The broad ax., 1898-05-07
COL. ELI BAxTER,s LETTER,

last war and was on the side that
was tine weakest. In my family
there we're, all told, more than q
hundred negroes. The notion !
had about me1 before the war l
have now. l have not changed a
bit. / have never seen China
man, an italian or any other for
eigner of the common stock that /
would put on an equal footing with
the negroes of this country. Our
folks are daily looking the facts in
the face. If we had have allowed
General Lee to have had his way
during the war power never could
have been wrested outof our hands.
General Lee wanted all of the mas
tiers to free their negroes and then
appeal to them to stand by the
south. GOSH If we had have
done it, today the white people and
the black people would have been
90 trustful and so helpful to each
other, until we would all now be
one people, united and firm, stand
ing like q brick wall against all
outsiders. It's got to come to this
finally and our thoughtful people
see It.
The other day / was riding into
Atlanta and / had for nv COM
panioas Monaghan, Dago and a
Christ killer. The atmosphere got
30 sickening that / had to 60 out on
the platform. While out on the
platform / looked into stingily
built, illy-ventilated, dirtily kept
car, and there was Bishop Gaines,
one Of the most substantial men In
the state. By goshl it made me
mad to think that I was a Georgian
and helped to bring about condi-
ton which denied decent treatment
to a respectable citizen just because
he was saddle colored, and allowed
rat-eaters, bomb-throwers and
policemen killers the very best at
tention.
All the negroes need along this
line to change conditions is to
learn the lesson of willing sacrifice.
There is q difference between will
ing sacrifice and compulsory sacri-
fee. Be well-behaved, as the more
intelligent among you are, and
have real self-respect. By real
setf-respect, l mean that kind
which will not permit you to az
cept anything not an actual neces-
sity, unless it comes to you in the
way it reaches other people. Most
of the hard working negroes, who
make not more than rs cents a
day would be wise if they walked
short distances and saved their
money. 1 cannot see how any
negro who desires to be considered
decent can attend any theater in
Atlanta.
As long as you cannot deny
yourself these Injuries that come
to you at the cost of your self
respect you cannot expect to be
rated very high by the race that
denies you. The negro patronage
of theaters In Atlanta is consider
able. Any young man or woman
found In one of them under pres
emit conditions is hurting the negro
race very much. Now, decent in
telligent white people do not OBJ
ject to clearly dressed negro sit
ting near them. 1 don't. l prefer
them to the limberger and bologna
destroyers that l often find near
me. The folks are all wrong on
what is meant by social equality.
Social equality is never seen nor
heard of, properly speaking, out
side of the home or private grounds.
There is no such thing as being
social, strictly speaking, in q pub
lie place. Social equality means
that you are not strangers or mere
acquaintances, but that you are SO
well known to each other that you
grow intimate sufficient to form q
society or social world. l 60 to
the Aragon or to the Kimball, /
sit down in the dining room to eat
. meal. That is my business there.
In comes Q man that have never
seen before, and from his action he |
is there to eat. 1 jump up and |
walk out claiming that this man is |
put on social equality with me. By
such conduct / write myself down a
stupid donkey. Why, the man never
addressed me. He did not know
nor did he care to have my acquain-
tance. Perhaps after we left the
n