The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1891-09-14

l oSAAo SnAN AAAO \ - AOA 49,
Recent developments fully sustain the
prediction of the MORNING NEWS TeIauVe
to the crafty and acqlisitive designs Oh Iha'
quasi philanthropist from Omaha VINO pro-
poses TO pension oil the freedmen ana sus
gests that somebody else shall furnish tne
money wherewith to do that same
After a great deal Of ostentatious prellin'-
nary lanentation for the hard lottery luck
of the black man, and the accumulation oil
some considerable personal advertising ana
Testimonials of benevolent character ne has
finally disclosed his real purpose IN propos-
ing the scheme. With dramatic sudden
ness and appropriate tigurative gasps OF
sympathy and commsseratlon he Dlandly
snrinys upon a wondering world cheap
advertisement adorned with a bad picture
of an imaginary manacled negro accom-
psaied by q seductive request to send him
q for au "emblem badge" and "Naughan's
new book explaining his ex-slave pension
| bill"
This appears, from his statements, to be
all Mr. Vaughan's private property and in
dvidual enterprise. Now the question
that must naturally arise is that if Vaughan
charges the poor negro 81 for merely ex-
planning 1.-THE system to him in a pamphlet
that may have cost cents, how much will
be charge each negro for his philanthropic
services (ex-mayor and alD, when he once
gets from them letters authorizing him to
put their names in his pension register"
Why, the mans way of signing his advertise
meat as Nv r Vaughan ex-mayor),
Washington, d. e." is manifest attempt
at deception, and to that extent getting
money under false pretenses, if he gets any
at all. For it is we'll calculated to cause
the poor, ignorant negro to think him an
ex-msyor of Washington instead of the
small Iowa town over which he claims to
have once presided. This in itself reveals
the INSCRIPTIONS character of the man.
Among other craftiIy collected documents
to fortify his selfish scheme the willy in
triguant has secured from Fred Douglass
statement to the effect that 1.-THE emancl-
pated slaves of the south should be pensioned
by the government as payment for the I'M
paid services which they performed
while in slavery" Commenting upon
that expression the New York sun
announces that it regards this view
of the matter as IAN interesting offset
to another claim once made that the gov
eminent should pay the Shareholders for the
slaves whom they lost by the act of emanci-
patton" From a superficial glance at the
case that may so appear. But let us take
careful look into all the equities of the
proposition Simply squaring one side of it
would not be just at all. To make it per-
fectly square we must straighten out and
equalize every side.
Come to think of it, Uncle Sam would
make a first rate trustee to handle but not
TO furnish the funds for such an altogether
worthy purpose Let him hold the cash.
But don't ask taxpayers to chip in for it
unfortunately, because some Of them had
nothing whatever to do with slavery in any
way. Consequently to call on them would
not be just.
Now to start with let us assume that the |
people of this country are honest and sin
cere in this oft expressed desire to give the
negro his exact dues, and do not merely ad-
vocate it as political buncombe and a pre-
text for ostentatious manifestations of
oohCttuioulOuo snuth plolg w AIu tlhJ DdSlS
of exact justice greed uyon the old slave
holder is perfectly willing to balance the
books and square accounts all around.
Granting these conditions the first thing to
be done toward a final settlement is for the
heirs and assigns of those people of the east
ern and western states, who with sagacious
thrift sold all their slaves before they were
OF xvif tbo h,,,, = 30
into the United States treasury all the
money they got from that source, together
with its accrued ''unearned increment
Then it will be in order for the old master
to pay his former slave full wages on
basis of what is now paid for such work as
he then did, and charge him with board,
house rent and medical attendance
on precisely the same basis.
When the reckoning was finished and the
balance came to be drawn, some negroes
would be entitled to quite sum of money.
But the majority of them would find them
selves inextricably in debt.
Ifdamages are to be allowed the negro
for restraint of liberty they should in all
reason be charged against the man who ORR
ginally deprived him of it and sold him into
bondage. and not against him who bought
the man in good faith as lawful property and
then lost him by what Alexander the Great
admitted to be ''the brigandage Of an in
vading army"
But there would probably be an ample
amount in that trust fund returned TO the
treasury to award the negro fair damages
and his former master approximate if not
full restitution for the values of which he
had been despolled.
Just as soon as those gentlemen who in
herited such an obtrusive plethora of sensit~
i've piety and contraband pelf have made the
necessary arrangements for restitution of
that dross which must be SO haunted with
visions of captive human souls and fellow
creatures deluded as to render il loathsome
in their sight, they should confer with the
much-abused southron. They would find
that he is not altogether barbarous nor uu-
reasoning. And he is probably quite ready
to adopt this plan and settle accounts.
Human affection is said to be delIciously
exhilirating sort of distenper But 1t
sometimes develops phases that are not
wholly devoid of actual peril. For in
stance. an Illinois young man of the most
harmlessly inoffensive character but very