The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1888-04-26


of the living, and in the enjoyment of
very good health he hasre-commenced
business on his own "hook," and in
order to command good share OF
patronage, he undertakes TO preach a
campaign sermon once in awhile to a
congregation of "my beloved colored
FRIENDS" His principal text is, "that
unless you vote for rue. and nv party,
you will go back info slavery again )"
almost as big lie begging his par
dom as the ':eighteen thousand in fif
teen years." at least the amended part
of the constitution of the United States
says SO. But that great fact has not yet
penetrated the skull of the ex-slave;
some ofthem (neighbors Of mine) were
trembling in their shoes when Mr..
Cleveland was elected President. was
really sorry for them. Owing to the
misleading of their political bosses,
they are under the impression that their
only safety is in persstently voting in
opposition 10 the white man, fearing
that if they were dsfranchised, slavery
would be their doom If they were left
alone, and no such mean advantage
taken of their ignorance, and their
fears SO cruelty aroused, the time would
not be far distant when they would be
living on the best of political terms
with their while neighbors, which
a fo fhRca
rible massacres that are continually
going on, which, if true, their devoted
friend, the "scalawag" isalone response
bic.
| would like to inform the many
readers Of your great paper that there
is not Southern born white man who
is genuine Republican the name
and its principles are repugnant to his
inbred nature. If the negro had no
vote the Southern white Republican
would be a fit subject for dime
museum l would not mind giving ten
cents to see the living curiosity. Re-
publicanism at the South is still what
it was during the Corrupt reign OF
carpetbager." J." | would state it in
plain English, but fear that it
would be considered offensive. II
the so-called exodus should prove
to be a failure, the most merclfu
act Congress could do SO as to protec'
the poor helpless "darkey" from the
ruthless hand of the blood thirsty
Southcrner, would be to relieve hin
of the cause of his own destruction
which, if allowed to continue, woulc
in time exterminate his race in thes'
Southern States. The protector of th'
exodus says that " the negro has devel
| oped the South and made it what j
! ls," but tha illimitable resources of tn
Southern States never have been devel
oped yet, and it is to be feared that
: left to negro agency they never will b
S The mysterious and uncivilized state @
his own dark continent is llvln
, epistle. Had the Southern door re
NAMED open to immigration an
a closed to the descendants Of Ham
A here would have been tie seat Of
G great population, of ofmanufaCtures, com
0 merCe and wealth: these vast mlnera
e resources would have been developed
} these mighty water powers would hav
e been utilized, and these famous pre-
ductions of the soil, instead Of beln
q shipped OF to make other countrlt
4 rich, and to assist in building up the
II great commercial cities, would hay
p been manufactured on their native sol
O The home manufacture of cotton alor
= would have made it one of II
# wealthiest countries in the worl'
, When this exodus man says that "tl
n negro has made the South what 1t IS
he is charmingly correct. The Sout
IF ern States as an agricultural countr
! is, without doubt, the finest on o.
planet; and if its fertile soil had on
"a the same kind treatment and the san
y Justice done it as what the soil IN t
= less favored countries has, 1t wou
al produce in astonishing abundance al
" and every kind of crop with whl
d we are acquainted, including the tv
a famous articles of commerce, cote
= and tobacco, which are grown to pc
ID fiction; consequently its farmers oug
a. to be numbered among the wealthlt
h. and happIest of their universal brother
n but it is to be feared, as rule, the l
. verse is the case, and that their t.
o. country is to-day, in a state of ag
Id cultural dilapidation and ruin a
of why1 My answer is, that from
~ day that the first African was land
n on these shores you may date the II
.r. of this fair country; not from a
ii fault of his own but from the syst'
,;r that was established on his arrival: a
RI that Dutchman Who sailed up
-, lanes River with the first cargo
rs negroes, ought to have been sunk to
10 lowest bed, both him and his car
too. "The negro has made the Sol
ne what is" is too true and the trou
M is, that 1t is still getting worse by
all bi;ghtlng touch under this rum
,r,- share system which has prevailed c
m since his emancipation. No land I
his possibly stand such a strain II
er- have no means of improving the $
the hence its deplored condition. I
n are here, and as long as the land
If yield anything at all, and the ow