The Newberry herald. [volume] (Newberry, S.C.) 1865-1884, 1883-07-12
CIVILIZING.

SollO1AheS SOtAS5S OAASS
of young men, ''What is the worlds
greatest civilizer?" and received
various answers, including, Of
course, christianity, steam, cleo
tricity and the printing press. But,
declaring all the answers unsatis-
factory, he said, ''Young gentlemen,
the worlds greatest civilizer is
SOAP" One who is accustomed to
see only the surface of things may
regard that teaching as soap
understanding that will ex-
plode as soon as it is touched; but
underlying it is the soundest moral
philosophy. 1t is but another and
palmer way of saying that clean
illness is next to godliness, and that
there is no civilization of dirt-that
civilization is a delicate plant
which requires pure air and warm
sunshine, and fourishes in the
midst of decency and comfort.
Apply this teaching to our negro
1aborer. Many persons have des-
paired of ciyilizing him, and it is a
question that deserves the consid-
Grafton of thoughtfulmen, whether
any race situated as the negro is,
could reach a high order of civiliza-
tion. A man who is taken from
the gutter for the purpose of being
civilized must first receive whole
some food; then, decent clothing;
and, after that, comfortable shelter.
Without these three conditions,
even the christian religion would do
little towards ciYilizing him. The
civilization Of the negro is only
two hundred and fifty years old;
and the sun never looked upon race
that advanced farther in>the same
length of time. under so unfavorable
conditions. But he still presents a
perplexing problem.
A few days ago the Commission
er of Agriculture said, in an inter
view, that white immigrants to our
State demand better food and bet
ter houses than the negro laborer is
accustomed to. This shows that a
people with thousand years Of
race culture to back them will not
submit to the conditions thrust up
on our laboring population; and it
shows, too, that the negro has not
been accorded a perfectly fair op-
portunity of bettering himself.
There are persons who think that
dirt and indecency are conditions
normal to the negro; but these
same persons think that hogs are
especially fond of rotten apples.
The truth of the matter is, that they
have never seen the comfort ex-
pertinent tried upon the negro, just
as they have never offered the hog
any other kind than rotten apples.
The negro, like the hog. takes what
he can get-it rotten apples, or no
apples at all.
The question might well be ask
ed, why should we not give our
negro laborers better food and
comfortable quarters, instead of
offering them as inducements to
Immigrant labor. We believe that,
as a rule, the landowner who has
good tenement houses, get the best
tenants, and is able to keep them.
Our country would be improved by
improving the houses in which labor
dwells. These houses should be so
arranged as to keep out the winters
cold; they should have glass to let
in the light, when they are closed
against disagreeable weather; they
should be so constructed as to give
the inmates some inducement to
keep them clean and comfortable.
The majority Of men cannot rise
above their surroundings. Treat 8
man as 3 savage and he will take
to the woods; try TO civilize him in
pig-pen and you will make of him
little more than a second rate hog
At the last Sessions Court in
Spartanburg, Jno. W. Garrett, fore