The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1890-01-23
TIE NEGROES OF GREENYILLE,
All Address to the Colorcd People of Upper
Carolina.
From The GrecnvtNc Ne,ps.

From the Grecnvtllc NcES.
a meeting of the colored citizens of
Greenyille was held in this city Monday
night, January 13, 1890. Speeches were
made by various leading citizens of the
race, a committee of ten was appointed
to publish the following address:
ITO our Negro Fellow-citizens in
Greenville County: We reflect with
pleasure upon the good record of our
county during several years of the past.
Amid the conflict of political opinions,
social differences and inevitable race
prejudices which exist 10 Greenville
County, as well as elsewhere in the State
and country, we have been kept, by the
Providence of God, from murders and
lyncbings, and almost clear of bitterness
aud strife between the races. Farmers,
mechanics and men of professions have
been assiduous ip their vocatione, and
many new homes have been built by the
! honorable marriage of our educated young
, men and women.
"Our people have purchased lands, and
many have settled up in full for the
same more than usual care and business.
tact have been used in making and sign
ing contracts for labor. They are fast
learning that many precious dollars are
saved by reading all contracts aud Dotes
before signing them.
"New and improved methods OF farm
ing have been applied by our people,
and there are hopeful indications that
they are less welded to the use of various
imported phosphates with high. sounding
titles. We are making more corn, peas
and other substantial products, and less
cotton. We are learning to keep fewer
horses and COWS and hogs, and to keep
them better; to shelter our wagons and
farming tools, to keep them in good, sub
stantia[ condition, in order to tighten
the burden of our animals and of our
own muscles. The universal testimony
Of the city merchants and cotton buyers
is that We are becoming more and more
intelligent patrons of the markets; and
this means that we are learning how to
sell to good advantage the products of
our farms.
"We are beginning to enjoy some of
the good results of educating our chill
dren in that they can come exactly or
nearly at the total value of our cotton
crop, according to the huctuating market
quotations aa published in newspapers
and to calculate interest on notes. The
| colored Farmers Alliance represented
by our friend @. J. Holloway has receiv-
ed the attention of our people and many
have Joined it. No doubt the Alliance,
| if rightly managed. will become the
farmers safest hsrbinger. By the assis
lance of that institution many will rid
themselves ofthe necessity of liens, which
system has so long been the CALLING yoke
of the farmer.
"There is evidence Of growing tenn.
perance sentiment among our people in
Greenville County. Above all the evils
in the world, the rum traffic should be
suppressed. It is by far the worst and
most dangerous foe of the race. No form
of political tyranny can approach rum in
it's terrible effects upon a poor people.
That our people are fast learning to keep
it cut of their homes and to abandon it's
use was demonstrated by their quiet and
peaceable. conduct during the recent
Christmas holidays.
"We note with great satisfaction the
increased support given to our churches
and schools in the county. The pastor.
of our churches are nearly all educated
young men, who are faithful to their
duties. The present illiterate state of
our people makes it necessary that the
preacher. and teacher be-, to great ex
tent, The exponents of the rights and
duties of our people, as well as their
news medium. 1t is, therefore, impor-
tant to the race that these be men and
women who are intelligent, honest and
brave, but discreet.
"The growing demand in the churches
and schools of the country for the servi-
ces of good pastors and teachers is cause
for congra.ulation, as we'll as increased
confidence in our progress. There are
many signs of improvement in methods
of housekeeping among our people. The
one.room log cabin and the stick and mud
chimneys are giving way to the neatly
built and tastily furnished cottage, with
home features more OF less attractive.
"The negroes of Greenville County are
not restless and unsettled. This is evi.
dent from the fact that emigrant agents
have succeeded poorly in inducing them
to go West or elsewhere to better their
condition. There is generally good feel.
ing between the races, and we believe
that our white neighbors are as good as
could be found in any Southern OF
Western State. We seek nothing but the
good of our county and State, our country
and our race, learning more and more to
demand the fair play in the race of life.
sit was thought for some time that
while the white people have very friendly
feeling toward the negro, they had dis.
criminated against us somewhat in the
treatment of our schools. However, we
have reason to believe, and do trust, that
the commissioner and trustees are looking
forward to the erection of commodious
school buildings in the city of Greenville
for negro children.
"We would say, too, that it is hoped
that the pay of our principals and
teachers will be better in the future.
"This great question of colonization
has not much disturbed us. Our brother
in white has started the discussion and he
mnst end it. We are doing we'll enough
here, and do not propose to leave. We
are not wards of the nation, but citizens.
We have, under the Constitution of the
United States, the right to purchase, to
hold and to live on property anywhere in
the Union, and this right is as fundamen.
tai in the Constitution as that which
protects our brother in white. Here we
ought to stay, and here We will stay. We
will never leave or forsake our white
brother. The question of social equality
between the races is little debated, and in
| the negative by both races. No ointelligent
negro desires less than the complete sep.
aration of the races in social lines, but all
desire equality before the laws of the
State and country. The Jud ges, attorneys,
and jurors of South Carolina stand con.
victed before the country for the discrim.
ination they have hitherto made between
the races, in the enforcement of the laws.
Equal justice before the laws would afford
US better protection for our homes and the
honor of our women. a number of
competent and worthy negro policemen
in Greenville would mean the arrest and
punishment of the white libertines and
black pimps and the rescue ofmany negro
| hnmes from apor,ies Worge than death.