The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1899-04-11
THE NEGRO AND HIS POLITICS.


II the negro race were fortunate enough
to possess two or three representatives
like Booker r. Washington in each OF the
Socthern States, the race problem would
not only soon cease to exist. but the negro
population would soon occupy comfort
able, hopeful and respectable, II not, in
decd, enviable position in this country.
Prof. Washington has been urging his
race 10 turn its attention from politics to
industrial pursuits, to acquire skill in the
trades and occupations, accumulate prop
orty, educate and refine itself and tn en-
trust to natural conditions TO give IL such
standing as 1t may be entitled to. In a
recent letter he goes further ard tells his
people that II they must participate in
/ politics they should apk themselves
whether It is not right, as well as good
/ policy. to support the interests and seati-
/ inent of the dominant white elements in
the south2 In this letter. quoted in Sun
/ days Post, Prof Washington among other
things says:
is there any reason why the negroes in the
| South should continue to oppose the Soutu-
ern white man in his politics? Is this not
| the source OF nearly oil our troubles? Uncon-
soiously we seem to have gotten the idea into
| Our blood and bones that We only acting
| ii manly way when we oppose Southern
| white men with our votes
II believe that Governor Johnston OF Ala
| b9fna Is just as good friend to the black
| man as lion. William Youngblood of Ala
bama. Hon William Youngblood has about
400 white followers In Alabama, Why should
we follow Mr., Yonngblood with his 400 white
! followers rather than Governor Joseph j.
Johnston with hls 100000 followers when no
/ principle Is at stakeg
/
PASSED us In settling his race problem? Is II
rot because the negro In Cuba has made the
white mans interest his own?
"ln some way, by some method we must
htlng the race to the point whore II will cease
I to feel that the only way for Il to succeed ls
( 70 oppose everything suggested or put forth
/ BY tho southern white men. This | consider
I one OF our real problems.
/ s netting like this view was recently
advanced IN an address at Cincinnati by
4 Bishop Vincent of the Methodist Episcopal
/ church, said TO be true friend OF the
negro race. and was afterwards presented
| TO the New York Mail and Express IN a
communication which that raper comment
cd on edltorally, The proposition made
was that 1.-THE hope of the Southern col
ored man is not in the republican party
nor In any othe. party; It is not In the
North; no, it is in the intelligent and
right minded white man of, the South :"
The rabid Mail and Express sees in such
propositions only the admission that
emancipation had been fruitess, that the
constitutional amendments were null and
void and negro suffrage a hopeless fall
ure."
II is by such senseless clap-trap that
the false friends OF the negro, those who
W uld use him only for political purposes,
keep him in kind of political and social
bondage from which his own broadmindcd
leaders like Booker t. Washington would
free him. Think OF the New York Mail
aud Express as opposing Prof Washington
in advice to the negro! That the race has
followed the false rather than the true
friends Is the cause Of its unfortunate
condition today.
II the negro will take the noted Tus-
kegee educators advice and eschew poli-
ties until he has become property holder
and skilled laborer and an Intelligent
man. he will fnd himself so identihed In
Interests with the dominant political Gle
ment in the South that he Will need no
special invitation 70 vote with Inc white
majority. So long however, as he CON
tinues to threaten Southern interests and
the domination Of the intelligent, property
owning whites Of the South, he can hope
only for political ostraoism and hostility
that viii seriously impede his material
and mental progress, Prof. Washing, on
would do his race an inestlmable
advantage II he would continue to
impress upon 1t the suggestions con.
tained in the letter Just noted. i. d
such men as he who must enllghton, ole
,ato and lead tie negro. at last, and not
the politicians OF any party.