The Pickens sentinel. [volume] (Pickens, S.C.) 1871-1903, 1890-03-06
ARP ON THE NEGRO.
THE NoRTa's IGNORANCE OF
2 THE SOUTH.

long it would take him and his family
to be come acclimated, and what was
tho safest time of the year to make
the change, Ifhe had ever been South
he would not have asked such ques-
tions. Most of the Northern people
associate the South with malaria and
bad, sickly weather. They look on
the map and see the parallels OF lati-
tude, and 80 form their opinions.
Well, there is some malarial couu:ry
away down South somewhere, but up
here in Georgia we talk about going
to Florida to spond the winter, just
like the Northern people do. The
only difference between Georgia and
Virginia is that our winters are shorter
and milder, and our summers longer
an1 "ooler. The climate is just vigor-
Gus and bracing.
Now, it is fact that the Southern
people know great deal more about
the North than their people know
about us. The tendency Of travel is
northward, and has always been so. A
hundred travellers would go north to
where one came south. Business and
pleasure called them there. Until the
great army of drummors came into OK
istence, the Southern merchants went
north twice q year to buy their goods,
their spring stock and fall stock, and
thcy became we'll acquainted with the
people and their manners and customs
and politics and religion. For seven
wears I was merchant and mingled
with them from Boston to Philadel-
phia, but none Of them came south to
mincle with mo. Before tho war we
sent hundreds Of our boys to Northern
colleges, but they never send any to
ours. We have always taken their
newspapers and magazines, but they
have never taken ours. Thousands
of our wealthy people visit their
watering places and their great cities
every summer, but they never visit
ours, and so they are still unacquaint-
edwith US. In recent years n good many
af their nabobs and inyalids take a
straight shoot for Florida every win
ter, but they go in Pullman Shoppers
with the curtains down, and when they
get there they huddlc together III a
don't get acquainted with the natives
and don't want to. They como chock-
full of the preiudices of n century,
prejudices that are part Of their re'
ligion and they don't want 10 lose
them. You might as we'll try to got
Baptist, or q Methodist, or Jew, to
change his religion. There is but one
channel open to removal OF prejudice
and that is through tho pocket. The
only hope of promoting peace Is in get
ting acquainted, and the only hope of
gotting acquainted is through business
channels. Russell Harrison Camo down
to Atlanta to q banquet and he be-
haved like gentleman, and l expect
ne is n gentleman, but he has gono
lack believing that our people are
killing and prosecuting the negroes
and robbing Republican postmasters
as n general business, a kind of amuso-
ment But our climate and our mine.
raj treasures are drawing their good
people down here pretty fast. They
are Investing their money and they
stay to watch it, and the longer they
stay the better they like us. Their
deep concern about the negro soon
passes away and the race problem
bugbear vanishes into myth. The
truth is, there are too many alarmists
about the negro, even in our own Soc
ton. There is plenty Of room here
for white and for black, and will be for
century to come. I can't sec any vol
cano nor hear its muttcrings.
The race problem has already been
solved in other countries. | was talk
ing to traveller q few days ngo-a
man who has seen enough Of the world
and humanity and government to can
Gel all his prejudices, and cause him
to look upon everything with the eye
of q philosopher. Not long ago he
took trip to the Windward islands,
the little Antilles, and spent some
weeks upon them. He visited St. Kits
and Dominica and Antigua and Bar
BADGES and Trinidad, and found the
English people in charge, and although
the population was mostly negroes,
there was no trouble anywhere. There
was no social equality, nor any other
equality. England makes their laws
and they have to obey them. Tho
it is firm and absolute. In those
islands there are about thirty thous-
and whites and three hundred thous-
and negroes. Those negroes were
emancipated in 1843, and they are now
pretty much what the were then. Some
Industrious, some lazy, some vaga-
bonds, some beggars, but all dependent
upon the white man and happy in
in that dependence. They have plenty
of religion and are content with the
present and have but little concern
with the future. They cultivate tho
lands and make all tho sugar and mo-
lasses. The lands are owned by En-
glish landlords, who live in London.
The encouragement is appointed by
bhe crown, and he has enough officers
and agents to enforce the laws and
keep the peace. Negro policemen are
appointed to keep order among the
negroes, and they do 1t. Now, what is
the matter with this picture? Nothing.
1t is just tue same pictuce that is here.
Right here in this community we have
some honest industrious negroes who
work regularly every day, and are
clever, law-abiding citizens. We have
others VINO work when they feel like
it and steal when they don't. About
half the boys from ten to eighteen are
street vagabonds, who run the streets
and the depot platforms, and are ready
to make o nickel at anything that is
quick and easy, They LAUGH and frolic