The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1893-02-07
FUTURE or THE NEG RO.
Discouraging View OF the Situation
North as Well a. South.

North as Well a. South.
The Richmond Times thinks that in
speaking of the pres mt condition OF The
negroes at the SoT'h, the other day, we
presented too rOsc-colored n picture Of
their progress since the days o. slavery.
our view certainly was not tatterinS
but our friendly Richmond informant
describes their case as absolutely els
couraging and since it writ ~ the sub
ject with no unkind prejudices against the
negroes, and with fun knowledge of The
facts, its report DIES ~ s general and
careful consideration.
1t says very truly that since their
emancipation, now nearly thlrty years
ago, the negroes in the South have lad
"a perfectly equal and fair show in every
respect whatever, If the disputed matter
of politics is left out Of the question"
They are also among the white people
"who know the negro best, those who are
most patient with MS shortcomings and
most appreciative of his merits" the
people who knew and loved him in the
days of slavery" Both in their own in
terest and in the interest of the negroes
''the whites of the South have every rea-
son to encourage the negro to achieve the
greatest possible advance in civilization
of every kind for manifestly the further
be to them. The whole community suf-
fers from the degradation Of so large
part of 1t.
Under such circumstances, says our
Richmond contemporary, real progress
among the negroes would be indicated by
their increasing thrift as shown in their
increasing ability to husband money, or,
at least, in their greater dependence;
but the facts are that in 1891 the net
nv
Treasury of Virginia from all sources
was only Sl03,56j of which one-half was
the capitatiOn tax Of one dollar a head.
Hence the negroes paid only a little more
than $4,000 upon all forms Of property
in a general tax revenue of nearly $1,000
600. Meantime the cost Of the free public
schools for them was $32i,364 the expend-
ture on the lunatic asylum for them was
$4,000, and the criminal trials of negroes
cost 1904 900. Substantially the same
thing takes place every year" says the
Richmond Times and, of a truth, II is a
very discOuraging fact. 1t is eXplainable,
too, only by the thriftlessness OF the ne
groes. OF course the great majority Of
them are poor as are ordinary labOrers
in every community; but many thousands
have had opportunities to make accumu-
lations since the days OF slavery, which
they would have improved II they pos
sessed the qualities of industry and pru-
dence displayed by their white neighbors.
Their negligence or their inability 10 bet
ter their condition is indicative Of a low
state of civilization among them. They
have not yet learned how 10 profit by the
advantages of freedom, and the spirit Of
dependence engendered by slavery still
fingers in them after nearly generation
of liberty.
This must be depressing for all those at
the North and at the South who have
been hoping for the material and social
advancement of the emancipated negroes.
1t makes the prospect for their future
look gloomy. Nowhere else in the world
has the negro race a chance for progress
so good as in the Southern States. yet
it is not getting ahead there except at
pace which is distressngly slow, even II
they are making any advance at all. The
free schools may be teaching the younger
generation their letters, but they do not
seem TO be cultivating in them the am
bition, or at least the capacity, for i'm
proving their material condition.
Unfortunately the same back wardness
exists among a great part Of the negroes
at the North. Formerly here in New
York, for instance, the colOred people
were largely employed in domestic ser-
vice. but of late years families have
grown 10 distrust them, and the more
so as they have been recruited in numbers
by negro emigration from the South.
Many Of the negro population of New
York at this time are a bad lot, immoral,
careless. disspated and Gis)rdcrly, and
they have given bad name 20 the whole
race. in which are included some of the
brightest examples OF fidelity to be found
among any people. AS a whole. they
seem to be no better off materially than |
they were a generation ago. even if they |
are not falling behind. The immigrants |
from Europe have driven Them uut OF |
their accustomed employments by doing |
the work better and by being more tiust- |
worthy.
This is a state Of facts at which the |
serious and intelligent negroes WHO are |
laboring for the elevation of their race |
must look squarely. A generation, il is |
true is short time in which 10 recover |
from the effects OF long servitule, bpt the |
cOlored people ought to have progressed |
further than they have gone in the last |
thirty years TO justify the hopes Of their
well wishers as 10 their ultimate advance
ment. 1t is a lamentable symptom that
the most easily purchasable vote in New
York is the negro vote. A large rart of
Il is for sale at every election.-New
York Sun.