void would leave the children of
such marriages without the protection
which they need and should have. In
stead Of lettering the moral conditions
such law would make them worse. It
would leave many young girls at the
merry Of brutes willing to take ad-
vantage Of their virtue and then desert !
hem to life Of shame. I cannot con-
'eive Of a condition under which a
White man should be allowed to eohabit
With q black woman not his Wife with
ut being compelled by law to marry
Ter or provide for the care Of their
hildren. Why should innocent women
( the Negro race not have the same
Of the law which is ae-
orded to women Of any other raeei
{ win not do to say there is no such
as that to which I have
lluded- Everyone knows better, else
ow does it happen that we have so
lany people Of mixed blood in the
Tnited States.
The Negroes are willing to eonfne
heir marriages to their own race, in
eed they would prefer that, but they [
ave right to demand that the wom- s
Of their race shall not be considered {
ne legitimate prey of the men Of (
her races. (Applause.) If marriage I
etween the Negro and Caucasian is
} abhOrent as to some it seems to be, v
ny do 50 many o, the Caucasian men d
sist on taking undue liberties with {
ie defenseless Negro womeni Why do q
icy insist on mixing the blood of the r
eesf If the blood Of both races can n
kept pure by law, all right; but v
no can assure iti By all means, 4
we are to have law against mixed d
arriages, the law should provide for 4
rest and prosecution for bastardy, so a
at it viii be possible to expose those a
10 boast Of the purity Of their blood n
lille they continue elandestinely and o.
egally to eOhabit with those against t.
ION this law is directed.
Let the law Of marriage stand as it N
and trnst to the pride of race both p
long the Negroes and Caueasians to IL
intact their marriages with their Il
N people. The purpose of this law i