The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1890-06-18
SOUTHERN SOCIETY.
AS Seen Through Northern Eyes.


left Florida. in response to dispatch. on
the 2ist of April last. to attend the funeral of
brother who died in Syracuse, N. Y, that morn
ing. Had 1 been permitted to remain in the
South three weeks longer and visited the places
intended to visit during that time, should
have been better prepared to comply with your
request. AS it's could only give your readers
such impressions as could call to mind, which
/ received from time to time without a thought
OF ever placing them on paper. No doubt the
same thoughts should present, have been given
to the public time and again, and by much ADLER
pens than mine Still. it is poss ible may SO
turn the kaleidoscope, which meUer makes
duplicate. tho from the same material a thou
sand figures may be made by successive turn
ing. as to present a new combination of eolors,
sufficient at least. to distinguish it from those
already given. will try what 1 can do in tn at
line. you taking all the risk.
This Southern Question" or Negro Ques.
tion." or whatever name you choose to call it,
is affecting society in this country. as no other
question does; and. like certain ghost we read
about, 1t "soonT DOWN." If not. aoAy not2
That's the question, and it is much easier asked
than answered. think both North and South
are to blame for this state of things. 1 have
felt for some time past that we at the North
settle this question by granting promiscUoas
franchise to the colored people of the South. 1
was strengthened in this opinion by scene
witnessed in Atlanta last winter. 1 learned
while there that Mississippi was short of field
hands; that agents had been canvassing the
Carolinas with the view ofsupplying that want;
that by telling roseate stories concerning the
promised land in store for them. coupled with
the assurance of bettering their condition by
going there. they secured a large number. They
accepted entire families, even those blest with
babies two long trains, packed with these
gatherings passed through Atlanta 'ere left.
The trains paused for time in the depot; this
gave me an opportunity to take in the situation
said to myself. What a farce to place the
ballot in the hands of such men Il have since
learned that they are faring much worse in their
new homes than in those they left)
Do not misunderstood me here. 1 believe it
was right to place the ballot in the hands of the
colored man, but not by the aoAolesG1e. Some
were qualified to receive it-others were not.
Those Others should have received it as fast as
they were sufficiently educated to enable them
to vote intelligently. White men of our own
nation, and foreigners as well. should possess
the same qualifications ere the ballot is placed
in their hands.
Another item of information was brought to
my notice. Some of the men from the North,
who are doing business in the South and have
to do with the colorCd man as workmen, are to
be blamed for their treatment of them. From
reports which reached my ears, regard their
treatment as harsh, to say the least of it. This
brings to mind the northern :" Lagreos." who
were found occasionally welding the lash as
overseers in slavery times. All these things
are noticed and have their influence 1 can
hardly think their object to be to curry favor
with the South. 1 am inclined to attribute it
to want of patience with them. Their ways
are different, their movements are moderate.
their whole make up. in fact. is quite different
from the workmen they were accustomed to
deal with at the North
The Southerners, as a rule, treat the colored
people quite differently. When they were
children they were allowed to play with colored
children. The latter were generally cheerful
happy. jolly playmates Gas to that matter, agt
does not seem to change them; no matter what
their age. or how hard their lot. they go singing
their way through the world-jo1y telloaos), con-
scquently they grow up with a kindly feeling
toward them. True. this feeling may be akin
to that which attaches to pet animal. Fami.-
iarity is allowed to certain limits. beyond
those limits they mast not pass-and they are
perfectly content to remain within those limits
Take for instance the railroad car. The la,
says that a colored man holding a first class
ticket must be provided with as good seat a:
the white man no ding the SAME kind of ticket
As law abiding citizens the white people OBJ
serve 1t; and yet each class is separate from thu
other. A partition is placed across the cal
midway, with a door in the center. AS tn,
seats are all alike. one end of the is as gooi
as the other; still the white people occupy ee
clusi0ety one end. while the colored people oc
cupy exclusively the other. and the latter seen
to think it the proper thing to do This is mu
tual, for each prefers SO to do, as understand
Right here let me describe a scene to which
was an eye witness, AMI which surprised m
greatly. 1t occurred at church service. Sool
after the services commenced, colored woman
came into the room. There were plenty O
empty seats on each side of the aisle She wa
modest. good looking and well dressed, and ye
she did not venture to occupy either of thos
seats SO she stool in the aisle awaiting devel
opements. Alter moments pau.e. gentle
man (ffom the North; indeed, two-thirds Q
taat congregation hailed from the North) aros
from his seat, walked to a corner of the church
secured what took to be glass box. placed i
in the aisle back of the other sitters, and re
turned to his seat The woman seemed to thin
good naiuredly sat upon the box and enjoye
the services-at least .she appeared to- and
think she did. The transaction was a myster
to mel have not as yet been able to solve it
wonder if there is reader of your paper bod
enough TO attempt to imagine the consequence
were like scene to occur in any of cur churche
at the North.
To return to the suffrage question. It
claimed on the one hand that various mean
have been resorted to. to prevent. or suppress
the eoored vote. On the other hand it is claim
ed that the colored voters themselves are man
times to blame for their failure to cast thei
ballots. will give an instance as reported t
me by one who is posted. or claimed to be. o.
our way through the South. our train tarrie
for time at the depot in one of her cities Il
my rambles around that depot, came in con
tact with Southern gentleman who proved t.
be very social. He was a man of perhaps 8
years. He had the air of one who was wei
posted in matters pertaining to that city; ais
of railroad matters in general. While we wer
conversing- standing near the train-a colore,
man passed along and replenished each axl
box with oil. He did not pour it in the bo
through the spout of a can. as we see it done a
the North. he had pail of oil; into this h
dipped his hand. filled with cotton waste. thel
Ito this shall refer again) During our con
versation, he made the following statement
do not recollect just what led to it): "At al
election held in this citv - street." II d.
not remember the name of the street; do re
member that he said there was Il seUeze foo
seqcer near the place designated). .' the neoroe
got up a roao and attacked the men at the polls
In just foe minutes that se1oer aoas fUed qoit
negroes" He did not say they were dead ne
groes-he did say. however. in giving particu
lars. that one Degro raised his ak to a whit
man; that directly behind this white man stoo,
another white man; this secosd man placed
revolver across the shoulder of the man threat
ened. and said: Don't be alarmed, I'll fl
him" He left me to draw my own inferenc,
as to his fate. 1 said TO this man, You GER
tainly need these colored men; would you,
white men be willing to fill the places of these
men-for instance. this of the man who has JUS
p issed us. greasing the axles?n He straighten
e. himself full AeiDAt and looked me square ir
the face. and made this reply. which astonishet
me much: I'VE Aa0e aohite here qcho stanG
ready TO-: I'LL tie place of eUery negro, qoAate0e,
his employment