Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1890-03-21
A QUESTION OF TODAY.
The Race Conflict in the South.
REV. ur. srsithers's Excellent Paper BE-.
f.re the ProfessfSnaI CIub

mr.. which was by Rev. ". s. Smithers on tho
subject above named. showed extended. careful
and sympathetic study u what Geo. W Gable
pronounces. aud our best thinkers concur Ia call
ing. the greatest problem before the American
people -"the presence among MS ~ the negro. be-
The irrepres-bl- conflict logan many years ago
and must 20 on until it, causes are Graduated
What thes. causes are the s-ssayist considered
with great keeuuess u insight in his opening
rageg Its foundations were laid when the first
black man was brought 20 our shores with the
deliberate purpose to make him mental under
ali the disabilities ~ seryitude The North ~
yoltad against the wickedness aud inhunanity Of
slavery aud crushed out the system but H. inter
st In the slave was theoretical rather than prac
teal II was bas-d on his condition 81 s-ryltude
and not on regard for him a. a man. The fact
that be belonged 10 another race was not taken
into account 3J.OJO white men could live peacea
bly, with one negro; nobody stopped % ask wheth.
er one million white men could live peaceably
with one million black men side by side The ~.
suits u slavery Ignorance, poverty, mental and
moral decentralization were overlooked or not
taken into the account II was impossible with
one stroke Of the pen 70 eradicate inform differ
eucs-s put master aud slave upon the some level.
and obliterate the line between the races After
the conflict had grown into the civil war, and the
war WAS at last over the two sections were It tin
as totally unlike as two different nations Neither
understood the other The two people minglr
but little more today than before lTO. n We
could get at the CAUSES that uuderlay the war We
should have the causes which Ia pa.t az least
keep up the race cOuhictt
The var snapped on certain arbitrary relations.
hut did not remove any Of the old sentiments
The negro still All allen aud a being Of anOth-
er rats.. That the former slave should be man
entitled % al the rights of manhood va au ia
suit greater than lii former master could endure
The master undertook 10 play uu the same string
a. before Treating the negro as still an alien and
concsiing ~ him none Of the rights d independ
pnt citizenship he tried 10 h. his guide and lead-
er The offer was rejected on the terms offered
and the master turned away estranged refusing
10 the black man the protection which the strong
owe t. the weak. Notwithstanding the letter Of
the Law recognizes the black man as entitled u
every right ~ citizenship their Is scarcely one
public relation iu which he b. not compelled to
hold the attitude u au allen. a mental and prob
able reprObate and all because he u a negro Il
would b. the marvel Of history that seven million
people would submit to such treatment had they
not ls-,-n kept Ia that relation for centuries h.
FORE Let the whites " the South remain ia
cry way what they arr remove the seven million
blacks, and 10 their places put seven million
whites " ho had tasted freedom aud let them b.
tr-ats.i a. the blacks are. aud We should --e one
u the most bloody uprisings the world has ever
knOwn
The Sorth I'D not understand the character Or
the magnitude Of the problem to be solved The
black man was freed and then given the ballot
when he was no more fit for it, use than a child
ami then. greatest Jolly Of ALL nothing was done
10 teach him it, prop.r USE This reveals either
the Indifference or the ignorance Of our legisla
tor. Their vas, indeed. an attempt at recon
stTcton, but after years 81 strife and failure il
was given up and the work turned over to
the South To-Day II testimony can b.. relied up
on. the black man H. PERMITTED t. exercise his
rights only within limits prescribed by his white
rulers.
HOW THE NEGRO Il HANDICAPPED.
The discouraging qualities and characteristic,
Of the negro are not 10 l- denied or overlooked
but the mmens.. disadvantage under which b..
starts 10 the race must not ~ forgotten. IL was
believed during the war that be would rise IN in
surrr,'tiOn, but he proved himself the faithful
guardian Of his masters home and family When
finally put INTO the Union army il was predicted
that the black men would not fight, but they
made the most devoted of soldiers and when tbs.
var clOs@d the names Of lsG 90 black men were
on the army rolls II said he would not
learn that he was good only to wade through
rice wamIs. cut sugar cane aud pick cotton, but
be has shown a passion for the spelling book
and today lS.uh colurtd teachers arr seeking to
uplitt their own race. The answer 10 the ques
ton why, II the negroes have so much ability and
ambition. they have not made greater progrt-ss
Is al easy one. They b-gau without capital or
training, and Ia their Ignorance and weakness
they arr the victims uf systematic swiudlug and
eNtOHlun, aud Of starvation wages The white
employer always cuntTIyes t. have his helpless
victim come out III his debt at the end % the
year. But 100 spite of such Odds the black man
has betu sluWl y trumphiug over his environment
aud today he paws taxes on no less than SlOD uD e.
~ Of property. He awaits himself Of every op-
Portumlty Tor Industrial education, and proves
himself good MECHANIC when he has a chancae
The trouble Is that his ambition Is rlrtr4d al
every point II be tries 10 rise above the dead
level ot his fellows ne cannot b. ANYTHING but a
teacher ar preacher. The higher branches OF arr
and mechanics are 81, 81 70 him He dos not
ask for social equality. He asks simply for fair
Treatment and for what belongs to him In an
sSer h. Is met everywhere with disbursement
humiliation aud unjust discrimination tu-tatis.s h.
Is negro. Facts IN proof Of this werr given from
the observation and writings Of well-knowu pub
nc men like Geo. W. Gable, Dr. Parkhurst OF
LiOn's Herald. Ju ige Tourg,-- aud Others tn,
negro Is frrv man only in theory. He cannot
SECURE bis fair wages, avenues Of rpmuneratiyr
occupation arr CLOSED to him he Is socially Crstra
GIL MS evidence Is worthless against white
The argument OF thos.. who hold IN a 1ifar,.,,
view vas outlined and considered The-s- say
that the old South has gone and that a new
south has sprung up IN lis place. A new indus
ulaI NE ana nrW commercial enterprises have
given the people something besides politics ami
race pr-ludices Ia think o. Should We Of III.
North DO litter II put IN the place Of th. southern
whites LOOK al Philadelphia With a CDlor,-l
population Of sj,tpu Is anv negro elected Ia H.
city government The STATE has thru. times as
many l. the race given representation in M,
state or national government How do northern
"orklngmen and operatives vote, With their
employers II Is question Of bread and butter
ms j. The general line Of argument Their i
Is the other way NV
Some have profrss-d to believe that the
negro will die ont hefur,. a higher rivflits
ton, but the figures which prove In. r1ntra-,
ar conclusive; they arr than this they an.
la tllhg Al The rate of Increase shown between
IN'V ana lAHJ the white population doubles in a.
years. while the blacks double in ~ years This
means that IN 100 years from 1871 - an am s.,,,tL
TIn "hies I" $1,000 gu blacks. 1t means that In
is1 tach OF the states lying between MARYLAND
and Texas will have a culurr,i majority in its
DorlerS ana We shall have eight minor rspuhll.s
VI the Ohlon IN which the coured race will nile
Or a majority will b.. DISTINGUISHED NV
Distrauchisemrnt by legal enactment has -,
,usEested; nut TINS can never be done Deporta
mn, "hIh mas u'-tI seriously discussed OF late
i hYt only impracticable, ii is Impossible VI,
might as well try To empty the ocean with a 10
spoon or Try to deDort the white man himself
REMEDIES FOR THE EVIL.
Foremost among the hopeful agencies for s,lv.
- ,llla kIyat piooieIn the tssayist placed ballot
reIofh ana education 1t ought to b. made i'm
possible Tor the members OF either political marry
20 eject members Of Congress or 10 seat 49,
nent oy fraud. Steps should IT, taken To vi
sist,,r. I, \, member Of our national leg
lslatuIt IL must te made absolutely SURE thst
rNery FREEMAN Of the Republic may cast ms s,ts'
- ne peases' and have that vote counted In
No. ,h th- negro needed the spelling book
ulorT imam the statute-b book. Let him nov az
TINS late day. L. given the means on ,.inca;,i az
anu seli 'dependence which are his right Tha H.
uouuctlun OF millions Of letter.ss fraaip,., =, ~
elective Franchise. was contrar, 10 IN 70 ene
etii- government. The only Justification Tor s,,ch
an al Is now 10 give them every means Of ar1nfr
ing NhONledge how 10 use the ballot intelligsdtL
blshop galloway said in recent hac,aisS5'.s'
ulscourse al Vanderbilt university. ssThl - -
biO9 i, must Oe solved by the spelling hook ana
the blole II Is a trayrsty on r.li,ion fbis 90, u
sltoh 10 canoniZe missionaries Who 90 20 ~.
Dark continent, while We have nothing but s,,oiaI
OstIaclsln Tor the white teacher who is doIn, a
Of III
problem rests with the white p..onie M LIS i
among the blacks and who arr Willing To h,, nv
.nir teachers IN the missionary spirit The sl,r
81 S'lutlon ~ this problem IS 10 treat tls 49,,
Justly, To educate him and 10 respect his rj,htso
a man and citizen. II this be done file nr1r a.
~, ne solved without revolution, because Heav.
~ vi ~ favor u Out II the South Is resolved la N.
unjust II viii do well 70 remember that a., -
ust and that IN the day of provideptial iId,Jr.S
NJ = on thr side OF the oppressed In Conclusion
have said little about the moral and relis,ons
+, iu = OF the negro think il uncaied fnr
n - unnertood that this is a prime NECESSITY
mere Is less opposition to this purely as s,,h H.
,ntny otheT work done for the colorsd raCe -
nv that unltss the moral uplift of ne n.,,1i
~ p lia,e Win all other developments such Viii
oe aIli4st worthless. Considering this oussti,r :,
y haruy possible that any man who 81 ali csII
lg1 ,lelnerately ponder these things nm The H5t
vim ~ - anu happiness Of future generations
" ~ nut conclude that the safest wiseSt AMI lii
,Ocg TO pursue is 10 do whatever may hs Am %
~, ii Yen the ignorance Of both races and In mr.
he mari ~ OF that spirit Of liberation on
- ~ pa VI noth classes which alone. can sa,.,r,.
~ harmony and prosperity for the f,,t,,r.'
!, NC lueal country is the home Of antagonis,,s
domestic paoe where opposites may gather in
uilehhum Nhrn all the cnnfiictinp intlSrst ~, NV
eIerA'ed IN hrotherly love: '''S "'e
looked into the future far as human eve ,,,,i,
saw the vision Of the world and the glory tno,
"' bs aG war va drums throb no longer and the
In a. "tlttlS hags hrr turled,
u the parliament Of man; th, f,,laratio,, -, a..
world b" " ""ole'ioh OF the
ne attendance al the club wasun,,s,,olI, t,...,
uu sryat interest and spirit we're shown in ~,
''rl,,.S' Shlsh followed the paper vide d.
,pFit If t,l.r 'ri"s was shown, but education a
.Ibis.t h, n, utlul ana constant agitation of the
M, ny the people and the press, were Sener
sS asaeT1 upon AS the most powerful and nrom.
listinStly,1s 20 ue used for the solution Of this
NJ , Si,n American problem judy. / ii
i, rer ln nus remarks paid the essayisf H. CON,
mn OF saying that he thought his panar ~,
great question ""Fa'uie On TINS
CS"nirY Merchants,
, ,ll' Feddlers, Produce Dealers Tinn,.n