The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1890-05-11
LITERATURE AID rnn NEGRO.

- 4. 7
The discussion as to the future of the
negro and his capabilities has developed
a rather remarkable dispute a 10 the
literary tastes of the cOiored race. 4
CORE spondeul of the Nation at Wash |
ington reveals the astonishing dlscOv-
cry that The negroes. as q class are de
voting their attention to the highest
and most improving books. They
eschew works of fctiOn-with the ex-
ceptiou. we suppose, of party news
understand. according To this state
ment. make their literary investments
i'm such st0rehOuses Of Information as
the Library of Universal knowledge,
while the more educated class of col
ored people devote themselves earnestly
to the study OF Aristotle, Plato ana Ca
cero. This claim of high lite
rary taste for the African race
evokes challenge from the
Atlanta Constitution, which gives It's
evidence TO the effect that the younger
negroes Of its State delight IN cheap ana
sensational stories, Cooking more
eagerly for the murder than the moral
i'm the story" This conflict OF testimO-
nv permits the impartial Judge to be-
liave as much OF each side as hechoOscs,
Probably very Just way of estimating
the two statements would be TO acc pt
n certain portion Of each. Il Is pr0bl-
/ Lly true that The prosperous cOlorcd
people are showing "a disposition o. ne
mforce their store, Of Information by
/ tine pOsSesSiOu of the Library of Dnlver-
sal Know ledge. Ii may be correct
that some Of them are reading the
works of the classic philosophers. But
that all the cOlOred people eschew iic-
uon. we believe to be- an undue derO
yatiou al that imaginative race.
On the other hand. We are quite
ready to give much confidence 70 the
Atlanta statement that the younger
colored people reyel in the delights ol
murder stories and detective literature
In that there is 30 impeachment Of the
progress Of the cClorcd race. For il
the Youth of that race has developed o
The pOint of cheap and sensational iic
ton. the evidence Is complete that they
are on an equality as regards literary
tastes with the Caucasian youth
Whether they are guilty of reading n
Ia. Amelie Riyes or Mr.. Barnes Of Nev
YorE. 90 does not appear in evidence; bu
even if they do perpetrate the pcruaa
of that trash. their standard u
reading will not suffer in comparison
with that Of the heretofore euperlO
+ race. There is no need Of taking pes
simistc view Of the fact that larg
number OF people. both white an
black, find the present satisfaction q
their appetite tor reading, in sensa
tlonal trash. Il Is better TO read dete,
tive novels than not 10 read ~ all; an
, that the younger cOlOred generation ~
, able 20 read the literature which ha
! furnished the pabulum for two genera
, tiOns of our own race Is an cvldenc
d of progress from the comparatively II
+ cent period when the mass Of Negro
8 could not even read their priu
ers. We are more inclined
} place faith in this SJutbcr
- evidence than in the rather stron
4 statement that the cOiOred people al
?, proving themselves 10 be- lie superlo
race by reading Plato. 1t Is more cred
=. bic and indeed is more satisfactory
= showing process of natural develop
ment which is more likely TO yield re
manent results than an abrupt at,aC
upon the mysteries of classic phil
sophy. Indeed. If II were proved to
Il the case that the negroes as a race al
Il giving themselves over TO the anciel
Is philosophers, we should suspect INTO
Is merely a phenomenon like that OF Il
q recent Browning clubs. which we
u more noted for their ambition than f
u their ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ID
. patch.