The Marietta journal. [volume] (Marietta, Ga.) 1866-1909, 1891-11-12
THE NEGRO
AS SEEN BY A WISCONSIN EDITOR.

| 1ToSlu0uL neg, OF the w lScOnSln
Press Association, ard editor of the
Lake Geneva Herald, expresses the
following opinion as to the Southern
negro:
"The Negro question is, to all
thinking minds, the leading one, in
the South. The determination to
eliminate the negro absolutely as a
political and social factor is positive
and complete. 1t Is not disguised
and there is neither equivocation or
subterfuge. While there are none
who would restore slavery, there are
few, very few, who believe him fit
for freedom. Force, violence, blood
shed and intimidation have generally
ceased, and unconcealed frauds have
been substituted when necessary.
The will of the majority is no longer
the law of the republic, whenever
in any locality or state, the negroes
are in the majority In the contest
between brains and numbers, brains
have won, as they always will, and
white supremacy in the South is
complete. We are not blaming the
white people of the South, but are
simply stating facts, which they do
not deny. 1t is not recorded in his
tory that the two races have ever
lived together in equality under the
same government. Competition en-
sues and in the contest the weaker
goes to the wall and this must be
the case here. There does not ap-
pear to be any feeling of personal
unkindness to the negroes among
the whites of the South. The feel
ing is much like that entertained by
thoughtful men toward intelligent
animals. There are some reasons
for the apprehension that education,
especially in the higher grades, has
not been Of advantage in all re-
spects to the negro race. 1t has
multiplied his wants and ambitions
without increasing the opportunities
) for their qualification. 1t has dis.
r qualified many for intelligent, skill
ed manual labor without increasing
the capacity to compete with the
whites in the various professions
They have undoubtedly made great
progress since their entranchisement
but it is a great task to lift an in
: dividual or class from barbarisn
to enlighten and keep him there
There is always tendency TO re
lapse. The gravitation is downward
; and while large provision has beer
made for the education fthe blacks
ungrudgingly, there is conviction
that education will sooner or later
make inevitable collision between
the races. History, if 1T teaches III
anything, would seem to make THU
{ exceedingly clear.
''In the meantime, they are ap
parently contented with the situa
! ton. They do not yet have the in
telligence to- understand that al
though in the majority, they are So
cially and politically without infu
ence.
"They are yearly growing blackel
and more gregarious. They arr
taught separately and have the;r
own churches and in some states
their own cars. Their future is ;
great question. Mere sentimen
cannot solveit. The stubborn facts
; conditions and feelings formed BY
generations of teachings, must all b.
, taken into consideration in the so
luton.
"And in this question the people
themselves must be taken into con
sideration. They are proud anC
sensitive people, whose self esteem
, has suffered deep wound. Invit
ing with confidence the arbitramen
5 OF war, they failed, and i: was am
; IS not possible that they should ac
l cept the result without protest ant
, ill-feeling. Ideas are deathless
l War settles nothing but the relativ,
} strength Of the c0mbatants. N
, man was ever convinced that he wa
1 wrong by being subjugated, and tn
admission that slavery, secession
and like questions were settled b,
;, tho sword and that rho decision !