Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1898-11-27
oTUEn WARDS or THE N6TION.

In a recent letter 10 the Atlanta Con-
stitution. Bishop Gaines. of the African
Methodist Church. laments that the
northern people do not take the interest
hey formerly took in the negroes Of
the South. He sees no prospect Of Con-
gress passing a force bill. or Of action
being taken by IT to restrict southern
representation in the House of Repres-
sntatives.
Bishop Gaines is correct In saying that
he people Of the North have lost much
Of their old-time interest in our colored
population. Indeed were it not for the
1gure the negro cuts in the elections I'm
New York. Ohio, Indiana. Illinois, and
,ther states dhe race question would re-
,eive little thought from the northern
people. And dhe signs Of the times are
hat henceforth the interest felt by the
general public Of the North will decline
even more rapidly than it has done in
he past.
For thirty-odd years the negro has been
"the only ward Of the nation" Upon
him has been lavishcd the sympathy of
many phllanthropists and theorists. To
him suffrage has been given. For him
schools. colleges, and churches have been
built and sustained. But now there are
TO be other wards. The Cubans. the
Porto Ricans, the HawaHans. the Filipi-
aos and the people of the Ladrones.
will claim shares of the energies
md cash Of those northern folk
who, overlooking the poor and despised
people at their own doors, are ever in
search Of other objects OF charity.
SO long as the negro was the country's
only ward it was 20 be expected that he
would be pampered, but since the family
has been so largely increased he should
expect TO receive hereafter only one
child's share. This will be small. IT
would be very trlning indeed. but for
the fact that the negro vote in some
States has TO be reclSoned with by The Re
2ublicans But admitting that political
consideration is due by the Republicans
10 the negro voters who usually deliver
half a dozen Northern States into their
hands, It does not appear that our color
ed population can hope for much help
rom their electon-day friends.
The trend OF events indicates that the
aeero will have to cease looking to the
North for help and encouragement, and
wiz have to get upon better terms with
the southern whites. IL would be a happy
aay for the negro if northern influence
could be altogether eliminated from
southern politics. That influence has been
pregnant with harm from the very be-
ginning
1t was a dreadful day when the carpet
baggors came down here 10 poison the
minds Of the negroes against their old
masters. No man can estimate the in
jury those people inflicted upon the South.
Left alone, the darkies would have made
much better terms for themselves than the
carpet-baggers made for them. The in
reference Of outsiders has ever been
detrimental 10 the welfare Of the blacks.
Generally speaking. it has been "a fake
gauno." In which the negro was the vic
tim and his pretended friend reaped the
profit
SO. instead Of lsmonting the fact he
states Bishop Gaines would better re-
joice that the busybodles Of the North
have wcllnigh tired OF meddllng with our
affairs.
Reckless ana indefensible as we regard
tho expansion policy OF this admlnistra-
ton. We must say we believe II will do a
good thing II It thereby furnishes 10 the
radical politicians and foolish phiisnthro
pisls OF the North new fields Of eser.
prise.
II they viii but cease their interferences
IN the South our whites and blacks can
manage 10 ave alongside orc another
upon terms Of amiiy and common ad-
s-nsage. When President Mckinley came