The times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1882-1897, 1890-05-16

for the erection of a hospital for colored
people In this city. Another revelation.
The following conversation, in substance,
recently took place between clergyman OF
this city and a very prominent Democratic
politician who has been h0nored by his
party: Clergyman--Seriously what do you
think we ought To do with these people?
They are here. We cannot kill them, can
we? Poitician-No. Clergyman-We can
not re-enslave them? P0itician-No. Cler-
gyman-Wc cannot colonize any consider
able number of them? Politican--No, 1t is
impractcable. Clergyman--We cannot dis
franchise them? Politician-No. Clergy
man-What else can we do, then, but edu-
cate and christianize them as well as we can.
and fit them for citizenship. Politician
Well, to be frank, / have reached the con-
cluslon that is the only thing to be done.
But II you had put this question to me five
years ago / should have thought you no bet
ter than niger yourself.
might cite many similar facts in point,
but these must suffice. There is much to be
done; great wrongs still exist. / sometimes
get indignant at what see the colored man
compelled to bear; there is great and lament
able ignorance YETI great and lamentable
degradation yet; great and lamentable pref
udice yet; great and lamentable injustice
vet. But SO much more has been accom-
plished than had expected to see in my
day, that am filled with hope.
Some things seem to me beyond contr0-
versy.
1. Any settlement of this problem, to be
worth anything, must have the consent of
the class aggrieved.
2. 1t must have equally the consent of
the stronger race.
3. Any settlement" that does not EN-
body both of these will not he worth the
name.
4. The intelligent colored man will never
be content with less than the full rights of
manhood.
5. Moral forces must be mainly relied
upon. National legislation can do little and
there is danger that it may hinder. Such
as is invoked should be cautious, cOnserva-
tive, just, equal, considerable, wise and kind
so truly each that the inner consciousness
of all men must allow it to be such.
6. If the future of the negro must be
entrusted alone to the southern or northern
white people, / would quite as soon trust
the former. The meanest kind of color
phobists have ever seen are men of north
ern birth. The southern whites are used to
colored people; northern people as rule are
not, and brought into contact do not
take kindly to them. Sorry to say it, but
truth is truth, and to be taken into account
in the study and solution of problems.
Finally, how shall the problem be solved?
Well, claim no monopoly of wisdom, but
i think the country will finally, after long
deliberation, settle down upon these:
1. Temporary national aid to education
in substantial accord with the Blair bill.
2. Compulsory attendance at school.
Schools for everybody and everybody at
school.
3. Intelligent suffrage in all the states,
by amendment of the constitution of the
United States,-nO man allowed to vote
who cannot read and write in English. This
will tend to cure some other growing evils,
in the north and west, and in the great
cities.
4. Make voters and not population the
basis Of congressional representation, SO
that every voter shall be exactly the pOliti-
cal equal of every other voter i'm all the
states, amending the constitution to effect
the change. K. Ii. C..