Evening journal., 1892-09-29
HEARD IN FLORIDA.
This Is the Way the Force Bill Strikes a
Colored Man In the Far south.

Colored Man la the Far south.
A negro writes the following to Flor
ida paper:
There IS not an honest, intelligent
and patriotic colOred man in the South,
who has the interest and welfare of his
race at heart, and sincerely desires its
permanent prosperity in the Southern
states, who can conscientiously indorse
any such legislation as the measure
known as the Force bill While no
doubt, there are many who would desire
more wholesome election laws and better
management at the polls and in voting
precincts, yet they are not willing 10
hazard the peace safety and material
prosperity Of : 600, 600 Of dependent peo-
pie, by indorsing a policy which would
have direct tendency 20 create disorder
in every Southern community, and at the
same time aralyze and indefinitely sus-
pend every branch of industry by which
the colored population is supported and
maintained.
"The passage of the Force bill would
place the negro population in very
serious position in the South. They
would have all the odds against them in
| the great contest that would necessarily
follow the operation Of such "A measure
and unless the negro played his part
wisely, with an eye single to his own
true interest he would lose all and be
irretrievably ruined in the end.
'No Force bill, under the present cir
cumstances, can place the race ia that
exalted position in the government
which it Graves; il must reach that goal
by or through some other process. If it is
to be attained at all.
g..
better the political condition Of affairs in
these states; for, If the negro through
lack of sufficient intelligence and Of an
influential moral courage, has demon
strated TO the country that he is as vet
incapable of exercising the right Of
suffrage unless IL Is propped up with
bayonets and superintended by a military
Dictatorship. II is indeed better that he
Withdraw from acting the political farce
and wait with patience such time as
he or his children shall be sufficiently
qualified TO discharge this high trust
with honor and credit 10 themselves,
without any unnecessary interference by
political tricksters or scheming politi
clans.
The greatest obstacle to the elova.
tion, progress and usefulness Of the negro
race is the alluring and seductive inhu.
ence Of politics II is their evil genius
the Pandoras box from which all the
contention and strife between the two
races have ever emanated it has beer
the overshadowing cloud which has
threatened and menaced the peace anC
good order Of this section for the past
twenty-five years, and it will continue
TO harass and disturb the peace of every
southern community until the Republi
can party ceases 10 fondle and humbuq
the negro; and leaves him free TO turn
his attention from the ideal and delusiv,
notions Of political greatness to that OF
acquiring a more perfect education, and
to engage himself in those Industrial
pursuits Of life which alone can make hin
independent and respectable
III such u en- as the Hon. Fred Doug
lass and his thousands Of admirers were
TO devote half as much time TO looking
after the moral intellectual and indus
J trial qualities Of the race here in tho
South as they have spent in looking
after its fancied political interest, there
would be no cause for the present sorrow
and grief to the President over tn,
wretched political condition Of thl
southern negro.