The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1885-02-13
The Negro North and South.

Ihere Is mucn unreasonable mlsCOn-
ception in the North of the relative
condition of the blacks in the North
AMI in the South. The prejudice of
caste is just equally strong in both sec
tions of the country. The black man
can no more sit at the table of the most
blatant Republican in the North than
he can sit at the table of his old master
in the South. The same social laws
govern all people and they are immu-
table. Politicians theorize differently
in election campaigns, but their theory
ends. The prejudice of race is FIVE
fold stronger in the North than in the
South The northern people have no
love for the black man, and even those
who battled for his freedom and en-
franchisement, as a rule, cherish vastly
more profound prejudice of race than
do the Southern people. While the
North maintains its deep prejudice of
race, the people of the South have a
general and strong sympathy for the
negro Nearly all of them have play
ed with the negro in childhood, have
been nursed by the black "mamma,
and have grown up with more or less
affection for them Classify it in what
type of affection you may, il is none
the less an affection that tempers that
hard, unyielding prejudice of race that
prevails in the North. This distinc-
ton between the Northern and South
ern people on the race question will
prepare the public mind in the North
for the dissipation of another unfound-
ed sectional prejudice that is deeply
rooted there. The educational facili
ties for the blacks are better in the
South to-day than they are in the
north, in the proportion of the facili-
ties proffered to all South Carolina
employs and pays out of the State
Treasury more black teachers than are
employed in ali the States of the
North, and Alabama employs LOO
colored male teachers and 500 colored
female teachers. And they provide
the best means for fitting the colored
people for teaching. The normal
schools for whites and blacks in both
Alabama and South Carolina are ex-
actly equal, and the treasury of State
is largely drawn upon to qualify the
colored race for teaching itself. North
Carolina, Georgia, Mississippi and in
deed most of the old slave States, each
sustain more colleges for the blacks
than do Pennsylvania or Massachu-
sets; aud Just as educational facilities
have increased for the whites. whether
in common or normal schools or col
leees, they have been equally increased
for the blacks 80 far as the State appro-
priations have aided them.
In Georgia the colored university
ranks with the white University, and
even in Mississippi, presumably the
most Bourbon of Southern States, the
State does more for the collegiate edu-
cation of the black race than does
Pennsylvania / have heard Southern
men complain of many features of
their local governments, but have yet
to hear the first one to complain of the
| equal education of the two races. And
| what is true in the matter of education
is equally true of the recognition of
the black race in Southern politics. l
found four colored Democratic mem
bers of the South Carolina Legislature,
nominated and elected mainly by white
votes, and in Mobile and New Orleans
the black policeman, appointed by
Democratic authority, is met on every
street, and has worn the insi igna of
police power for wears before Demo
cratic Mayor in Philadelphia first rec
ognized the color voter as entitled to
wear the star and blue. In South Car
olina alone there are more black Dem
ocrats in representative Office than
there are black of all parties in all the
States of the North. Pennsylvania
and Philadelphia, where the black
voters hold the balance of power in
both city and State, could not elect a
colored man to the Legislature or to
any other honorable or lucrative office,
in the strongest Republican district
but South Carolina Democrats elect
him to office, with all the lingering
prejudices of the relation of master and
slave The intelligent and dispassion,
ate Northerner who closely observes
the relations of the two races NORTH
and South, is forced to confess that
with all our boasted superior devotion
to the black race, and with all our as
saults upon the South for the oppres
sion of the blacks, the negro is bette
by the South than by the North, l re
gret to make such confession but i
is the plain truth that we theoriz
about the elevation of the black rae,
with little practice in accord with on
teaching, while the South theories lit
tie on the subject and practices NOR
than it teaches in the considerate car
of the emancipated slaves.-Colone
Nc Clure, to The Times, Neao o,
leans, Jan. 10.
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