The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1898-10-07
TERMS OF SUBSCRIPTION.
. WILMINGTON. N. C.
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 7, 1898.
AN ILLUSTRATION AND A DEDUC.
TlON.

~D AAN'
1e retained in employment by a store
or railroad or market house who was
known to be an enemy of employers.
II he was constantly seeking to in1ure
the business, to increase the taxes upon
ct, and to bring the employers into dis
repute so as to affect their standing
for character and responsibility he
would be an ass to expect to be re-
Gained in their service if it was known.
He would no doubt think it reasonable
chat he should be bounced monument
Iy if detected in his He
was unfaithful, he was hostile, he had
injured the men who gave him employ
ment, and he knew in his soul that
he richly deserved dismissal and in
stantly upon revealment of his duplici-
~ and hostility.
Now suppose this conduct on his
part had been not for a year only, or
for four years, but had been consist
emily, pertinaciously pursued for thir-
ny years. Suppose farther, that his
employers had been kind, a~ppreciative,
sympathetic-that they had manifested
this in many ways, but particularly in
providing schooling for his children
and his friends, and had even taken
care Of one or more afflicted members
of his family. In addition to these
long continued favors, they had also
helped in many ways the mans kin
dred according to the flesh, and his
many connections. Would these facts
not add to the blackness of his ingrati-
dude and dar'ken his character, and
make his duplicity the more glazing
and i~nexcusable? No man Of ordinary
sense and with any proper understand
ing of rectitude and fidelity would
question for a moment the absolute
correctness and justice Of discharging
such an migrate and fraud
Apply this. 1t is easy. How about
che ~kindnesses and favors bestowed 50
freely, with open hand, upon negroes,
men and women, in giving them con-
stant employment and so often help
ing them in distress, in sickness, even
hyhen death entered the household?
%-ow about the unfailing kindness and
Q -cupation, and this all through tens
Il I years? Then how about the ready,
.he determined a~ntagonism of the ne
.Zro voters against the interests Of the
white men who so favored them? How
about the repeated votes for the worst
enemies of their employers, and the
intense ardor and delight with which
they sought year by year to injure and
defy the men who ~countenanced and
aided them year by year, and for thir-
ty years or more in many instances!
Is it wrong in the men thus defied anc
warred upon and injured, if they say
the parting of the ways has come
aenceforth find other employment
We have helped you and been your
friends, while you have deliberately
repeatedly by our votes done wha'
you could to bring reproach and ca
Eamity upon the state, Affections anc
disturbances upon the community, anC
TO injure our own business. You have
helped to try to degrade our race ant
to increase our burdens. Go in peace
Seek employment among your owl
race. or with the white traitors wht
are your unworthy allies. Go west OF
north or to Africa, if you like, and we
wash our hands of you and your race
henceforth. Now, no man of intelli'
gence among the negroes could Will
reason complain if this were universal
" done.
If it had been lone in 1866, when thu
negroes gave their first vote en- masst
against the men they expected to give
them work, and if the true White mer
mad socially ostracised every white fel.
low who dared to sell out for plundel
and office. and have given the
traitors to race and state no sort Of
recognition there would have been nc
grimes of black radicals to stain the
records of North Carolina from 1866
TO 1876, and there would have beer
no such disgraces in legislation as the
two last general assemblies that me-
at Raleigh and proved unmingleG
curses to the state. There would be ne
dangers threatening the white people
now. There would be no white fel
lows now selling their souls to the ne
groes for a mess of pottage.
But the past comes not back again
1t is too late to remedy the mistake:
of the long ago. 1t is to deal with thu
present with which we are concerned
It is very sure if the white race were
united, resolved that the cure would
be found and a threatened race wal
would not be heard of in Wilmington
after the present campaign. The ne.
groes could not remain here Ions
without employment from democrats
Wilmington in two years would be
com a city of white folks, and hun.
dreds of capable, industrious white la
.oorers would swell the population
Then "Othello's occupation" would be
gone" and the white manipulators
and teat suckers and negro bamboo
Gers would pack their grip-sacks and