The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-01-19
THEIR HEST FRIENDS.

Notwithstanding the recent senseless
speech in Washington by T. Thomas For
tune, and several conventions held in va
rious Northern cities by class of negroes
who, as the Washington Post has express
ed it, think they are gentlemen because
they wear patent leather shoes, and
statesmen because they read the newspa-
pers or are able to write sophomore es-
says" which speech and conventions have
been well calculated to still further es-
TRANCE the black and the white races, the
outlook is good for a better understand
ing between white persons and black than
has existed for some time.
There has, indeed, always existed
strong mutual feeling of good will between
the native whites of old families in the
South and the black people. This senti-
ment was well set forth by a Southern
woman who resides on a plantation in
South Carolina, in a recent letter to the
New York Sun. She and her family are
entirely surrounded by blacks, but she
has never received from them anything
except the most respectful difference and
courtesy. She gives many Illustrations of
the kindly feeling which exists between
the races and asserts that the normal
work-a-day negro" is sure that his old
white people are his best friends"-an as
sertion which is unquestionably true, as
the Morning News has had occasion to
say many, many times. The average ne
gro, if left to himself, may be lazy to a
1,r,4 l,. fes Aah1 ip.Nff
good natured, respectful and oblging. The
great difficulty is that he is easily led.
Thus he becomes the victim of the half
educated and wholly unreliable negro
| gentleman in patent leathers,' who
! thinks he should have a public Office be-
cause hea can read the newspapers and
write an essay, and the unprincipled,
/ demagogic white man who wishes to use
the black voter to his own advantage.
| There have recently come 10 the front
several leaders of the black race who
are preaching to their people the right
sort of doctrine respecting their future.
| They take the ground that moral worth
and Industrial effort must determine the
future of the race They say that the ne
/ gro must work out his own salvation. and
not depend upon being legislated to
| higher plane. as Fortune and his followers
say should be done. The leader of this
new and better plan is Booker Washing
ton. Standing with him are Thomas e.
Miller. president of a South Carolina Col
lege for colored youth; Isaac II. Smith,
the only negro member OF the North Car
olne House of Representatives, Rev. G.
D. Holden of Kansas and few others.
These men say that instead of combat
ting the white people. the negroes should
get in line with them, learn from them,
assist them in their undertakings, and
prove to them that they wish 10 be
friends and helpers
Representative Smith said in the North
| Carolina Legislature the other day that
| although he was elected as a Republican
he recognized the fact that the white
Democrats We're the best friends the ne
! groes ever had, or would have, and there
fore he intended TO vote with them quite
often. The Rev. Holden Of Kansas. who
has been prominent in politics in that
| state, said the other day: IF Mr.. Nc.
| Kinley, who is a Northern man. could
shake hands with the Southern men aud
allow them to pin a Confederate badge on
his coat, what ought we as a race 20 do?
The negro should on every possible occa-
sion, whether political or otherwise
cooperate with the white man. As long
as the Southern negro continues to vote
against the interest Of the Southern white
| man, just so long will there be strife be-