Iowa state bystander. [volume] (Des Moines, Iowa) 1894-1916, 1899-06-16
THE SUNNY SOUTH.

state OF Louisiana the state where WAS
born Ga small suburbon town Of New
Orlsans) but for years that have past the
aame of the south make my whole soul
shuddsr with fear, for man Of my race.
Fog him there is no care. He was
slave from birth; for ten long days I've
been tortured, not bodily. but when re-
entered the states ofthe south, l entered
place where there is only one side Of
the subject and thst is not the eight side
or the bright side but the "whits" side
the DARK side 10 not ever mentioned; but
black man 10 frequently found hang
ing to the side OF to the branches of an
oak, in some dark and dismal and out Of
the way place. When took my depart
ure (Which I consider an escspe from the
south IN Eighty six, ] left with pledge
TO God and TO man, to live the rest Of my
days in the land Of the free and to::never
como south again only on visits or emer-3
gencies to my relatives. My promise
has served me right for l have been to
the south but twice in fourteen years and
this is one of my southern trips. Having
spent ten days here. l have wondered q
great deal already, for thase ten days
seem Tin comparison) rs long as the
IA years In the north. for am in coun.
try of uncivilized outlaws. 1 am in
country where tho white man wants to
know what rights negro has that q
white man should respect him. Well I
guess he is about right, for the rights Of
negro in the south are somewhat similar
to the aid that America gave Cuba with
their war with Spain, for all the assistan-
ce sent Cuba by the United States went
through the hands Of the Span;ards, but
instead Of passing through their hands it
stopped there, 80 the poor cubans were
deprived Of our assistance; 90 it is with
the Southern negro, the rights that are
intended lor him, as rule, come though
the haads Of their Superior, and if there
is anything that would be beneficial to
the negro is kept out Of bis reach, and
that which il worthless or detrimental to
shs negro, is given him; nowyou sse why
the rights Of negro cannot be respected.
- he is in all cases deprived Of them. l
would rather bs, as l am, . poor negro
in The north than rich one in the south.
And why? Because enjoy liberty in
preference to wealth. Should l become
wealthy to-day, some conspiracy would
soon exist that had gotten my wealth
with some unfair means and the couse.
quence would be, should or would have
% leave the country. A great many may
thilk am writing on supposisions, but
not so, for am q Southern by birth and
lived here until was sixteen yesrs ofage.
Then seeing the danger Of . negro that
demanded his rights, made what | call
my esoape. It seems unreasonable that .
% called civilized country is SO bitterly
oppoyed to the existence Of a race. But
it is more true than poetry that . part Of
the South is unoivilized, for day before
yesterday, was in Onachita City, on q
ramble and came in contact with both
white and colored people that could not
read their names in print, they never saw
q steamboat, never rode on . train. and
knew nothing Of the war between the
United States and Spain. They had no
church or schools, never heard them
sing . song nor were they able e talk OF
ANYTHING. There was not any court in
the village; the villsge, | suppose, was
about three blocks square, with an inhas
i.ants Of about 800. As the placa did not
look to suit Us We left. We were We on .
fishing trip but the snakes. mosquitoes,
frogs and everything else imaginable
was Is annoying We coon len and the
vorss 81 IL was W were driving = nute-
team md one Of them taken aick on the p
Wy Iask aonaequsA sAtly night oysr Ken g q.
u =. and Ycu IN shout asman haytng to
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