Is this the voice of the South?
South Carolina Senator Benjamin R. Tillman and Virginia Representative A. C. Braxton, both Southerners, recently delivered speeches in New York. Following Senator Tillman’s speech, in which he spoke derogatorily of African Americans, southern newspapers denied that he represented the views of the South. However, both Representative Braxton’s speech and the reception it received gave a different impression. Braxton denounced the Fifteenth Amendment and heralded the restrictions Southern states have put on voting, ensuring that “the vast sea of ignorant, venial and vicious negroes is now safely and perpetually shut out.” Braxton is well respected in his state and was cheered enthusiastically by southerners who live in New York.
Collection
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
Creation Date
1903-02