The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1898-12-01
HENDERSON, n. c., THURSDAY, DECEMBER 1, 1898.


sition by the negroes has caused al
their ills since freedom.
Mr.. Editor, while the Post ant
Profs. Washington and Miller, as wei
as DIR. Shadd, were mapping out thu
negro's ills and advising him of great
opportunities in the South, l though
it strange that all of you failed Il
advise him to keep away from politics
and political conventions, and te
apply himself along the lines yor
lpointed out. If this is done, his
rapid redemption and true emancipa
ton is certain. If he wants to vote
let him vote with the people who
have the power The Southern white
people are Democrats, and the white
people, who move there, as a rule, be-
come Democrats; only the negro holds
out to pay the debt of gratitude for
his freedom.
This is foolish. He should cast his
fortune with the people where '1s is
placed, and no honest Republican viii
advise him otherwise, because this
opposition most naturally brings him
all his ills, whereas, joining in with
the white people whose interests are
certainly Identical with our own, be-
cause of the same geographical sur
roundings, we place ourselves in
unison and not in opposition, which
! will certainly make them take more
interest in us. What should the
negro care about sound money, free
silver, tariff, or government owner
ship of railroads? What does he
know about them? Who stops to
consult him about them? Why
should negro leaders go wild over
party success, which means a few
offices for them, but certain destruc-
ton of the lives and best interests of
the masses? Is this enthusiasm
honorable that sacrifices the masses
for the few?
Mr.. Editor, you may have noticed
that in these late unpleasant things
the usual result obtained; the unsus-
pecting poor negroes were killed, but
the smart negroes came off the vic
tors, as also did their white allies,
who did not help when trouble came
Those Wilmington negroes could have
been saved and their leaders should
have saved them by yielding to the
inevitable in time and reported back
in time that all was we'll.
| can give unsuspecting negroes
this advice, and that is that they will
find they can make better bargains
for themselves looking to their own
interests than any 'combines'' seek
ing office can make for them, and it
will prove far more healthy. The
negroes of North Carolina have lost
forever along the lines previously
followed. 1t is to be hoped that there
will be no disfranchisement nor oc-
casion for it. The whites want con-
troll and are going to have it. Make
peace with them, and 90 along with
them, obtaining the very best terms
you can. This we must do all over
the South. Do this and our troubles
will end. Make no threats or prepa-
ration for 1900; let the white people
manage it; it is best for you. Your
votes decided it in Kentucky, Mary
land and Tennessee, but you know
but little of politics and cannot afford
it, for you know that the more impor-
tant the negro element is the more
trouble he gets into; that is why he
is best off in places where his strength
is small and worse off in the black
districts, for statistics show that in
the black districts the white man
owns 80 per cent. of the lands occu-
pied by the negro, and the negro
illiteracy is greatest.
1t is regretted that bloodshed was
resorted to to end the negro's politi-
cal Importance in North Carolina, and
as it is now said to be ended, the
writer hopes the white people will
take the negroes into their confidence
and cause them to confide in them
for the good of all concerned, but for
heavens sake look for no outside
help. Poor Baker was promised pro-
lection, and got it not, and his family
is on their own resources, he and
other members of his family being
now in their graves.
The national government has gone
lIS limit IN our interests, and we are
turned over to the States for every
thing. Let us fall in and be with
them, for it is suicide to continue OPP
posing them.
I challenge any negro champion or
anybody for him, to give better
advice than the foregoing, under all
the circumstances. The State gov
ernments cannot in ure us, nor will
1t profit them any to do SO. and we
should henceforth give them no oc-
casion to do otherwise than foster our
best interests, after we have deferred
to them in all questions of rule and
government. This | submit for the
consideration of all concerned.
j. n. JOHNSON.