The Brunswick news. [volume] (Brunswick, Ga.) 1906-2016, 1921-11-06
THE BIRMINGHAM SPEECH.

birmingham speaeh of President
Hording. Howevai. the esteemed AT.
laDta Constitution always seeing with
a clear vision and approaching the in
tentions of the president, has the fol
lowing which is clear, sound and in
the proper spirit:
The address of President Harding
lat. Birmingham, in which he dealt at
length with the race question, is a
topic of national discussion.
At first, reports from Washington
indicated that among democratic con-
gressmen, especially southern con-
gressmen, there was a strong inclt-
nation to condemn the address; but,
as our Washington correspondent
showed in his report in Fridays Con-
stitution, after the address was read
in full, studied and analysed, many
of those who first criticised It re-
versed their hastily expressed opinion
from criticism to approval.
The president taxes the position
that with the constantly increasing
migration of the ney'J from The south
to the east and west. this is 70 longer
a ditinctly southern question, but that
its solution affects tao whole country.
He believes that the problem can be
worked cut on weil-defaed principles
of right and Justice.
First and foremost among these ie
the principle that there shall be no
social equality; that, as President
Harding expressed it, race amalgs-
nation there cannot be-" and that it
will be best for both races to recog-
nize that as an established fact, thus
making easier the solution of the
whole problem.
Upon this point no southorner could
have gone farther than the president
went in this statement of his posi-
ton.
The second principle is that the ne
gro shall be given equal educational
opportunities, which does not mean
intermingling of the races in the
school-room, but simply that the ne
gro should be given fair opportuni-
ty TO develop the best that is in MIN
that, as the president puts 1t, he
should be encouraged "to be the best
possible black man, and not the best
possible imitation of white man"
The third is that the negro shall
be fully protected in what the presI-
dent termed his right to economic
equality"
In no section of the country Is the
negro more fully protected in his eco
nomic rights than he is right here in
the south. And If any criticism
should have been expressed against
the presidents statement of this prop
POSITION Il might have been expected
more from the north than from the
south, for the south has not sought to
deprive the negro of is right to earn
an honest living In his own way,
whether In business or in the indus.
tries or professions; while on the 9TH
err hand. there have been repeated In.
stances In the north where this right
has been denied the negro-as Illus
tratd, for example, by the riots of q
few years ago in East st. Louis, I'LL
nuis. and In the frequent refusal "a
permit negroes to work In industrial
pursuits. Here In Atlanta, and In
every other southern city, nc question
has ever been raised as TO the rights
OF negroes to work as carpenters
bricklayersS mechanics or what.noi
to earn an honest livelihood
Fourth, the presidents position as
20 the political rights of the Negro
cannot consistently be challenged, as
Stunning, of course. that his intertior
was To consider the question In tho
| broadcast aspect of the "politica
rights OF protection under the law
as citizen
The position is enc that broad
| gauge. conservative public sentimen
of the south must approve, and that
generally speaking, has had the ap
prevail of the best public sentiment
Of the south.
We assume. Of course, that is tbs
meaning of President Harding intend
ed to convey: that he did not have 4
mind the overthrow of the safeguard
OF the white primary system and tina
in advocating political rights" h
does not mean TO impose negro otiics
holders on the white eommunitie
where such service would he distastg
Ifr. That this Is not his attitude /
evidenced the fact that as presiden
! he has publicly sanctioned a move
: ment to reorganize his own party /
e the south through white instrumer
TALLY and by actually deposing n
INegroe committees.
L Further proof is added by The ta'