The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1897-10-27


able that these changes have called
forth from tbe white men and women
formerly employed 10 these factories
protests vigorous and bitter. In their
Iown eyes they have doubtless appeared;
Eto Be the victims Of that corporate
greed against which It has grown popu
liar 10 resent times to hDrl maledicsions
deep sDd loud. Nor is IL altogether
unexpected thas ocrtain people aud
papers In the State have seized With
|sviidi,y what they conceive to be .
golden Importantly for tanning iuto
fame ooce more the heated animosity
xhich certain politicians have SO assid-
uously cultivated TO the detriment Of
Gbarleston The operatives may be
readily forgiven 8 bitterness to which
emphssis is Tent by personsl privation.
and Charleston has unfortunately had
10 grow sccustomed to misrepresenta-
sion ID quarters Of the state frot. which
|she aud Her people should have been
privileged 70 seek for comfort and 6Dd
Esynpatby 10 their hours Of tribulasio1.
Bot these thiDes will pass away.
Individual bardshships. .wfongs if yon
viii. however acute, are bnt Of tran-
sient confederation, and partisan ami
lnosities seldom, If eyer, survive
the evils whichS give them
3birth. But the problems Of nation
endure, and the recent changes in
these factories ID Charleston constitute .
phase of the greatest problem which
:confsonts our people.
The Proclamation of Emancipation
made the black man freeuau; the
sConssisu,ion Of the United States de-
clares him to be voter !; but time
alone shall declare what place 10 the
citizenship Of the nation be is capable
of. occnpying. It is mere folly to assert
that We have reached ISOLATION Of the
question thrust upon the Southern peo-
pie .. the point Of the bayonet. Thir-.
y odd years Of suferiog have dulled
the edge of the sharp anger with which
they picked up their burden. As time
has gone on the sturdy manhood Of
the South has ceased repining. Our
people have reached the point at which
the past is snbordinated to the present
They are seeking solution Of their
problem With, an earDestness ss deep
and sincere as that with which they op-
posed the propoupding Of it Il is this
fact which brings us to so careful COO
sideration Of the Significance of the
changes which have recently been made
IN tie factories
What centuries may bring forth no
one may predict The negro has to
work out his own destiny. The emf
uens talents possessed by individual
members Of his race. hold before his
hope the image Of higher things. men,
tally. morally, even socially. than j. is
nov possible for bim to attain. The
adversely against which he has had to
struggle IN these frst days Of his citi-
zeuship is beginning to bring MIN wis
dom The light is still q 6ickering
one, but it burns, aed there is fruitful
promise in the circumstance. Il is to
his aud to our interest that he should
seek work where it is most available.
Ia times gone he was veritably our
bewef Of wood and drawer Of water.
Since be is here aud must remain here,
is it DOT the part Of wisdom to make
the best of bin We can?
1t is preposterous. to talk of retain
ing among us pauper class, 8,000.-
900 strong The fields no logger af.
ford occupation sufficient to occupy
that number of persons The natu-
raj increase in race has far outrun the
demands of household employment in
the cities A few aspiring men have
reached out for higher culture and
the honored professions, but the great
masses of the people. the black peo
pie, remain to day Improbable ser
wants to the State. These ever in
creasiDg hordes are a menace to SO
ciety and a burden to the nation.
There is but one way out Of this
multiplicity of difficulties The ne
gro must find work, and the white
people must aid him in finding it
The only sure way to make him a
good citizen is TO make him an in
industrious one.
One thing seems to be clear social
equality, or anything approximating
|it. is simply out of the question.