The intelligencer. [volume] (Lexington, Mo.) 1887-1891, 1890-01-11
z ..,ss, 9ss ss,s No. 81.



fans, blindIy striving wih Nludgeon
and shotgun to plunder hfsd soppfess .
race, then | shall tax your pal teneej Ia
vain. But admit that they aretspeR 81
common sense and common honesty
wisely modifying an environment they
cannot wholly guiding eaa
controlling as best they can the vicious
and Irresponsible of either race-com-
pensating error with trankness and re-
trieviug in patience what they lose in
passiOu-and conscious all the time that
wrong means rnin-Admit this, and we
may reach All understanding to- might.
The president OF the United States,
in his late message to congress, dis
cussing the plea that the south should
be lett to solve this problem, asks
care they at work upon itf What so
luton do they offer? When will the
black nan cast free ballOtf When
will he have The civil right that is hisT"
| shall not here protest against parti-
sanTy that Tor the first time in our his
tory, in time of peace, has stamped
with the great seal Of our government,
stigma upon the people OF great
loyal section, though | gratefully re-
member that the dead soldier who held
the helm of state for the eight stormiest
years of reconstruction, never found
need for such step--and though | can
think OF no personal sacrifice | would
not make to remove this cruel and un-
just imputation on my people from the
archives of my country.
But, sir, backed by q record, sir,
on every page OF which is progress,
| | venture to make an earnest and
respectful answer to the questions that
are asked. I bespeak your patience,
while with rigorous plainness OF speech
seeking your Judgment rath her than
your applause. proceed step by step.
We give TO the world this year a
crop of boz, 900 bales of cotton, worth
$450, ,O00, 900 and its cash equivalent In
grain, grasses and fruit. This enor.
nous crop could not have come from
the hands of sullen and dIscontented
labor. 1t comes from the peaceful
fields in which laughter and gossip
rise above the hum of industry, aud
con,entment puns with the singing
plough. Ii is claimed that this igno
rant labor is defrauded OF its just hire
present the tax books of Georgia
|
ago slave, has in Georgia alone $40,
O00,O0O of assessed property, wortt
twice that much. Does not that RECORD
honor hun and vindicate his neighborsl
What people. penniless, illiterate, ha
done so well?
For every Afro-Americsn agitator
stirring the strife in which alone h'
! prospers, can show yon hundred
negroes, happy in their cabin homes
tilling their own land by day aud a
night taking from the lips of their chill
dren the helpful message their stat
sends them from the school house door
THE SCHOOLS.
And the school house itself bear
testimony. I'm Georgia we added las
Q year $3.50, 600 to the school fund, max
!. ing u total of more than $1,000. 600
/ and this in the face of prejudice not "
u conquered-Of the fact that the white
n are assessed tor 1865, 900 900 the black
tor $40, 1000, 900, and yet 49 per cent. {
3 the beneficiaries are black children
v and in the doubt of many wise men
h education helps or can help, our prot
Il lem. Charleston. with her taxab
Il values cut half In two since 1869, pa!
b more In proportion for public schoo
= than Boston. Although 1t is easier
d give much out of much than little oI
/. Of little, the south, with one seventh
d the taxable property OF the countr
e with relatively larger debt, having r.
Il ceived ouly one-tenth as much OF publ
y lands, aud having back OF ITS tax boo
,r none of the half billion OF bonds tn
enrich the north, yet gives nearly ont
sixth of the public school fund. III
south, since 1868, has spent 1922 .OOO
N 600 in education. and this year is pied
,r ed to S37 ,0c0, 900 more for state al
te city schools although the blacks pa
~ ing one-thiriieth of the taxes,get near
IA one half of the fund. Go into our tiel
Of and see whites aud blacks working 81
IN by side. On our buildings i'm the sal
30 squad. In our shops at the same fors
I'd Often the blacks crowd the whites fro
W work, or lower wages by their great
- need or simpler habits, and yet 8
nj permitted, because we want TO B
,d them from no avenue in which thu
Il. feet are fitted to tread. They could 7
TO there be elected orators of white III
TO versities, as they have been here, l
nv they do enter there hundred usei
OF trades that are closed against tht
II here. We hold 1t better and wiser
as tend the weeds in the garden than
ui water the exotic in the window.
lat the south there are negro lawye
We teachers, editors, dentists, docto
las preachers, working in peace and M
NJ uplying with the increasing ability
,er their race to support them. In villa
at and towns they have their milit'
nal companies equipped from tho armoi
ese of the state their churches and socie
Ike built and supported largely by th
icy neyghbors. What is the testimony
en- the courts?
.,' THE CRIMINAL RECORD.
IN In penal legislation we Lave stea,
III. reduced felonies to misdeneanors,
,ial have led the world in mitigating p
an ishment for criu!o, that we might ga
nee as lar as possible, this dependent !
flom its own weakness. In our pt
hs, tentiary record 60 per cent of the pr
-, cutors are negroes, aud in every CT
/, the negro criminal strikes the colo
r;ai Juror, that white men may Judge
=, !, case. In the north, one negro in el
on. lS5 is in jsil-in the south, only on
Nv. 4I6, In the north the percentage
,Iv. negro prisoners 10 six times as grea
n,, that of native whites-in the south
his four times as great. 1t prejudice wrC
,,1 him in southeru courts, the re,
nn,. shows il 10 be deeper in nort
.;,I, courts. assert here, aud a bar al
nod telligent aud upright as the ba
n Massachusetts will solemnly ind
%, nv assertion, that In the sout
wa courts from highest to lowest, plea
~. for either liberty or property the II,
'lng mas u'7sil,', a." I'a nnar,ooohod on,ro nc
,oa and that this advantage reaches
man the Juror in making his verdict tC
,or,, Judge in measuring his sentence. \
;sa'. Mr.. President, can il be seriously II
'nIa tanned that we are terroriZing the
.a., ple from whose willing hands c
r;cL every year 81 900 ,0O0, 900 OF farm CT
,dnr or have robbed u people who, 20 J
s,od from unrewarded slavery, have al
,Io,, ed in one state $40 900 900 of prOpt
dav Or that we intend to oppress the
Won pie we are arming every dayp
-, deceive them, when we are educi
4, them to the utmost limit of our abb
ho,r OR outlaw theD, when we work
MI. bv side with themf Or re.en
a,., them under legal forms, when tor
:, ~, benefit we have even imprudently
,,,, rnwed the limit of telonies and init
in.,, ed the severity of law My iel
,mn. couutrymen, as you yourselves
hi,L sometimes have to appeal at the b
,',s human Judgment tor Justice anC
hr,, right, give To my people TO- nj gh
4, IT, fair aud uuaHs werable cunclusiO
thncn innnntnatihla facial