The courier. (Lincoln, Neb.) 1894-1903, 1897-08-21
The Negro Question.

10 the negroes. and that the negro vote
is worth conciliatIng and cultivating;
therefore. every republican administra-
lion gives some Offices to negroes. do
not object TO this; victors IAN divide
the spoils as they please. but / think
that it would be fairer to select the
Offices for negroes in republican dis
tricts. instead Of offending the southern
people by putting black officials among
them. The crucial test Of an old aboli-
titionist was, Would you allow your
daughter to marry a black mani" 1
never happened to know one republican
leader that would stand this test. How
should We like to have negro Judges,
tax collectors, postmasters, mayors and
governors! Could any negro be elected
to public Office in New York? The south
once had to endure negro legislators and
congressman and row the Mckinley
administration is slyly appointing ne
groes to federal Offices in the southern
states. II would he wiser to educate
ourselves first, and then attempt to
abolish the color line in the former
elave states gradually; but notice that
whenever a republican decides to inject
the black virus, he selects democratic
community for the experiment. Then
comes popular protest. and then the
accusations that the south is still
stubborn ard disloyal, and refuses to
accept the lessons OF war. Human
nature cannot be change by legislation;
the people OF this country must be edu-
Gated up TO the absolute social and po-
liticsl equality of races. and the best
place to begin this education is in dis
tricts where the republicans are largely
in the majority, and their doctrine that
the black man is equal to the white man
in every respect is held as an indis-
putable truth. physician, heal thy
self." is fair rule. Let rs give negro
officials a tria! in the northern states
before imposing them upon the south.
Although negroes are entitled to equal
rights under the amended constitution,
most Of these rights continue to be de-
MED to them in consequence of popular
prejudice. In Georgia the white depu-
ties lave refused to serve under a negro
collector of internal revenue. and the
white women in the mills have refused
10 work with negro women; 10 New York
last week, a crowd on the sidewalk in
front OF prominent hotel watched and
spplauded while the walters refused to
serve negro man and woman in the
public restaurant. The law imposes
heavy penalties for such refusals, but
the higher law" to which the abo-
litionists used 10 appeal, is now against
the negroes The prejudice against them
is not sectional; it is as strong in the
north as in the south. Cosmopolitan
New York has only three reputable
hotels in which negroes are received on
equal terms with other guests, and all
three hotels are Kept by foreigners. But
The prejudice is confined to the United
States; it does not extend to any part OF
Europe nor TO Mexico and South Ameri-
"a. On the continent there is no color
inc, and in England negroes are re-
yarded with special favor, probably on
recount OF their rarity. There is no
explanation OF our popular
Intipathy. 1t has nothing to do with
lavery, because slavery was abolished
generation ago, and because there is no
between negroes that
nay have been slaves a1d the freedom, i,
,ducated. wealthy negroes that come