The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-12-26
HOMES FOR THE BLACKS.
Congressman Murray IL Trying e Solve the
Race Prebiem or New Lines.

HnC0 breniem Oh view LANCE.
ATLANTA, Ga, Dec. 23.-George Washington
Murray-very tall, slender for his inches and
artistically black and proud Of it-of the First
Congress district of South Carolina. 10 likely to
20 down In history as one Of the most persis-
tent and successful Of contestants for q seat In
tho House Of Representatives. He 10 now hav.
ing his third bite Of the cherry, and. from the
nature Of things and tho composition and COM
| plexion of tho First Congress district, the
| chances are that he will stand for election and
have to fight for his seat until his opponents
| abandon the field. AZ he 10 determined to stick
and tight to the end.
But Mr.. Murray does not spend all of his
time running for Congress and fighting for his
seat after he has been elected. He Is a versa
tile and industrious and thrifty citizen. He
has invented a combination cultivator. which
he claims will rovolutionizo farming methods,
and q ST. Louis firm has the contract for plao-
ing II on the market. He naturally takes an
absorbing interest In the condition and welfare
of his race. and has reached the conclusion that
in no way can the race help itself more than by
securing homes. But he had a lot Of trouble In
bringing the people to his way Of thinking.
He, however. believes In the irresistible power
Of personal appeal, and loses no opportunity to
make q speech. In which he always manages to
ring the changes on the one idea.
Mr.. Murray selected Sumter county as the
best field for trying his experiment. In 1884
he purchased 800 acres of good farm land and
disposed OF It to Industrious mon Of his race, in
small plots, Of course. After giving the ex-
pertinent q thorough test he became convince d
that 1t could be made q success In 1894 he
purchased 1000 acres moro and, settled thirty
industrious families on 1t and awaited de-
" slOGRPnm.sensw tho This Iars, pssSSh az M and Ma sRe su sti@s
to adopt his scheme, some, white spectators
MIR. Murray says he has no trouble whatever
in purchasing all the land he wants in Sumter
1000 acres more, upon which he Settled thirty
families, making about sixty,hve families
located upon the 1890 acres he has purchased
In disposing Of his land. Mr.. Murray does
not execute a title deed. but simply q bond
IL protect himself under the laws Of South
Carolina tho purchase price Is divided Into
1 sSs pu s9EhSs,ns desires Shs es% To dis 81 ysssih his ln o Sh,Se
being in the nature Of a landlo ds lien. and
notes, with Interest. are for small amounts and
In no way burdensome TO tho holders. and Mr..
IN mu Collecting ting tnem 81 At m maturity rS 'Aa ~ ''
In , d san,s s The material TER MS condition s,1a: Of his
81 md that the negroes Of the up-country
those Of the coast counties. These latter are.
Q u AhooiChtp
telllgenoe among them 10 very much lower than
that Of their upoountry brethren. How do l
coast counties before tho war were densely
populated by the slaves on the farms, one white
man often having charge OF . Thousand slaves yes
owners, TO escape the malaria and other dis
comforts Of the coast counties, made their
oStsiiirtS o. the towns and elites. The coast
counties have nov = very a., dense negro TIP IoRa av.
f bad less - t Contact %a' with Gtt0e oIyiiiSins agencies than
i i6ss % OF sh inS SPllsopn anS tbsiftisss;. and are 'h'f''
believe 4 IL based upon condition said Mr.;
where he owns nothing no is d]sspised. i have
the matter among tho people who have secured
their homes Of me, The most ignorant among
t tbsR Is sn n inssl fIS,SsStS Sar By 9 %so " oMs. ns ao1blHF
My, people, in Sumter county arc beginning u
understand this fact, and II Is encouraging
and farms OF their own and TO command theh
own time.
all over the South understands 1t and acti
upon 1t, and just as no comes to do so will hi
Of his neighbors as a man. ! have not found !
true that q negro who owns something and l
IN gst sISSr and Witg BFSSs;p p WSi,s has nsis q hSTse THAN sim,
often made. but have never found any basi
THE fact is" said MT. Murray. "the black
really do not understand themselves and thei
strength and power. They are still fast eslee
on q bale OF cotton. as when MIR, Jefferson Dav1
is alleged to have pointed out the fact, TO a com
paniSn more than thirty yesEs ago; Thils walk y
member tho Incident. See The, negro HsleeeP o
pose he should wake NJ. what theni' asked hi
companion. oh, don't worry about y; he wi
not wake up said Mr.. Davis. But I think he
waking up said MIR. Murray, but not in tn
way that Mr.. Davis and his companion feared
with a torch In ono hand and a dagger in tn
other. He Is waking up in Q nobler and highC
sense, with an arithmetic in one hand and
title deed or cancelled mortgage In the othel
? He is learning that his condition OF poverty an
dependence. rather than his color is the caus
OF his misfortunes. When he learns this a
along the line there will be a general awaken
, ing. such as we shall all be glad to Witness
This awakening must necessarily be very slo
business, as far as the great mass of Afro-Amer
! cans is concerned. 1t is well that men of NJ
. Murray's ability, character and means are a.
4 lively at work In every State Of the South, seel
: ing by precept and example to arouse ii
E masses and to direct their energies into prop,
= channels. T. THOMAS FORTUNE.
: BACHELOR MAIDS DAEOE