The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1893-07-26
GROWTH OF THE NEGRO
A Remarkable Editorial from a
Southern Methodist Paper.
WHITE CHILDREN RETRoeRAD1Ne.
Tho Children of tho Black Man, Accord
Ing to This Religious Writer. Is Out
stripping tho White boy I'm tho Acquis-
ition of knowledge and Skill.

Ing to This Religious Writer. Is Out
stripping the White hoy I'm tho Acquis-
ition of knowledge and Skill.
RICHMOND, Va, July ga 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. Laf-
ferty. Among other things he said: "A
southern Methodist advocate has this in
ciuent: In village of the cotton belt u
big. burly black rode up to store and
said to the owner: Let this man (pointng
TO poor white laborer) have two dollars
worth OF goods and charge it to me-
ihis transaction may fret the reader.
but it has 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.
hat was the result? We find in necrly
each southern state the negro boy of the
brighter sort in training schools.
I'm the meanwhile the negro is growing
rapidly as citizen, with home and a de-
cent income. thrifty member of society.
Moreover, the southern commonwealth
began after the war to tax the white prop.
erty holders heavily to educate the citi-
zen's sons OF the non-taxpaying negro.
The negro laborer received as much
money for his coarse work as the ex-soldier
OF Lee. The white man consumed more
OF his earnings in house rent, clothing and
food, hence he could not spare his son ut
the school He needed the boy at tho
pillow 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.
The newspapers recently reported that
the private secretary to Hon. Mr. Bount
OF Georgia, representing the United States
IN the Hawaiian Islands, an educated
young gentleman, seeks an alliance with
an ex-coolie, pig-eyed Pagan. Who will
dare to say that the olive colored octo-
rooms and quadroons, the bright mulat-
toes the hetresses OF wealthy men of negro
blood, will not be sought in the next cen
fury 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 north Where
unto will this grow,
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 be command money
for board and raiment while student at
any state school with small annex of
tools and q shop? He hasn't money enough
to buy even railroad ticket to such
college,
1.-The grandchildren of warlike men with
historic names, who made the sout hern
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.
No man has seen the harvest after An
pomatoX. The statesmen among us robbed
the eX-soldier of Lee to educate black com
petitors of his children. Then northern
millionaires, in hatred of the paroled citi-
Zens, 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-.
ton i'll the skilled trades. 1t is condition
and not n theory that confronts us.
Thoughtful men do not contest the fact