The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1893-07-25
GROWTH OF THE NEGRO
A Remarkable Editorial from q
Southern Methodist Paper.
WHITE CHILDREN RETRoGRADING

The Children of the Black Man. Accord
ing to This Religious Writer. Is Out
stripping the White boy In the Acquis-
ition, of knowledge and Skill.
RICHMOND, Va, July 25.-A startling
editorial appeared in the last issue OF the
Richmond Christian Advocate, the lead
ing Methodist organ in the south, on the
negro question, written by DR. j. j. 1iaf-
ferty. Among other things he said: "A
southern Methodist advocate has this in
cident: In village Of the cotton belt
big, burly black rode up to a store and
said to the owner: Let this man (pointing
to poor white laborer) have two dollars
worth of goods and charge it to me-
"This transaction may fret the reader,
but it has a wide significance. The south
ern people during the war were drawn to-
wards the plantation peasantry Of the
south The fun loving negro, the hardest
working class on earth, was, for years,
pictured as in bitter bondage the slave was
represented as longing for freedom and
during the war praying through the
nights for the coming of the national
troops. These, moving though mistaken
fancies, and much more of the same sort,
stirred the philanthropic heart of the cot
ton thread millionaires, and the rich army
contractors turned virtuous. A great sum
was sent south for the education of the
negro. Its expenditure, in the main, helped
the negro 1t was wisely directed that
these negroes should have practical turn.
What was the resultp We find in nearly
each southern state the negro boy of the
brighter sort in training schools.
I'm the meanwhile the negro is growing
rapidly MS citizen, with n home and de-
cent income, a thrifty member of society.
Moreover, the southern commonwealth
began after the war to tax the white prop
crty holders heavily to educate the citi-
zens sons of the non-taxpaying negro.
"'rhe negro laborer received as much
money for his coarse work rs the ex-soldlcr
of Lee The white man consumed more
of his earnings in house rent clothing and
food, hence he could not spare his son at
the school. He needed the boy at the
plow to aid in bringing up the family. The
negro boy first learned in the free schools
TO read and write, then he learned in these
technical schools how to make fine shoes,
buggies, saddles, etc.
1.-The newspapers recently reported that
the private secretary to Hon. Mr., Blount
OF Georgia, representing tho United States
In the Hawaiian Islands, nm educated
young gentleman, seeks an alliance with
an ex-coolie, a pig-eyed Pagan. Who will
| dare to say that the olive colored octo-
rooms and quadroons, the bright mulat-
| toes, the heiresses Of wealthy men Of negro
| blood, will not be sought in the next CEN
| tury by impecunious, thriftless and idle
| young men of the white racer The negro
| maidens are seen at certain colleges for
women Of high degree in the enorth Where
unto will this growi
"Consider the culture of the friendless
| and fatherless boy Of the white race. Can
he pay $500 to attend the Stevens institute
in New York; Can he command money
for board and raimeut while student at
my state school with q small annex of
tools and shopf He hasn't money enough
| to buy even railroad ticket to such q
college.
1.-THE grandchildren of warlilSe men with
historic names, who made the southern
army a synonym Of dauntless courage, are
drifting towards the helot class and in the
century dawning there will come to pass
social conditions that would stir the
corpses in the Jackets of grey.
| mo man has seen the harvest after Ap.
| pomatoX. The statesmen among us robbed
tho ex-soldier of Lee to educate black com.
| petitors of his children. Then northern
millionaires, in hatred of the paroled citi.
zGns, have endowed colleges of tools and
machines to equip the eX.slave TO surpass
and subjugate the sons of the Confederate
in the struggle for the best pay and posi-.
tion In the esktlcd trades. 1t is condition
and not theory that confronts MS.
Thoughtful men do not contest the fact. n