The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1883-05-31
THE ",TIvE DARKEY.


The negl very initiative. and il
seems TO b. .,e;sure To copy more
readily after what is bad than after
that which Is good. While the hard
labor on the crops is progressing ht
is inclined to hide away from the
heat of the sun, and from the ex.
posures of the field, leaving blowing
and digging and hoeing, under thf
rays of a burning sun, to white labor
ers and to the fewest of his own race
When cotton picking time comes hi
leaves the haInts where his kind con,
gregate, in the manner of gregarious
| beasts, and he goes to the cotton
fields and spends three months in re-
plenishing what the waste and
evil conduct of nine months with un-
successful raids has taken away from
his store of worldly goods. The first
money he gets in this labor is invest
ed in six shooter, the next in boots
and sombrero and a pair of spurs for
the prospective mustang. When the
fifteen dollar steed is at last obtained
the ambition of the average young dar-
key, who wants to SOW wild oats, and
most do so want to employ themselves,
is complete. His dream has been to
initiate that which is worst, and arm
ed, mounted and spurred,
he betakes himself to his
ambition. 70 ride recklessly, to
yell like a yahoo, to fire off his pistol
as he dashes through the city suburbs,
to become the admiration of juvenile
darkies is his admiration. Cheap
whisky fires his brain, and then he
wants to do something to disturb the
peace, to give him renown, and he
shoots the top of fellows head off,
and has just found greatness when
the sheriff lays violent hands ON him,
and behind prison bars he then begins
to ruminate, if the creature does ever
ruminate, on human vanity; and
when the hangman's rope swim 8 him
into eternity, he gives up earth's
brilliant career for a crown of glory
in the hereafter. Such
a ccnsummation may be
glorious, but the process leading to il
is anything but pleasing to society.
OF course there are exceptions to the
manner of conduct depicted above
A great many negroes understand
how to behave themselves, and they do
behave. Many of them work from the
beginning to the end of the year, not
giving away to idleness, but there is
large number who travel the road
presented above. Why many more
than do receive it are not
given the best guarantee for
a blissful existence beyond
the scaffold is to be wondered at.
The six young devils, who on Sat
urday night last awoAe suburban
echoes with yells and pistol shots
are representatives of the class to
which we refer. They live in idle
ness, and therefore they take nutri-
ment from the industrious, and
life, when warmed up with whisky
These copied the bad because they
have not been diligently employed,
and a good and industrious colored
man pays the penalty of their mis-
spent lives. These young negroes
have not, probably, done an honest
days work in all their lives. Since
the last cotton crop was saved they
have been roaming the country, seek
ing what may be devoured at
somebody else's expense, and
their worthless lives at last have led
to the commission of the greatest of
crimes. Their speedy punishment
should be made u lesson to others.
They have murdered an innocent
man and neck-cracking is too good
for them. To promote them to the
would be to crown them
beneath an earthly halo of glory. The
world can spare them with infinite
satisfaction and while they are in
state to insure bliss in the hereafter,
it would be charity to all to give
them the ready passports they so
richly merit.