Asheville daily citizen. [volume] (Asheville, N.C.) 1890-1900, 1890-04-03
THE RACE PROBLEM.
1T ~ DISCUSSED AT THE l.Y.
CEUNf LAST NIGHT.

CEUM LAST NIGHT.
n. u. Carter Makes the Opeuissl
Address-lt In bright and Forci
ble-HiS View Of the Impsrtas,
Question.
| r. d. Carter spoke nj the Lyccum las
night on the race problem. His remark
were bright and forcible and he took
view of the question that called fort
considerable of discussion after he ha
taken his seat. The members were sloy
in appearing and Il was after 4, 30 whe
he began.
The question has recently occupied
large amount Of attention in congress. h
said" ,"and you have doubtless read wha
Senators Butler. Ingalls, and Vance hav
had to say about it. When l considc
what they have said ieel somewha
abashed at attempting the subject my
self. But what views ! have are homes
views and whatever may TX Thought O
them | only am to blame. came b,
them after serious thought.
There arr some things connected will
the history of the negro that none cai
forget. II does not matter who brought
them here; they did not come as hu
man being, hut as beast; they did no,
come as II brother. but as chattel prop
erty. They did not come Of their owr
accord, but came with shacklcs upor
their feet. They came as Il cold. dead
soulless piece Of property.
lift is wrong for him to hc here. he !.
not to blame. II he had come Of his own
Tree will it would bc different, but the
first wrong was done by Us and as he i.
here now, and through our fault. It |.
our duty to treat him with Christian
spirit aud on the broad basis Of justice
and humanity. Another question Is how
are we to deal with him now-what ar,
we to do with him.
"There 10 great habit in the South to
look down on the negro, and in this
again the negro is not to blame.
After the war 1000. 900 negroes were
freed and franchised. Not one per cent.
OF them could read or write; they knew
nothing Of society. At the same time
the best element OF the Southern people
were disfranchised and the ignorant ne.
groes, who had formerly been their slaves,
were put over them. History proves the
action to have been wrong, and in the
South the negro is hated because he was
given the right Of citizenship. We have n
right to vent our indignation, but not
on the Southern negro.
ITO the people who boasted that they
had conquered the Southern people is
where our indignation belongs. 1t was
they who tried to belittlc US by putting
the negro above us. and saying. We
will give him superior franchise to
you 1t is with them we should I've in.
dignant. and not with the poor ignorant
superstitious negro. a great insult was
then thrust upon us. but the negro was
not to blame. The ones to he blamed
are those who gave to him the right OF
franchise. Nothing would do when the
slaves were freed but that they should
be allowed to vote. Since then even
those people have seen their mistake and
would take away that right il they
could.
81 don't think the South would b.
better without the negro. and an not
III favor Of colonizinS them. The indus.
trial interests Of the South demand them.
They are as essential to the development
Of the Southern country AS is the sun.
shine and the rain. BESIDES il would
not bc showing Christian spirit to
colonize them. All history goes to
show that where the negro is lett
to himself he is n savage. lie can.
not be civilized without the influence ol
the Caucasian race and il would be II
kiSat tuusttNV W thhC t,oOO,Ooo VI tutIll
out Of the South, where they are ENJOY
ing the comforts Of life, and put them by
themselves.
my opinion is to lei the negro alone
| am in favor Of letting him vote. and
of not stuthng the ballot box on him. As
long 40 that is done this will never be a
free government. and the negro has u,
much right to vote as l. and to have hi
vote counted. In Alabama and Missis
sippi il Is charged that he is not given the
right to vote. II is bttter to work with
him for time and show him how be !.
voting against his own interests. even i
we do suffer by II and to live in the hop,
that We will some day have pure gov
crnnent, than to live with the negro eve,
as a bone Of contention. Por a while II
will Ike to our injury, but in time We vii
be the gamer" ."
II waS Not Matte.
Detective Denvcr received q Telegram
from Pigeon river on Tuesday asking hin
II lie would know Matte Jackson if h,
saw her and saying that woman