St. Landry clarion. (Opelousas, La.) 1890-1921, 1899-09-30
ARP ON POLITENEsS.
Bill Says It Costs Nothing and
Pays Well.

Cites 1--WE OLD Ex-slaves Who Always
How When They Pass nm Acc
auaintance-PainfuI Lack
of the Article.
Politeness costs nothing and pays
we'll. Whether it is natural or artificial,
it always makes an agreeable impress
sion. The old-time negroes are yet the
politest people I know, but they have
nearly all passed away. There are two.
that we meet or pass almost every day.
and they are favorites with my folks be-
cause they bow hurnbly and give the
sidewalk with alacrity. One of them
goes bent with age and deformity. His
body is nearly at q right angle to his
legs. He is set just right for digging a
ditch or chopping wood and makes q
fair living at it, for he is no beggar and
says he loves to work when he is well.
Sometimes drop dime in his trem-
bling hand, and he always says: God
bless you, massa; ycu is a gemmen,
SIR His gratitude and his compliment
always reward me. The other day |
overlook him as he was struggling
along and, as usual, he shuff1ed to the
edge of the sidewalk to let me pass. I
didn't have a dime, but a half-dollar
came into my hand. Out of mischief ]
said: Uncle Jordan, didn't you drop
this money back there on the side
walk ?'' No, sir; no, massa. / knows
/ didn't, for bless God, I didn't have no
money like dat. / jes had two nickles,
sir, and Ise got dem yet. / was jes
gwine to Mr.. Stanford's, sir. to buy
some bread for Sunday I reckon
you must have dropped this money,
said ], "but if you didn't, you had better
take it. You will want some meat to
go with the bread His old gray head
his bent form, his astonishment made
a picture. / would give a dollar for it
in photo. looked back at him and he
hadn't moved. He hadn't taken it all in
| and seemed afraid lest it was trick to
get him into trouble. That old negro
carries me back to the days of my boy
hood, when i went to school with his
young master, Roddy Gresham, at the
Manual Labor school in old Gwinnett.
The Greshams We're good people, and
old Jordan was happy until freedom
came. Nobody cares for him now, save
charity-the charity of the old-time
white folks. 1t has always seemed
strange to me that negroes were so.
Indifferent to the poor and afflicted of
their own race. They will bury them
with great satisfaction and ceremony.
They will hire the finest hearse and car
| Iiaees and buy a coffin with silver
handles and have adress parade and.
weep and wall at the grave, but that is
all
The other negro whom we pass and
repass is a curiosity III his way. He is
love erazy-as crazy and as devoted as
Shakespeare Orlando who wandered
about carving the name Of his love on
the bark of the beech trees. This darky
flame is a cook for one of our neighbors.
and she will not notice him. III fact,
she hides from him. Day after day he
walks past the house to and fro all the
day long hoping to geta glimpse Of her
ebony face, The corner of my garden
| oFerlooks the backyard Of this neighbor
poses in despondent attitudes. ii would
be romantic and pathetic il it were moi
so ridiculous, for he goes dirty and rag
ged and is mortal ugly. But he is al
ways humble and polite and that will
give favor and a friend even to a va ga
bond. These old-time negroes Will soon
be the missing link between the slave
Il. L
horse collars and baskets and brooms
have already gone. The new set have
neither good manners nor politeness.
Education and the ballot have alienated
them. Our children and the children OF
the old slaves have no common bond to.
bind them, and the animosity between
them deepens and broadens as the years
roll on. reckon it is time to SEPARATE
but how is it to be done and who is to.
do it Of course these good old negroes
will not wish to 90, and it would be
cruel to force them. i remember when
the Creeks and Cherokees were forced
to go and how some of the old Indians
We're left behind. remember old Saw
ny on Sawny mountain near Cumming,
and how his old wife and four of his
grandchildren were allowed to stay
with him. When the old folks died these
grandchildren followed the tribe. but,
Of course, force is not to be used with
the negroes, and it is not certain that
any considerable number will go. Bish-'
op Turner says they will; Booker WASH
ington says they will not. One negro
paper in Atlanta processes to be in favor
Of going. The other is opposed to tt.
Theirexodus is vet afar off, for congress
will not vote dollar to it, but If their
ballot IS eliminated maybe we can get
along in peace. Suppose we try it.
White primaries should be The watch
word in every town and county, and
then we can elect Legislators and
municipal officers who are not afraid Of
the negro. As 1T is now, neither our
lawmakers nor our ma yors or marshaIs
will do their duty for fear of offending
the negro and losing his vote. Dirty.
oderiferoBs negro men and boys do not
give the sidewalk TO white ladies on
one OF orr business streets. There Is
regular den on another street that
leads to two churches and all the negro
yagrants of the town gather there and
as many as possible stick their feet or
their posteriors on the railing of the
piazza and spit tobacco juice on the
sidewalk to the disgust and annoyance
Of the ladies who haveto pass there. The