New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-10-21
THE NEGROES HANDICAP.
HOW POVERTY AND IGNORANCE KEPT
THEM BACK IN THE SOUTH.
t-NrAvoRABIE AND UNJUST LAws-PAYMENT BY

UNAVOIDABLE AND UNJUST LA"S-fAf MEM ID
STORE ORDERS AND ITS DISADVANTAGES
Charleston. S. c., Oct. 2o-ln the cotton
States and International Exposition which has
lust been opened TO the public In Atlanta, Ca.
tho negro race in America has prominent
place one of the most attractive of the buildings
includes An assembly hall where colored people
are 10 hold conventions and they have been Invited
10 prepare an exhibit, which will show the progress
OF their race In the worlds history. from It's lowest
point In the junges OF Africa to It's highest in this
favored land Of the free. They will doubtless make
the most of this great opportunity 1t VIII be an
easy matter to show by a series of striking con-
,rasts their wonderful advancement since the days
OF slavery The net result OF the problem which
they have had to- solve be set down in black
and white. But many OF the factors are OBSCURE
The things that have helped and the things that
have hindered the negro's progress cannot De Ia
belled and hung up in exposition cases. and with
out a thorough understanding Of these no knowi-
edge OF his part and reasonable forecast OF his
future Is possible.
The achievements OF the negro in the school OF
civilization are belittled by his enemies. some OF
whom are SO blind as to deny him the capacity Tor
any great enlightenment and they are anplauied
bv his friends who remembering the obstacles
which beset his path think his progress remark
able. The writer Is one of the latter, ana ne pro
poses to direct the attention OF The IripuneS reau
ers TO some serious hndrances TO the negfos ma
terial prosperity. and hence to MS meh'ai anu
moral improvement
The two greatest obstacles to the advancement
OF the negro race America race prejudice ana
poverty. The first of these is grave enough, ar
second Is even a heavier milestone around ,he ncth
of a people already bent beneath other puruens
Before the negro elevate himself moialiy anu
socially he must educated and educatloI peyVi,~
the most rudmentary branches Is mpossIo,e
his entire energies absorbed in mere slIuss
for existence He receives too niue ioi ms mo n,
His share in the distribution Of wealth Is ho' III
proportlor TO his share in its production, ,
In, laNa nf
verse circumstances of every Kind the negroes o
tho South nave managed TO accumulate proper,y
their friends But this aggregate would be mueh
greater 1t not for the colOred man
which renders him an easy victim OF u,Jn ,y i.
fraud extorton and robbery, ana LOT the N!0io -
South and which bears most heavily, upon mo
lowest stratum OF society-the poor ana llietate'
In short the Southern negros ne Is DouNueu -! d
delusve circle of circumstance-his Ignorance pre-
venting him from acquiring wealth with which 10
dspei his ignorance
THE EFFECTS OF THE LIEN LAW.
What are the causes which keep the great mass OF
negroes in poverty ana ignorance? one IS 'le men
law which prevails in riany parts OF the SOUTH
The crop of the small farmer or renter Is usually
mortgaged TO the landlord merchant before IL Is
PLANTED; and throughout the greater part oil 'he
wear the weaker party is completely at the mercy
word some men are honest and some are not; out.
as a rule the rates of interest charged lor uNaSes
made under this system OF credit are eXorDta ~
the extreme Liens are USUALLY Drawn aDot ~ wa, 49, 80
emf wear the following prices prevailed III tIe
writer's own neighborhood and from observation,
as well from an experience OF many yeals ~. ~
different parts OF the SOUTH ne mas ever! ie"So" "
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