The Portland daily press., 1894-08-20
THE NEGRO PROBLEM.
President John Smallwood Solves 1t
For Large Audience.

Not Only by His Grafton But More by HIS
Personaity-A Significant Illustration
That the Negro Must Solve and is solv-
ing His Own Problem.
CityHall was well filled last evening,
and the large audience that assembled
to hear something of the negro prob
lem from the lips of negro who is help
ing to solve it, was aroused to an en-
thusiasm that they will certainly never
forget or regret.
Rev. DR.. Bashford presided, and with
him on the platform were Revs. Israel
Luce, F.C. Rogers, I.G. Ross, DR.. Henry
Blanchard. and the two speakers of the
evening, Rev. F. Sheppard of Clare
mont, Va, and President John J. Small
wood of the T emperance, Industrial and
Collegiate Institute of Claremont, Va,
DR.. Blanch ard offered prayer.
/ DR.. Bashford first introduced Rev. W.
F.Sheppard, who spoke at some length
in regard to the vital Importance of set
thing the negro problem, and of what he
had seen of it in the South. When he
first went down there three years ago,
a clored girl came into his church and
| sat down near the door. A trustee of the
church told him to put the girl out. He
refused. Then the trustee said: "If you
don't put her out we'll put you out. At
that he saw that nothing but muscular
Christianity was suitable for the oc-
casion, and they didn't put me out or
the girl either, and she stayed till the
end OF the service"
! The speaker then told the story of
,Hev. I'G. Ross's experience as has been
previously related in the PRESS.
| President Smallwood was greeted with
loud applause when he arose after Mr.,
Bashford's introduction. He is we'll
built and fine looking negro, as black as
| coal. In expression of countenance, in
general demeanor, and in every appear
| ance he is not different from any edu-
Gated, cultured clergyman or college
president, except in the color and shape
Of his face. He began by stating that
ne was not darkey or a niger, but
an American negro, just as there are
American Irishmen. II have never seen
the day when | was ashamed of INV
name as negro, and thank God am
black negro. (Applause.) I there.
fore do not speak to you as negro or
politician, but as an American citizen.
No political party can make me gentle
man or sch olar.
l must make myself a man. He then
spoke OF negroes who have been promi-
nent men centuries ago, when there was
no race prejudice, and referred with inn
passioned eloquence to the growth in
this country of laws and restrictions
against his race THAT have resulted in
the present race prejudice He then
gave the following statistics: In 1861
the negroes of the South paid taxes ON
but $4,000 worth of property; now
they pay taxes on $500, 100000 worth.
There are in the country S72 lawyers.
7s9 doctors, 995 college graduates, 500
newspapers owned and edited by negroes.
There are II female doctors, who are
negroes, 10 female lawyers, and 81 fe-
male civil engineers. In Georgia alone
the negroes pay taxes on $50, 200, 600
worth of property. At Richmond, Va.
| where his mother was sold 20 years ago.
and upon the very spot where the slave
market stood, stands a negro bank with
| VI, 800, 600 capital, of which a negro is
| president. There are 70 negro colleges
| and academies, and IS miles of railway
operated by negroes. But what is the
reason for the prejudice in the South9
| The first reason is the disrespect that
| white men have for the color of the
| negro. was talking with a United
States Senator whom l had known FOR
ten years, and with Representative John
son, an old friend. They were going to
the eastern part of the state. was sit
ting there talking with these distin.
guished men, and this man had the an
| dacity and impertinence to approach
and say to me, How are you uncley
What's your name? Where are you from?
Where are you going" I looked at him,
from his No.12 boots upward, and said,
| How long since your mother was nv
sister?" and then replied to him, II
come from home am going to speak on
public platforms in this state and Fpro-
claim your impertinence to me.n He
said | was arrogant and out of nv place
because told him he was impairment
He spoke in regard to the "false cryn
| of social equality. Social equality
| makes its own laws, invites its own
guests. There are thousands oe
| negroes in this country that are not
suitable to sit at my table or cross nv
threshold. And there are thousands Of
white men that are not fit to sit at nv
table. have seen some here in Port.
| land.n
We have given very inadequate re-
port OF President Smallwood's remark
able GRAFTON, but we have given enough
to show what manner Of man this is
who, ten years ago, could not read or
write, and who now has established a
college, has mastered the difficulties of
an education ana culture above the
average OF the best white people of any
country.
AS he says, the negro must