The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1897-12-09
THE NEGRO PROBLEM is SETTLING
ITSELF.

| The southern people have long since
recognized the colored population as ma
terial factor in southern development and
progress, especially in agriculture, and
they have willingly and literally con
tributcd of their means in additional tax
| alton to educate the negro and make
| him worthy Of sharing with the south
ern white man the exceeding great pos
sibiites of that development. Texas cs-
pecially has been most liberal in taxing
its white population for the benefit of
negro schools in order that the race might
not only furnish intelligent and honest
labor, both skilled and unskilled, but in
rendering the race contented, happy and
prosperous.
That the south has fully appreciated
this problem was illustrated the other day
| by the dedication of the new agricultural
building at Tuskegee, Ala. The colorcd
students and white and colored citizens
participated in the dedcatory ceremo-
MES. Governor Joseph f. Johnston Of
Alabama and the Hon. James Wilson,
secretary of agriculture. made addresses.
Letters were received and read from the
president Of the United States and the
chief justice Of the supreme court of the
United States and from many others oc-
cupying influential positions in the states
and general government. 1t was one
united voice conveying congratulations
for the enterprise that is so much in ev-
s. h, &C
recognition of the honest and intelligent
negroes of the southern states in their
destiny associated with that of the
whites.
Secretary Wilson. who is farmer,
spoke upon the vast agricultural resources
of the south and the prosperity that must
inevitably follow the application of in
tclligent labor and skilled methods upon
so large and rich a field for the produc-
ton of every variety of agricultural prod
ucts. He dwelt not only upon the pres
cnt valuable products of the southern
crops that might be made staples of ag-
ricultural cultivation, especially the uni
vcrsally used article of tea that we now
import from the Orient, and in this de-
velopmcnt the secretary recognized both
races as co-wOrkers and alike interested
in common development and prosperity.
While the southern dominant race have
recognized the necessity for this cO-work
and cooperation and gone to large ex-
pensc TO prepare the negro race for it,
the fact has not heretofore been properly
recognized or appreciated by the negro
population of the southern states, but we
are glad to say that the negroes are be-
ginning TO wake up to this fact. The
Statesman has again and again attempt
ed to impress upon the minds of the in
telligent part of the negroes of the south
that the southern whites were their best
friends and that common destiny
awaited alike both races. The material
of the south, dependent so
much upon this co-wOrk and cooperation
of what may be termed its two native
races has been disturbed by politics. 1t
was natural at first that the negroes of
the south should feel grateful to the
people for their emancipation
from slavery. but they have been taught
that it was the republican party and the
republican party only to which the negro
owed this debt of gratitude. while in
point of fact there were just as many
native northern democrats in the cman-
cipation army as there were native north
ern republicans. And it has taken time
for the negroes to get over the political
prejudice under which they have been
by the republican party. They
are now. however. becoming too intelli-
gent to divert them from the acknowl-
cdgmcnt of the main fact that the south
crn whites, after all, are their best
friends and that their interests are in
lissolubly connected with and indentcal
with the interests of the dominant white
race of the south. The political cloud
that has heretofore Obscured the vision
of the negro has begun to recede from
the horizon under the clearer glasses of
and that great fact of iden- !
Iity of interests is pushing its practical
truth upon them. When this political
cloud has entirely disappeared and the |
negro surveys the horizon with Il clearer |
vision. and that time is very near, the |
Two races in the south will work in such |
as to ensure permanent pros
Derity to both races.