The Democrat. (Scotland Neck, Halifax Co., N.C.) 1884-1896, 1895-10-10
dBOrT THE NEGRO

]
| his liberty, 10 Try to start at the top OF
the ladder and seek seats in the iegl-la-
lures and in congress. rather than IN
/ the various lines OF Industry
Whatever may be the sins that The
South may be called upon to answer
! for. it must be reIneIn bered that when
/ it comes TO business pure ana simple
this is the only section that has eNeF
given the Negro mans chance.
The wise-t among the Negroes see
and realize the utter absurdlty OF the
proposition for social equality In mat
tiers social, the Negro Is as separate as
the fingers on the hand and in matters
essential to mutual progress, he Is as
one Of the hands itself.
The Negro has proved that a com
pared with the foreigner he Is more pa
tIent, more faithful, more industrious,
more law abiding and less resentful.
HescOn.titutea One-third of the pOpula-'
ton Of the South and he must either
be one-third OF her progress and pros
perltv or one-thlrd Of her ignorance and
crime. The more intelligent a man i
the better citizen he becomes, and upon
his treatment depends the destiny OF
himself and the people with whom his
lot is cast.
The foregoing gives some OF the
clear-cut thoughts concerning the negro
as expressed at the opening Of the At
lanta exposition by Booker I. Wash
ington, the colored president Of the
Tuskegee Normal and Industrial school
of Alabama His utteranceS on the
race question are worth studying, They
are packed full OF common sense. He
himself is one of those cOlOred men
who have thought along right lines
and have become educated above the
low plane Of mere selfishness.
THE DEMOCRAT said several years age
that the negroes began to look to pOllt-
: ical interests at least fifty years toe
-ocn From the very nature Of tn,
: cation t, hold office when they were
set free They were ignorant, super
stitious, creduous and poor. They die
: not have sustenance fora single day. Al
these things stood in the way Of then
beng good citizens even; and no maj
Nho is incompetent for the responsible
ties Of good citizenship is entitled t.
hold an office of trust.
!, But the colored people were natural
" inclined to make tie mistake of a.
pirlng to office, and unprinclpled dem
they are nothing ike as near to tha
high standard OF citizenship which iii
Booker Washington ailudes to as the,
would have been had they directe,
their energies to industrial and educa
tional pursuits.
We hail with delight the prospec
that here and there is to be found
wise and weil-rosed colole.! man VIII
has educated himself above lie lines q
selflshness, and is endeavoring to lit a
his race to that plane Of intelligence
and financial standing from whici
they can see true citizenship rs it real
y is.
IN many Instances the negroes Gs
serve much credit for their or,;erl
bearing as citizens. They also meri
commentator for their zeal along edt
catlOnal lines. We hope to see the da
when we shall have a more lntelllcen
citizenship amongst both white al,
back OF this cOuntr..
Booker Washington well said in hi
4 speech at Atlanta that social equalit,
!, ~ utter absur lily. III The DAYS Q
- reconstruction in the South much wa
feit and feared about attempts at SJc!;
equality. But third Of a century {
experience has taught the world tina
d as God put a mark Of distinction be
G tween the races SO it shall remain
y The best colored people do not thinI
OF such a thing and have never wishe,
1t. There is no longer anything to b.
u feared at this point and we are glad I,
u see the coiored people putting forth ei
forts to hecOme more intelligent AZ,
b liter citizens. And the more effOr
they put forth for intelligence an,
home lndependece the better for then
an the whites.
:. NORTH CAROLINA INDUSTRIES