The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1884-01-24
THE NEGRO
In Texas 49, His Advancement Slnce
Observation-Disclosures Facts.
Some sOuRd AdVIcs From Dlsln'or-
esied Source,
Commended In His Consideration.

DALLAS. Jan, 23.-lEdilor HRRALp !
Responsive 10 n request from one OF ur
stan offer some remarks In regard to the
negroes aud their pre'en, condition, con
fining my remarks chiefly To those IN this
city aud uouuIS, and promising That M
no manner or form hsvH | ever sought o
influ,r CO the vots of one OF the race, but
have. on all proper ocoasilns, sought to
secure them IN their legal right 60 exercise
the elective iteohlse as thsif own desires
dictated. This is held simply % 10 duty on
the part OF every good cilztn toward All
who may, irum any cAus. a q OF nny race
be an Ni,et 10 the tri * oi dis1uucst men.
To IubtAe unletterci man OF hli free rhoic'
In Whiting, by deriving him as TO
Tho names on ms ticket or
9th rwis,, IL sinpiY crime OF which no
right.ac ing man va III be- fui,y. Ana on
this point n will be admitted by candid
men OF all parties In this community that
the n, grouj have ever oten o, rec 10 vote
their choice AZ white mtu. They Know II
and will 30 deola'r, here or eishShcre Az
10 influencing them through ctnvts'ta
meetings and on,side pefsuls ons that has
been almost exclusively s'uiincd in tue
party with when most ot them animate.
But 80 limo tas passed these innuohces
have bteaoily diminished, iiil u may be
said thatR rfBpectsne portion OF tho n do
In fact vote their preferences aUanectoi By
thou Some, uf course, eau be lest Oy such
20 resort to Illicit meaus Tor that purpose
Unfortunately this dsplofablo wsssnesi
In MOI cDnfted TO their race-belter Tor our
country and its institutions II uero-or
far better Htill ifit existed nowhere.
Wpeu We come calmly to review tho or
oumstnuce, under which toe negroes were
arst emancipstsd, and subsequently on
franohised, thurc Is much Ia th.lr surround'
ings ia this portion ot the country fr graf
ulation on the part Of the whites. fne b.st
and ois,sl men in the land. and thoi. who
had sympathy and kind f,eingp for the ne
rroes felt the most gloomy frrbodlngs OF
evil when they were clothed With tue ballot;
and for several years events justified them
IN 80 lcelint. But the pnlltlcA condition.
OF tho country was far different ihen irom
now. In sections whore they have consti-
tuted but u small portion OF the population
no serious evil has sprung from Their en-
franc basement si' CO the tisal aud real re-
habii q ion OF the state Ia tht,segnning OF
1874 In counties whgrs ,heT arc III the
minority IL IN understood the -elStinnH- OF
the races have steadily improved md In
comp arsliye sense, are good. AS general
rule l. admitted that where they have
remained neRr their 'ormer owner ard
their former whlto neigh bors they have done
best and iaupd trurst irlendD and pr0tec ois
whom IN trouble or distress, rms Is wei
uuderstood bf al Intelligent southern men,
who nave always knoNh o3d felt thai they
had no ground whatever for uHkind feel
ipgs towards the negro because either OF nj
emaucipatiOn Or en- rgnchi.ement--poltic
actions fox which nc was in TO wis foipJn'
sible however gratiied he may have beei
at their achievement.
The tests OF advancement on the part OF
any unlet,erfd and uOn-pr0perty-hOldin
peope-yemi. civilized II the term he pre-
ferred-is Ia their acqu siuon Ut homes,
habitp OF industry aud eulight cOment.
Judgd by these n far per cent ni the
negroes ia the CITY and county OF Dallas
have done we'll No by ans mesus rs
many az Ihould be- in that class, bu.
enough TO sci good exaniale ANA eIef;
beneficial influence over others. cannot
even approxinately give the number or
tho per cent OF those who have acquired
homes among US; but the registry OF deeds.
outside OF persOhal information, show5 1t
to be large D, rhaps "A hundred aud hitv
or more. Quite number own considerable
property ~ the CITY aud suburbs, auu
there il Q healthy and in
oreasing debire among Othere TO do ike
Wise-ior this purpose saving their means
and living soneriy. Many OF them have
been W srly IL iiuenced In this course by
white friends. and II more OF our thinking
men would counsel those whom they en-
Dloy or know TO this course the effect would
be good 1t IS the interest as II should be
the pleasure Of good citizens 10 pursue thi,
course-to do whatever IL reasonably IN
their power TO encou rage the black man 10
patient, persistent effort at advancement.
The acquisition OF homes-the anchors for
steaoiness Of purpose aud good department
is the first grand step TO 'hrift, seli-re'
apect and Independence of many ills other
wise liable to arise. Home inspires econ my
and sobrl,ty in order tor farther improve
ment. in its comforts and advancements.
II gives the wife and children something to
care for and work for, rs IL seen in numer-
ous families in aud near the city.
The gulf between them aud those home
less. thriitess and sometimes dlssolute
women Of their own race, Is wide and pain
full. as 1t is in our own race.
Our negro population is vel. suesll ed
with churches, END n large ujurity OF them
are church.g otrs Some OF their pastors are
consider,d ihieiiissAt men, AID as ~ e,
for some wears they have also been regarded
by the whites as III rally worthy. Az edn-
cation advances IL is reasoneh - 70 suppose
its influence Will be ia4orably ieit Ia the
pulpit. ..
have every opportunity afforded white chill
drep. Their public school housas are large,
com odious and in every way equa' W
those tor white children, aud they receive
the same pro rata 81 the public funds.
In regard 10 tuarlLll rtluliouo tuipuk WV
negroes, a healthy revolution has been Ia
progress for years. The at!on OF husband
and wife parents and children, are recos
nIzed approximately with the sacredncss
duo to those ties -
The more d, based and ignorant OF the
negroes, inclufiug the idle, the dissipated
and the gamb ing, exert pernicious m
huence over the young, and to conduct
them selves as to bring approbium upon
the whole race. in the estimation OF casual
Observer. But this 10 unjust. The line
OF distinction. to be just must be dawn be
tween the two classes, and let BON see the
rewards, attending the meritorious In the
friendship aud respect oe.towed upon
them. But upon this point We must avoid
the route whose sign. board reads: am
holier than thou"-for the worthy black
man. struggling under honorable inspira-
tions, might sarcss,icafy suggest the
propriety OF keeping our own moral CUTTERS
clean, We, of the South, can vel. make
person al application OF such retort.
Upon calm reflection it must be the
Judgment of the white people OF the South
thai the negro he's done tar better In thee
last ten years than was expected; that n
has made encouraging ~ 'eress aud deserves
their a kindly Tnss ,.S.on anu IN
the scale of being is Beneficial TO society
and tho state Tue degradation the
very opposite. They are here, and here 10
STAY, so far as living man can see. The
idea of some Of their would be leaders
their worst enemies-oi colonizinr them on
the strip Of the tIeele.s plain, "a by lSs
miles surrounded by Kansas Colorado, New
Mexico. Texas aud the Indian Territory. is
A. cruei as it IL senseless The later one OF
Of penning them ION" Lower California Is
no better A mountainous promontory,
slmus; destitute of water, with not one
arab g acre In hundred. tcan' ut grass and
svxtf .A In - har .l az
10 the few Mexicans and nocks now "on T"