The Grenada gazette. (Grenada, Miss.) 1885-18??, 1888-06-09
THE DOwN-TRODDEN NEGRO.

THE DOWN-TRODDENNE NEGRO.
What a splendid time man would
have In this world if he would only
attend to his own business and keep
out Of what doesn't concern him.
The truth of his has often appear
to me when it was too late.
One evening l entered the smoking
car of the East Tennessee, Virginia,
Georgia and something else railroad
at Atlanta. The train was going
north when it started and SO was l.
Four men had possession of the car
and they too, were going north. The
four evidently knew each other and
seemed to belong to the same party.
They had been down South for three
weeks and / could see that they knew
q great deal more about Southern
questions than people who had lived
there all their lives. The spokesman
Of the party was particularly severe
on the Southern people for their treat
ment of the negro.
Now here was where I came in. 1t
was none of my business, at all. l
was responsible neither for the
Southern people nor the negro. ]
had only been three weeks In the
South myself, and the chances were
was Just as ignorant on the ques-
ton under discussion as the big man
who had his shoes off was. He had
settled himself comfortably for the
night, and had his stockinged feet
upon The seat In front Of him. He
held forth IN loud voice OH the
wrongs of the colored man.
"Where did you get all your in
formation about the trouble of the
negro?" asked.
"Get it? Why, by keeping my
eyes and ears open, of course. I've
been nearly month down here
$50 have I; but l haven't seen
any down treading."
"Perhaps you didn't want to.'
II think very likely you are right.
You, of course, left the North with
no prejudice one way orthe other"
"No, sir. l wanted to see things as
they are. I've seen enough to sat
isfy me that the negro has no show
down here. He is bulldozed at elec-
tions and"
"Oh, you have seen an election
then. You were lucky. l wanted
to, but there were none going on in
the part where I was"
mo, didn'tsee an election, but l
heard lots about 'em."
"That's a different thing. Who
gave you the Information
"Now, see here; do you think Pm
on the witness stand? You're evid-
emily some cussed Demo ocrat who
don't want to find out--the truth"
"Yes, and you? You're Democrat,
too, of course?'
"Id shoot myself if I were"
"There you have the whole thing.
Come down here with my mind
warped one way and you come down
with yours warped the other. You
see things the way you want to, and
I see them the way want TO- Neither
of US is a competent Judge"
"Do you mean to say I'd lie about
what I've seen and heard?"
"Certainly. You have already
lied about that election business,
giving out hearsay fer your own ex-
periences.
Here there was a slight diversion
that interrupted the conversation,
which was being carried on In high
tone. Two of his friends held the
man in his seat, while the other said
he would throw me out Of the car If
did not carry on an argument among
gentleman as a gentleman should
When this had quieted down and
had withdrawn the word "certainly,..
the conversation was resumed.
"From whom did you get your
stories of oppression?" l asked.
"From negroes, of course. You
don't suppose the white people give
themselves away, do you"
"Of course not. Now have talk
ed a good deal with my colored broth
er. find that he gives me just the
sort Of information l want He is
quick ut seeing how the land lies and
be furnishes what is called for every
time. If you ask Southern negro il
he Is down tr6dden, he will say Yes,
He hates truth as much as he does
work. My opinion Is that the negro
hiss a pretty good time and that the
Southern people understand him
and like him great deal better than
we Northerners do whatever we may
Say" "
GAN bosh. The fact Is that the
fiesfo in the South has not single
.lI 49, 4. ,ooDa,kad tvhpO if Is