The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1898-02-01
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THE BEST WAY OUT OF A Diff
Guilty.

There is no denying that In North
Carolina as in every southern state
There are many good citizens among
the colored people. However much 1T
rs TO be regretted that they have voted
unwase1y, and often i~fnorantly and
against their own interests, and
THE interests of the state and Of the
communities in which they live, it cam
NOT be questioned that many of them
have awaited themselves of The op-
p~ortunities offered under freedom for
their personal bettermert, nj have
developed into responsible and meritO-
r<oals citizens-wel behaved, sslf-re-
specting, moral and Industrious. All
oSer our southland you will find such
men by the hundreds and thousands.
While giving the suffrage to the ne
gxoes was a great risk and a great
mistake, lit is not to be gain5alld THAT
many of the electors are Intelligent
enough to exercise their dictatorship
with discretion and Judgment, and but
for odd ~prejudices and bad leadership
all along since 1866, the part referred
10 would have voted for honest, up
rS9snt, trustworthy men for office in
stszad of for the political tricksters and
d~eEnagogues who have brought so much
calamity and sorTow upon the state.
TbeT Is no doubt that bad example,
vicious persuasion, constant appeals no
race prejudice have caused the south-
Rrn "colored population" to vote UNI
wisely and often against the best In
ferests of all. We saw a communica-
ton i'm the Atlanta Constitution some
weeks ago, III which the wd'lrer, Rufus
z. Bullock, commented upon the Natter
day conversion of Mr.. William H.
TTroFne editor of the New York Globe
Review VINO admitted his belief in the
negroes for thirty years, but after some
visits to the south changed nus opEf1on
a4togather, and gave it as his convlc-
ssop that THE south would be simply
compelled ito get rid OF the negro In
some way-'to re-inslave, kill Or ex-
gxort the bulk' of the race. Very hal'sn,
as the Messenger lhas characterized Ut.
lit Us because of the good Will of the
southern whites that no great severi-
ties have been practiced and the NE
groes have their rights and privileges
80 generally recognized and preserved
TO them. Mr.. Bullock replying to THE
sThorne view has this among other
things:
.sWe of the south accepted the recon-
struction policy of a republican con-
yress as a choice of evils. We believed
ut was better for us to have civil state
governments, even with negro suffrage,
than indefinite fede-+cl military control.
NotN'Hr has since occurred to raise "a
/. question of the wisdom of u choice.
The "insufferable self assertion OF the
negroes since THE day of their enamel
pation of which Mr.. Thiorne complains,
was without exception the RESULT cir
rnrtslgde precept and example of those
UylNo a1Spted MIR. Thorne'S earlier
theories, and lit is not at all improbable
that those politicians who forced the
d franchise upon THE negro are now Ia
menlting their folly
WE do not know what the writer's
politfcs are, but he is NO wrong un
his statement THAT bad outside exam
Dies as we'll as precepts had much to do
sn giving the set to the negro's opln-
ions and actions and expectations
Tn negroes will always be Well treat
ed SO long as they are good, law aIDrd-
Tng citizens. The Thorne policy or
theory will never become popular I'M
nhe souuh Educate and upIift the ne
gro until he grows UP to the true reaIlZ-
alton of what constitutes a Capable
4.lector and what principles enter muo
She makeup of honest, Faithful and