The broad ax., 1921-12-17
BOLD AND COURAGEOUS SPEECH
OF HON. MARTIN B. MADDEN DE-
uVERED IN THE HALLS OF CON-
GRESS THE FIRST PART OF APRIL,
1916, FOR THE PROTECTION OF
NEGRO WOMANHOOD."

The latter part of April, 1916, tn
Hon. Martin B. Madden delivered tn
following address in the halls of Con
gress. which Is worth any ones tim,
to carefully read
For the Protection of Negro
Womanhood.
Mr.. Madden: Mr.. Speaker, / an
opposed to intermarriage of the races
The Negroes themselves are opposed
to such marriages. But l am OPP
posed to legislation making such mar
riages a crime. If a white man and
a black woman want to marry, il
should be a matter for them to de-
eide. | think they would both be
foolish to thus ostracize themselves
from association with their own peo-
| pie, and that is what they do when
they marry. But if they want to
ostracize themselves, that is a per-
sonal matter between them, and
should be.
To make such marriages criminal
and void would leave the children of
such marriages without the protec-
ton which they need and should have
Instead of lettering the moral condi-
tons such a law would make them
worse. 1t would leave many young
girls at the mercy of brutes willing to
take advantage of their virtue and
then desert them TO a life OF shame
| cannot conceive OF a condition I'M
der which white man should be al
lowed to cohabit with a black wo-
man not his wife without being com
PEELED by law TO marry her or pro-
vide for the care of their children.
Why should innocent women OF the
Negro race not have the same pro-
lection OF the law which is accorded |
to women of any other race? 1t will
not do to say there is no such con-
dition as that to which l have alluded.
Everyone knows better, else how
Toes it happen that we have so many
people of mixed blood in the United
States.
The Negroes are willing TO con-
inc their marriages to their own race,
indeed they would prefer that, but
hey have a right to demand that the
iomen of their race shall not he CON
dered the legitimate prey of the men T
other races. (Applause.) If mar
age between the Negro and Cauca-
an is so abhorrent as to some it {
ems to be, why do so many of the s
aucasian men insist on taking undue u
'erties with the defenseless Negro ,
omen? Why do they insist on mix u
g the blood of the races? If the n
God of both races can be kept pure a
: law, all right; but who can as
re 1t? By all means, If we are to
we a law against mixed marriages, u
at law should provide for arrest :.
ID prosecution for bastardy. so =
at it will be possible to expose :,
ose who boast of the purity of their -
ood while they continue clandes- :,
lely and illegally to cohabit with
ose against whom this law is di- +.
cted. "'
Let the law of marriage stand as If re
and trust to the pride of race If
'th among the Negroes and Cauca- 70
ms to contract their marriages with -
cir own people. The purpose of :,
is law is to further degrade the q
egro, to make him feel the iron
nd OF tyranny so long practiced >
ainst his race. "
We should do all we can to COM
t the spirit of persecution and pref
lice which oonfronts the Negroes of
is country and to assure to them f.
cry right, privilege and opportunity q
which every citizen of the United n
ates is entitled. The Negroes ask n
favors, no privileges, no special Il
vantages. They ask no indulgence S,
r their shortcomings. or any I'M IA
ual economic and educational OPP d,