The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1881-01-19
THE REASON WHY THE NEGRO Is
RULED BY THE WHITE MAN.
President Elect Garlield'S Adr0it Re-
My to the Harangue Of "the ID
Niger that Cost More than He Is
WOrth,3

President. Elect Garfield'S Adr0it Re-
ply to the Harangue Of 'the ID
Niger that Cost More than He Is
WORTH"
The following is the sensible md Significant
reply made by Gen. Garfield on Friday last
TO the hypocriticJu jeremaid of II. Is. Elliott,
tie spokesman Of the gong of colnrcd polite
inns who called on the President-elcct at his
home in Ohio:
Gen. Elliott and Gentlemen I thank you
for yuur congratulatiun Tor the successful ter
minutiun of the great campaign that recently
closed, and especially ior your kinI uliiSion
to me personally for the art l bore in thai
campaign. Via. have done, what | nave
said concerning your race anu prop
lem thai yOur presence on THIS continent mas
! raised, | have said a> q matter OF profound
conviction, and hold to with all the meaning
of the words employed in expressing 1t. hal
YOU have said III regard To the situation oi
yonr prOple. the troubles that they encOln.
Tered. the events from which they have sui.
frred aud still suffer, | listened TO with deer
attention.. and shall give IT a full measure "i
reflection. This is not The time nor the place
for he to indicate anything as TO what shall
have TO say and do by and by In an official
way, but this | may say: | no:cd as peculiar
ly significant one scntrnc:i In the REMARKS ol
Gen. Elliott. to the effect that the liaJ"iltA o.
! llZtlIS IL Tx tilN -tEy - l"h
SoutlI are oppressed By the minority, III t,:s
be so, why is it SO? Because II trained man Is
Two or three men in one in comparison with
| an unframed man, and outside OF politics and
outside of parties that suggestion Is lull.
brimlul of significance; that the way to make
the majoi ity always powerful over the Mi!lor-
ity Is to make its members rs trained ana M
J InIliucnt As the minority ITSELF. That brings
! the equality Of citiZt nshlp, and no law can
confer and MAINTAIN IN the long run Il thlnS
that Is not Upheld with q reasonable dcgree"i
culture and Intelligence. LEGISLATION ouSht
! [, do all 1t can. ! have made these :uSgeS-
! lions simply to indicate that the education Of
your race, in my judgment. lies at the base OF
the final solution of your great question:, ana
| that cannot be altogether i'll the hands OF Inc
Stale ur National Government. The Govern
| mcut ought to do all 1t properly can. but the
native hungering and thirsting ior o
edge that the Creator has planted In every
child, must he cult waited by the parents OF
these children to the last possible degree OF
their ability, SO that the hands OF the people
shall reach out and grasp in the darKnesS the
hand OF the Government extended 70 help,
and by tha. union of effort the TWO will bring
what mere legislation alone cannot mniedl
Gcly bring.
! Rejoice that you have expressed so strong
ly and earnestly your views III regard 10 TIC
necessity of youf education, / have felt for
years hat that WAS the final so utlon. Ihosc
forts that are humble and cnmparatively
out of sight are In the long-run the effort
that tell. have sometimes thought that the
4 liz llltlt Siiin - S'N'
work for months in anchoring great stones to
build the solid abutme!. Is and. piers, whose
work Is b~y-and-by covered BY the wafer ana
out Of sight, do not get their share of the cred
it. The gaudy structure Of the bridge that
rests on these piers and across which inc
trains thunder Is the thing that strikes the
eye OF the great public u great deal more. The
sunken piers and yard work, the educational
growth and the building up OF industry, the
economy and all that can help the founda
lion of local prosperity Is the work that In
the long run tells. Some Scotch poet said, OF
put IL in the mouth of some prophet to Say
! that the time would come
"Whcn Bertram's right and Bertram's might
Shall meet on Ellcngow ans height"
And 1t is when the might and the right Of o
people meet that majoritics are never op
pressed by minoritleS.
Trusting, gentlemen. that you may take
part in the earnest work OF building up youl
race, from the foundation into the solidity o
intelligence and industry, and upon those
bases at last see all your rights recognized, IL
nv persOnnl wish and hope for your people.