Smyrna times., 1888-06-20
For the Smyrna Times.
Rum and Social Equality.

The Rev. Mr.. --, withhold the
name, "a white pastor in the Methodist
Episcopal Church asked the Rev. Mr..
--, a colored pastor of Methodist
Episcopal Church, why do the
negroes hold on to rum ?"
Mark the answer, " the negroes hold
on to rum because they know it is the
only thing that will bring social equal.
ity between the white man and the
black man." What do YOU think of
that? Delaware Democrats and Della
ware Republicans who sign rum petit
tiOns and vote for rum men to make
rum laws!
Rum is the only thing that will
bring social equality between the white
man and the black man. And such
equality is the equality of sorrow, OF
sin, of shame, of degradation of the
prison, of death and hell. Now if the
negro holds on to rum us means to
such ends, why does the white man
hold ON to it?
was in company with a city mis-
sionary and we were walking through
st. Mary's street in Philadelphia: he
pointed out to me u company of young
white women who were in yard and
said in an under tone, q" they are all
kept by negro men," If the negroes
vote fOr rum because it sent those girls
into that place, why do white cOmmu-
nicants Of the churches in Delaware
and Maryland hold on to rum?
Whatever these christian voters may
think of the question and whatever
may be their reason for holding on to
rum, the rum sellers and rum drinkers
feel just as the negroes feel and believe
just as the negroes belive, namely, that
rum will bring social equality between
the white man and the black man.
Rum-sellers and rum drinkers hear
lion in the lobby roar" and have
concluded it safer to shut the door
and keep him out" than to "Open it
and let him in and see if they can get
him out again" They have adopted a
little devise for shutting the door and
keeping him OUT That devise is a
ColOred Bar, a side or back door with
a sign board on which is painted "col-
Ored bar" and all colored persons
wanting rum must climb up another
way enter through a side or back
door. Why is all of this? Why can't
the negro enter the same door and buv
rum over the same counter as does the
white man?
The answer is that rum is the only
thing that will bring social equality
between the white man and the black
man. And the rum drinkers know it
and " shut the door "-the front door.
Black men, black women and black
children can enter any store in Della
ware and stand at the counter and bv
the side of white people and buy dry
goods, clothing, boots and shoes, gro
cerles and all manner of merchandise
and be treated respectfully. The same
man who demands that the negro shall
not drink at the bar with him will buv
goods at the stores by the side of the
black man.
Why is all of this discrimination ?
The answer is, that he believes Just
what the negro believes, namely, that
rum IS the only thing that will bring
social equality between the white and
black man. But what sort of equality ?
Answer-The equality of St. Mary
street, where the white girls were kept
by the black men. The equality OF
sin, the equality Of death, the equality
of hell. Rum degrades the white man
and the white woman. It degrades the
black man and the black woman until
they all sink to the bottom and Join in
in the equality of the cursed.
o We rum cursed lecherous, cancer
planters enemies ofGod and humanity,
reform or go down a rat-hole and get
out of the world. II. o. AYREs.