The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1895-12-16

them in office at the mercy of their for
mer masters
"One of the principal causes today for
the bad treatment in the south is due to
the political stand which they have al
ways taken against the popular sentiment
of the southern people. Against the peo
pie who were furnishing them work
which enabled them to feed and clothe
their children. The negro's love of lib
erty and his meekness to follow those
who battered him as friends forced him
to GO against his former master. Not
because he loved his former master less,
but because he loved the man who
claimed to free him more.
As an ex-sIave-for Twas slave until 1
was 90 years of age-I entertain no i'll
feeling against those who owned me.and
if the negroes of the south would take
common sense view of their present po-
sition and keep out of politics and seek
to secure the interest of the people who
are giving them labor it will not be long
before they will be enjoying a great
many privileges which they today are
denied.
"The good people of the south, and
there are many of them are not in favor
of mob lawlessness. One reason they
have allowed it to go on is because those
who sought to put a stop to it went
north instead of appointing to them. An
other thing that caused a great many
] negroes to be lynched who might have
| had trial and received a light sentence
was threatening the people with the
army. Often these threats were made
| by some fellow who wanted to secure
the negro vote for some office, and then
the negro went up and down the street
telling what the army was going to do
until it Infatuated the southerners and
the lvnching occurred.
"Iu an article written to a northern
| newspaper on the labor question by a
| southern laborer of average Intelligence,
the writer says: The negro has no
business in this country. It belongs to
the white man. The two races can never
live together in harmony. The negro
takes the labor out of the hands of the
white man by working for less than he
can live upon. He must get out, we
must starve.' The labor organizations
all over the country are against
the negro and gladly assist in these
lynching bees in order to help extermin-
ate the race. They are composed of the
most ignorant foreigners who came here
of their own accord and now wish to
drive US out We did not come here of
our own volition.
'Ihe one great thing that is making
the negro hated, not only in the south
but in the north, is his constant demand
| for Office. We must learn that
white people are white people
everywhere, and will not consent to be
| governed by ignorance and poverty
| This may not suit some of you who are
eternally hunting for office. If the ne
| gro will persist in filling every office he
sees he may not be surprised if he hears
something drop. What the negro needs
| today mora fhon anvthinU also 10 rpOpov
| and common sense
The way to do is not to persist in
putting incompetent men into every
office there is. but to select one or two of
the best men you have and ask that
these represent you. Work up from tn g
bottom to the top. The negro can not
keep his business to himself. but tells
everyone whom he sees Keep your
mouths closed, you fool niggers.' The
Jews do not go telling everyone what
they do in their meetings, but they soon
have man in Office.
''If the negro does not stop outraging
and numbering white women it will not
| be a question whether the negro shall
have the right to vote and enjoy his citi-
zenship, but whether he shall have a
right to live. The negro need not look
to the north for aid, for the north does
not intend to get into any more trouble
| Of0E ILL., OQE Va AS mug Win
| the south is as much as the north
cares for. 1t would not then have been
victorious but for the aid of the 100000
negroes who fought to preserve the
Union. Yet Union soldiers are founding
a town 10 Georgia where no negroes are
permitted to live. The enthusiasm of
the north for the negro was laid aside
with the blue uniform of the war. The
south has not been conquered, and today
1 -
man in New York today is a southerner.
! and such men as Henry Watterson of
Louisville, Harris of Tennessee WELD
mighty influence.
when will the lynching of negroes in
this country cease? Just as soon as the
negro ceases to outrage and murder
white women. While l hate lynch law
lessness l despise the man who is british
enough to attempt, much less destroy,
the honor of any woman. And honor
the race which protects and defends its