The comet. (Johnson City, Tenn.) 1884-1916, 1891-10-29

What We Learn From the Census.
The Census statistics reveal some
marvellous and gratifying phases Of ma
tional growth and development, and
when we dig down into its Alpine
heaps of worthless rubbish we discov-
err astounding and alarming facts, pur-
posely concealed from the popular OBJ
servation, the pernicious effects of class
legislation,
Prominent among the marvellous
revelations of the Census Of 80 is the
amount of real and personal property
owned by the co'ored race, which
reaches up to the enormous sum OF
1884 100000 The race numbers, say,
100000, and this is per capita Of
near $44, or nearly one half OF that OF
the whites Accustomed, as we have
so long been, to regard the African
race as a great mass of ignorance and
stupidity not to be reached or inhu-
enced by appeal, reason, instruction
or incentive, it is a strain upon our
credulity to accept these figures as cor
rect, whilst we have at the same time
no means to prove their falsity. That
u race, enslaved and abused by the
treatment necessary to keep them in
subsection, could make such advance
ment is, indeed, a marvel, and has no
counterpart in human history. From
sectional view, this exhibit is pecu-
liArlygratifying to the Southern people
Nearly the entire colored race live in
the South and the conditions Of good
living and independence, to which
they are rapidly attaining, are asweep-
ing refutation OF the disgusting "rot"
and gratuitous calumnies which have
filled many Northern journals for
years concerning their cruel treat
ment by the dominant whites. In
the face of this eloquent contradiction,
words of retort and denial are absurd
and meaningless. Glad are we that
the eolored people have made these
rapid strides, and that in their solid
properties there is an enduring ties
timony positive and conclusive thai
they live among humane, sym
pathetic and helping people
though maliciously slandered .anc
abused on their account, who res, eel
their interests and whose laws pro
tcct them in their rights Of person anC
in the enjoyment of their accumua
tons
In forging al,aj IN he work Of sci
improvement tl.ey have encountered
an obstruction that would have PROVED
ruinous had not the kindly feeling O
the Southern people interposed, Mis-
taken philanthropists tried to persuade
them that their interests lay in line
widely divergent from those of tn
white man, and that there wer
countries, washed by the Southefl
seas, which God intended for the sol
occupation Of the black man, where h
could live at ease with but littl
manual labor and no care for til
future These false allurements sprea
dissatisfaction and discomfort anon
the colored masses for awhile, bu
when they were taught by their friend
that these pictured Edens were tn
natural home of human barbarism a
fierce as the ferocity of the wild beast
in their jungles, and the brilliar
schemes of African colonization ha
totally failed, they became reconcile
to their lot and went to work an
making money, and the result is befol
us.
Prominent among the astoundir
and alarming .reve' ations of the censl
is the tact that in a population
64,000,001, twnnty-th"cc thousand pc
sous own one half of the wealth Of Il
country. Such disclosure is enoug
to chill the blood of the most sanguil
patriot. He, whose faith in free j
situations is wavering, sinks own
hopeless despair. Such an unequ
distribution Of wralth-the few on Oh
side rotten ,ich"-the many on 81
other Lazarus poor brought the !
nublics old decay aud death
country of millienaires and paupers
y volcano. Flowers may bloom up,
its summit, but the fires Of destructiC