The people's journal. (Pickens, S.C.) 1891-1903, 1899-09-14
THE NEGRO AND HIS PROBLEM.


Senator Tillman Discusses tho Matter
With Negro Prcn IN er-lho Favors
Protection for tho Negro in His
Proper Sphere.
! News and Courier.
Some days ago, when Senator l}. II.
Tillman strongly denounced tho Whito-
capping Of negroes in Greenwood, tho
Rcv. }. l.. Dart, Of this city, wrote him
y lottor Of thanks on behalf OF himself
and his race for his strong words Of
condemnation and dcnuuciation Of out
I rHgcs and lawlCssncss. Besides thank
ing Senator b. II. Tillman the writer
took occasion in his lCt,cr TO touch
uDon several topics OF Lublic interest,"
among them being tho relations cf tho
races in the South and tho future Of
the negro in this country. On this
subject the Rcv. }. l.. Dart said
"Whothcr we DO Dcmocrots or Re-
publicuns, Southernors or Nortncrncrs,
white men or black mon, there is q
common ground upon which we all can
stand, and that Is our united and firm
determination that all forms Of law
| lcssncss in our rlidSt, whether carried
on by whites or blacks, shall be put
down and completely banished from
| our borders {; that the law shall have
it's course in every case and Instance,
and every citizen shall have the guar
untced protection of life, liberty and
tho pursuit Of happiness.
I" But for myself have come to be-
luvc in the ultimate separation OF the
races in the South--thc emigration Of
the race, not so much to Africa as the
colonization Of our people in the newly
acquired possessions in Cuba and Porto
Rico aud throughout the North and
West. This, OF course, cannot be done
for several years to come, but while
the negro race in the South is gaining
in education, wealth and experience
preparatory for their departure, they
should have the protection of the Ia"
and the generous aid ana sympathy o
their white neigh hOrs.'
TO this letter Senator Tillman re
piled as follows
TRENTON, S. c., August %, 1899.
Tho Rev. j. l.. Dart, Charleston, S
C.--Dear Sir: Your letter Of Angus
10 has oecn received. | confess | an
both surprised and gratlticd at receiv
ing it. am only sorry that q badly
garblcd, and in some respects a dis
tortcd, report OF my speech wa
published in our State papers and sen
abroad. | used much stronger langu
age, and my appeal for Justice wa
: |
The correspondent for The News an
, Courier, MIR. Kohn, wrote me that hi
report by mail did not reach tho Ollie
,, , in time for publication.
y | am considered rs the arch cnem
Of the negroes. or cOlOred people, be
: cause, while Governor, and before,
> cxerted all the influence | posscsset
for calling Constitutional Conven
tion for the purpose OF disfranchisins
thcm. II you will contrast the condi
tion of the negroes in South Carolin
=. with that in North Carolina and Geor
ola YOU will SEQ that there is mucl
moro good feeling and less friction
. here than where political activity AM
the franchise exists on the basis o
manhood suffrage. The Phoenix rio
! is directly attributable to the politica
virus in jectcd into the negroes OF tina
neigh borhood by designing white mct
the Tolbcrts-and the recent out
RACES are the aftermath.
What tho ultimate solution Of tho
race problem will be | do not know
but | do know that race and caste
feeling are insuperablo barriers tt
social and political equality in the
South, and that tho negro as The
weaker and inferior race will always
be the victim OF every conflict by which
he seeks, either Of his own accord o
when led by designing while men, t.
break down those barriers.
There is no room in tho Northwest
or opcning, Tor any negro communities
rs YOU will find If you go there to IN
vcstigate.a The Northern whites n
> longer sympathize with the idea
which brought on the civil war, as l
proven by Governor Tanners attitud
4 and official action. There may be q
= opening for limited number OF nc
{, grocs in Cuba and Porto Rico, but
~ think the field in the Philippines
. already occupied by race that woul
. be- more intolcrant and cruel than tn
,, whites.
=" What the end will be ! cannot say
=, but this do know, the negro must RI
- main subordinate or be cXterminatcd
~ and |, for one, will always set my fac
~ like flint against any injustice or vi
- fairness towards him as long as he r.
q, mains In his proper sphere and leave
-, politics alone.
~ ". The whites are in the asccndcnC
u, and will remain 40 whatever come
-, AndIas the superior and more civilizc
~ race. they owe ii to themselves to pr
y" tcct the negro In his right to "iif
~, liberty and tho pursuit of happiness
~ even though that declaration va
written by u slaveholdor who did n
~ >ake the negro into considerable
y" Wh&n he wrote 1T. Yours truly,
- b. II. TILLMAN.
- --~----sukEze- 90 En-