The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1890-07-07
WILL NOT BENEFIT THE NEGRO.
The Force Bill and Other Questions
Discussed by a Black Man.

The Force Bill and Other Questions
Discussed by a Black Man.
The following communication from a
colored man appeared in the Philadelphia
Record few days ago:
EDITOR OF THE RECoRD-If you will
allow "colored" reader to express a few
words through the columns of your paper
regarding the much-talked-of negro ques-
tlon" and the national election BILL" will
take advantage Of your permission.
Being native of Danville, Va, and the
son OF former slave, ! have been living
north but brief period, but from what |
nave seen OF the two sections ! claim the
southern negro has more privileges and
| advantages than his northern brother of the
same race. Though have used my utmost
eEdeavor to avail myself of the "equal
rights" so boastingly mentioned by the
friends OF the negron in the north, I am
debarred from the workshops, from the
counting rooms from official positions. or
from any occupation | may seek, except
| that which requires me to wear the white
apron badge of cook, or waiter, or as a
| hod-carrler. | must seek only the posi-
| lions least remunerative If not the most
mental. When | pass along Lombard
| street, Philadelphia, | find that prejudice
against them has crowded the negroes
|
to assert that there is not spot south of
| Mason and Dixon'5 line where the negro is
IN so much misery or faces such squalid
poverty as the poor denizens Of Lombard
| street and the other miserable quarters in
which he has been compelled on account of
his color to reside in the good City Of
Brotherly Love" 1t would be wise to let
little of the sympathy that arises from the
love OF the brother in black to begin here at
| horne
| The south has done, and Is still doing,
more for the negro than many suppose
Negroes have been sent from the south to
the United States Senate, to the lower
| house of congress, to the state legislature,
and they have held minor positions, but
have yet to hear of q "black congressman"
| from the republican north-a single negro
that has ever been considered good enough
| to hold the position of postmaster or any
| other position thatrequires an ounce of brain
work. 1t is well enough to live in the north
| and talk OF negro domination In the south
| but where is the northern town, county,
city or state that will swallow the same
medicinef The northern negro is not born
a slave, but he is just as effectualiy shut out
| from the advantages of humanity as though
the chains were forged upon him. He can
never be anything at the north but mig
| ger" still, and the maudlin sympathy so
| freely expressed for the rights of the
negro" down south can be better extended
| in the north.
Equally as many "outrages" are com
mitted in the city of Philadelphia in one
week as In the whole state of Virginia in
/ one year, yet no congressional committee
investigates; and but for the rum" dealt
out to the ignorant of both races on election
| days and other times, the ''outrages" in the
| south would be seldom heard of
| The salvation Of the negro north
and south is for him to do his own
thinking. When they, like the whites,
learn to divide on party lines, they will be
| more respected; but Just so long as they
allow "pot-house politicians" to dictate their
political course, SO long as they allow them
to keep them in clans, just SO long will the
whites keep together. Northern whites will
not be dominated by the negro. and thew
| cannot force their southern brother to do
what they will not do.
| The Force bill" will not benefit the ne
| gro, but on the one hand it will retard his
| progress. 1t Is nearly thirty years since the
war began. The majority of che old slaves
have gone to their quiet home. negro
| who can even remember slavery must be
about 35 years old. To have worked in a
field under master he must be close to so
| years old. Time and education are healing
prejudices, and the two races in the south
are drawing nearer together, but
| thls nTe-Danu" about to be cast
in their midst by the fanatics at
Washington will open wounds and result
in the DOWNFALL Of the negro in the end /:
for should there be general revolution the
whites of the north and south would both
unite against him. The strong prejudice
right here IN the north is alone sufficient
proof of my claim. Every blow struck at
the whites of the south means two blows on
the shoulders of the innocent and indus
trious negroes, who ask nothing more than
the privilege accorded every American.
whether he be native or adopted; and if he
must fill the mental positions he should at
least be assisted to heal prejudice instead Of
| increasing it. THOMAS w. SWAIN.
Atco, N. j., June %, 1890
| LIZ Won NANH