Western appeal. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1885-18??, 1888-12-01
The SUNNY SOUTH.
The COlOred People Of the Sun
ny South Their Progress
and Drawbacks by
M. w. Lewis.

Since June 10th | have, spent over
two thirds of the time in the States of
Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, Louis
lana and Texas and much Of this time
has been passed in small towns near the
larger ones in these respective commo, :
Wealths, and aside from my business l
have found time to note the doings of
the race I am identified with. Despite
what may appear in the daily papers of
our country against the Negro, or, that
has tendency to cause the readers to
think he is as he was when freed from
slavery; that he has made but little pro
gress in his habits, his dialect, his re-
ligion and his manner of doing bust
ness. The truth is, he has sought i'm
provement, he is anxious to learn,
obedient and a close observer AS the
whites are in the community, so is he.
If they set examples, he follows; and in
several villages [ have visited in Mis-
slssippi and Louisiana, the Negro is set
ting the examples. Every opportunity
the Negro has had to elevate himself
he has taken advantage of it; more so
down here than up North. / see
Negroes in every line of business that I
see the white man in, and when [ in
quire who they are am told, it is John
Smith or Will Brown, who used to work
for the merchant, or the mechanic MIR.
so and so, in Georgia. They pay taxes
on over ten millions of dollars. A
Colored woman in Atlanta has already
taken the part of a philantrophist. She
is to build a ten thousand dollar home
for the Colored orphans of that State
Every profession, every merchantile,
mechanical and agricultural branch has
its Negro representative, so much SO
that learn by inquiry that no
Negro is permitted to learn trade as
an apprentice under white man any
more. am quite positive that a Negro
who is a pattern cutter was discharged
from the Galena Pacific Ry. because
he was making a model for patent he
expects to spring uponlthe world soon.
In other States I saw that skilled Negro
labor is not being encouraged, but I
| too remember this is true in the North
true in st. Paul, true from New York to
| California. There is not today 500 OF
| our boys and girls learning trades or
professions, yet many of the different
branches of business arc chiefly in the
hands of men who claim to be our
friends, who seek lis and use us to
help them satisfy their ambition, III a
political way. yet close their doors in a
business way to our boys and girls who
have ambition to be other then walters,
porters, etc, we do not like this and are
watching it. Outside of the city of New
Orleans our people in Louisiana are held
!. down. In Shreveport, Baton Rouge
and two other places Of less note I saw
i men of our race in little businesses fol
themselves. saw the mechanic, bu
4 few apprentices, yet | gladly noted il
most every hamlet and town it has beer
my lot to be in I know Of my people
i owning some land, and / have TALKED
TO the clergy and school teachers ant
leaders and tried to instill in them the
idea to teach their follows to get more
land and to stop singing that old song
aYou may have all the world but Civ.
me Jesus. In Mississippi I found th,
chief talk was politics. in fact too mu, |
oft, but in various parts OF the Stat,
i / saw much that made me feel proud
4 And so it has been through all the sec
tons Of this country of dense ignorance