Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1898-12-11

formation Ninety-ni hundredths of
these negro minors who take the first step
downward in the moral descent are
without parents, or have but one parent,
a neglectful father. or widowed mother.
or an abandoned mother who has never
been wived; children from the very dregs.
fees, otfal of the negro race in Vir-
ginia. a class which neither the public
school, the Sabbath school. or any well
regulated mission effort over reaches
down TO help out of the mirs and wallow
OF DEGRADATION. This class of negro
minors could not go to such a school as
Hampton, Tuskegee, or Calhoun, since
respectabiity in the parent and child.
or in the child. is a condition precedent
for admission to these institutions Of
Christian growth and scholastic improve
ment. In a word, the prospective Martha
Washington homo for boys and tho Har-
rlet Bescher Stowe home for girls OF the
Virginia Manual Labor School. OF the
Negro Reformatory Association OF Vir-
ginia, are designed 70 be, perhaps, the
first homes these children--negro social
pariahs-wili ever know, and the training
in Christianity, rudimen,ary learning,
handicraft Crades). and the domesticities
of home IL the only training promised
them in life; the only way open 10 repu-
table Christian man and womanhood Tor
them. Having bought portion OF farm
Of 1904 acres Of land having an option for
one year--from June, 1S9S-on the remain
der, 1880 acres, at So an acre, for the pur-
pose of rescuing and saving from legal
lied degradation OF the Virginia jail ana
prison system for negro children, from
which white delinquent minors are pro-
tected through the philanthropy OF the
best element Of Virginia white people;
this plea for help is made to buy the re-
mainder Of this plantation. and FOR money
aid to erect these proposed buildings True
II is. YOU have now very. very little to do
with the black people In any way, put
tina ruthless robbery OF Africa OF her sons
and daughters for the American market
from 1919 to 1861, to suodue the forests
and to cultivate the fields from Maine 10
Texas and westerly to the Golden Gate
Of California, like the arteries OF me
human body which convey the blood
throughout the system to the extrem.ues
OF each hair OF the head and body, 80 also
has this negro labor permeated every
Industry of America, and added directly
or Indirectly to the material growth OF
all the white people Of the United STATES
without the negro receiving anyIaing In
the way OF suitable. just compensatory
advantage to himself. With all defer-
ence. I would say that at one ume-so
long as IT paid--slavery existed In New
England, and New England engaged III
the slave trade. In the labors OK forests
and fields and domestic services OF every
kind and character they have been fac
tors: the male members OF the race IN
numbers have, on the land
and seas, In the Colonial, Revolutionary, /,
and civil war and In the Spanish-Ameri- 1
can war. so gloriously contaminated
"Given their spirits out;
Trusted the end to God,
And on the CORY eod
Rolled in triumphant blood
for the preservation Of the salf-respect
Of the Colonies, tho Independence OF me
nation, the unity OF the American people,
and at ManiIa fought with the intrepid
Dewey with Shafter storrned the heights
81 Santiago, helped fght the ships that
prevented the escape of Cervera. making
he United States one Of the first naval
and military nations Of the world. This
-aca's moral character Is a constituent
part Of the moral character OF the nation.
Shall tender impressionable childhood
md inexperienced youth OF the seven hun
,red thousand negroes Of the Mother OF
states (Virginia) bs denied an oppor-
unity of being reformed because OF the
poverty OF the Old Dominion? The war
= 1851 go 80 'e4-'G6 Is ended. The heart
,urnings and hatred 1t produced have been
and obliteratsd by the conduct
4 our own Fitzhugh Lee and the gallant
Wheeler, and thousands or
sons loyalty to the nag or
heir ancestors. Cement the union Of the
,tates and the union of hearts by help
M the negroes Of Virginia grow their
exIsctsd black childhood into respecta-
ility. without the help Of the white
N nd
the moral need OF the black
ace. tho consummation OF this needed re-
,rm must be indefinitely postponed. The
egro race neither here nor elsewhere
pprsciatss it, moral poverty and Its OBJ
CATION to lift itself to the extent Of rs
,aterial ability above Q condition which
lust seriously qualify all other efforts
a its part. Gratefully yours.
JOHN II. SMYTH.
resident Negro Reformatory Associa-
ton Of Virginia.