The Houma courier. (Houma, La.) 1878-1939, 1897-01-02
BROTHER in BLACK
Sam Jones Writes OF the Colored
Man of the South

+I 204NA
Ewo Races Of Feopls-Ehe Afrscanss Nnt
raj Deaeieneie-rhe Negro In pon-
tics-Du1y Of the waite
Pepnlasion.
We had at the close Of The civil war
100000 negroes in the south. Think
The statistieian of 1900 win give
as double that number. Through
the 'fblack BELTS, as they are
called ID the SOUTH the negroes
swarm Ike locusts in Egvpt. 4
have hid occasion several times
to drive through the country dis
triets in a buggy in the last few years.
land passing the cabins on the farms
along the way I was impressed with
the number OF little negro children
There would be anywhere from five to
fifteen little negroes playing ID front
OF q cabin. If we have almost 5000,
noQ colored people now, that consti-
tutes about one-eighth Of the popula-
Of the United States. If immigra-
tionSwas shut off in 30 years from nov
the colored people would constitute
nearly onefourth of our population;
md just as they multiply in numbers
Just 50 the problem grows in impor-
tance and in~tricacy. They are as sep
arate and distinct a nation of people
from the Anglo-Saxon as they,are sep
urate and distinct from the Indian or
the Chinese. In fact no two races are
as little alike as the Anglo-Saxon and
the African races. In physical forma-
ton, in intellectual endowment and in
moral Perception the difference is
broad. There are certain. essential
qualities which are either dwarfed or
almost totally lacking in a large num-
Der Of colored people, such as ambi-
ton. seif~respect and acquisitiveness.
Very few colored men have the ambi-
ton that inspires effort and persistent
industry. Now and then you will find a
broadly cultured, magnificent colored
man measuring up with almost any
race. Something to eat, somewhere to
sleep, something to wear is the height
of the ambition of a large proportion of
the brothers in black. They call them
selves the poor, down-trodden race, not
knowing that they have their own foot
upon their own neck. They misap-
pretended freedom; they did not know
that liberty in its highest sense meant
the privilege of doing right; they mis-
took license for liberty and they came
from under the ownership of the whites
in the south and felt that they were
free. Many walked over and hired
themselves to the devil. We have more
vagabond negroes now than there were
in the thine of slavery; more of them
drink liquor; more of them are Grim
inals. They have had some vague idea
that the constitution Of the United
States had promised to do something
for them, or that by sops gislatiVe
enactment they woulaub zoe bros 1t up on
alagsl III ne vghite man. Tia have
fol4 +bot +b~f color was against hem
NIy it is their history agai6A
them. Tor q races history Will de
termine its status anywhere. The An
glo-Saxon race owes its position to tt
history. Their history has been mad,
up by its philosophers, its inventors
its orators, its authors. The achieve
ments III the Anglo-Saxon race pu-
them on top.
The negro win never rise until by
courage and industry, intellectual.
%5wth and moral character, be shall
furnish for himself a foundation or
which the superstructure will stand
God has peculiarly endowed the col
ored race. They are natural born
orators. If they have something to say
they can beat the world saying it. God
has implanted more music in the col.
ored mans throat than anywhere else
beneath the sun. God hasRgfdo@edhim
with a good disposit IA as 1 rule, ant
with lnteliect b ability far beyond
.has Wnlcn has wisely improved o.
lu1lslYns used. Ambition is made o.
hf than you viii find in mos
sroes. Most Of them lack industry
LThey will work, but their heart anC
hand is not free to it. They work fol
what they get, instead of aiming a
proficiency and excellence and highe'
service and higher pay. We have in tn
south as a rule laws which bear equal.
upon the colored and the white race
The negro is protected in his life, liber
ty and property whenever he keeps OF
the living side of the dead line. ArsoI
NfAYc nfiB III QTaQ lmS III tHO SOutA
Rape means rope and arson mean
death to the perpefrator. I saw thi
week where a colored man got a yer
dict, which was confirmed by the su
preme court of this state, for $500
against of our southern railroad
Tor getting his leg cut off in an acci
dent. In another suit in Georgia tn
cOlored concubine of a white man in tn
courts of Georgia held the property 0
the deceased white man for herself an
children against all corners. His estat
was valued at 100000 or $500, 900. Gu
courts and juries win do Justice by th
colored man. As a rule the negroe
own farm in the country or home in tn
goes. Not one in ten Of them own thei
own farm nj the country or home in til
city or town. They have rot the ell
ment Of aeqnisitiveness. If the
make much it goes. If they max
nothing at all they live on it an
what they a pick. up around.
+ would be much better for the n,
gro If hetWcre nnh q factor a. +ha y.ol