The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1899-08-30
GENERAL BUTLER'S LETTER
I'm Which He Discusses the Green
wood Troubles, the Poor White
Man, and the Pestiferous Negro.

I'm which He Discusses the Green
wood Troubles, the Poor White
Man. and the Pestiferous Negro.
Edgefield. S. c., Aug. 23.
Dear Wyatt:-The newspaper accounts o
the state of affairs In Greenwood county
which take to be in the main correct, por
tray a condition of affairs truly deplorable
am no apologist for law essness at the nanut
of any class OF people, and offer no excuse
for IL in Greenwood or any other county, oul
in order to check 1t we must find the cause
that produce the lawlessness and apply an
effective remedy. Public meetings ana ae
nunciation will not cure the disease. @ d9u
NAV plaster over a sore on the human body
and conceal II for q time, but II the oisease IL
in the blood 1t will break out somewhere eise
A good doctor will strike at the rooI OF tne m
disease, and eradicate 1t there, Wnlle he aP
plies paliatives on the surface
So II ia with the race question in TINS coun'
try. Poor white men, WHO nave 10 earn
their bread by the sweat OF tneir laGes US cTH ~
not compete with cheap negro labor. Io
attempt to do so implies their oegraoallon
and ultimate destruction or eXpatriatlon,
One race or the other must go 10 tne wall, anu
without any other feelings iO%ase tae nd e9od
will. shall be found on the side OF my own
race when that issue Is presented, as IL IL IL
now, in my opinion. The two races cannon
live together in peace on terms OF equal civil
and political rights, and the sooner we realize
that the better 1t will be for both races. The
gradual and permanent separation OF the
races is the only solution OF the terrible pro
bIem The bitterness between them Is grow.
ing more intense every day and Will continue
to increase in intensity as time goes on, un'
less some practical remedy Is applied. Otner'
wise the day Of painful retribution Is inevlta
Bile, and train Of calamities are In store for
us too distressing to contemplate. The fate
OF the negro is pathetic, pitiable, as tnlngs
now are The fate Of the laborlng Whlte ls
worse so, as he has to compete with negro
labor.
1t is very easy for Tilman and others to de-
nounce the lawlessness OF the poor white
poor farmer boy" Let Mr.. Tillman and those
who join him as the guardians or the negro
and present denunciators Of the poor Whlte
man, put themselves In his place, ana walk
between the plow handles. shove the plane OF
WELD the hammer from sun.up to sundoWn
in competition with negro labor, employed al
from three to five dollars month, peck o
meal and three pounds OF oaeon weeR
Some Of these patriots now jumping Oh the
"one-gallus, wool-hat crowd" are and have
been for years living on tat salaries, enjoying
the cream Of the land, by the grace OF the
"one-gallus, wool-hat crowd" Having reach.
ed the top, they now kick down the ladder
on which they rose to wealth and power
Such sudden conversion to the ways OF law
and order make one tired.
repeat, have no excuse to offer for 'Wnlte
Gaping" or any other form OF outlaWry, ou'
sometimes Justification, II not excuse, may
be dug up from the depths OF poverty and the
hard lines to which cheap negro labor have
plunged many worthy, poor white men. AND
whenever you arraign the accused ana de
pounced before white jury to be trlea 1oi
their violent and lawless effort TO break down
and drive out the competition with cheap ne
gro labor, you will strike chord of sympa
thy running through the hearts OF every
member of the panel, for the accused are o.
their own race. so we Will commune 10 &c
through with the farce and expense oi trSing ing
to convict white men for making raids on ne
groes. Reverse the situation and put negroes
In the jury box to try negroes and you Woulo
have the same result. God Almighty mas Inn
cable hatred against the other, and you can
no more expel 1t by trials and denuncia
tions and lectures than you can change the
nature and color Of each by cyclone.
The government Of the United States ough,
to appropriate hundred millions OF dollars
and duplicate as often as may be necessary
to assist the negroes In settling colony 70
themselves, or, " hat would be almost as etec
tive, assist them in moving to the north OF
northwest. The government did this for the
Indians because they could not live in peace
with their white neighbors. Why not ADOPT
the same policy tor the other colorea ,a,s race
books making IL a penal offence for an emil
grant agent to induce negroes to leave the
State ought to be repealed, and the STATE
ought TO pay bonus Of so much head for
every negro who can be induced to 60. Cheap
labor is the curse Of any country. It may en-.
rich few, but the great body OF the citizen.
ship cannot emerge lrOIu b bCaL0 VI Soui'
peonage Of starvation wages.
The land owners would be better OF II the
cheap labor would get out and make way for
an Intelligent, thrifty class OF white laborers
who would intelligently diversity agricul,
ture improve the lands and make plenty
and prosperity where stagnation and degra-
dation now holds sway.
A temporary incon venience might result II
the negro should 60 away, but the white men
of the south would meet the emergency and
solve 1t with courage and intelligence. The
terrors which beset the females Of their fami-
lies would give place to feeling Of security
on lines OF safety and enlightened progress.
AS 1t Is, young men are leaving the farms,
seeking employment where they avoid COM
petition with cheap negro labor. Whenever
they find themselves able, heads OF families
are moving to towns and villages for better
security to their families, leaving the fields
to vicious, ruinous tenant system, which
kills the land and demoralizes the country.
1t behooves young men to look the situa-
tion squarely In the face. Those OF US who
have passed the meridian Of life cannot in
the nature of things live 10 see the end, but
as for myself shall point out the way as 1t
appears to me, and con Dtribute as best can to
the solution of the race question on lines OF
humanity and Justice. In the discussion
there la no room for passion or intemperate
language. The wild harangues Of men who
openly advise the murder ofthe Tolberts and
keeping the negro in q state of quasi slavery,
and yet who always manage TO get into a
6a1e place Wnep Tue Dall opens, deserve Tue
contempt and execration OF all right minded
men. That is not the way to bring peace and
order in the country and give the law an
opportunityto assert itself.
You will naturally ASK why not cure the
evils of cheap negro labor by advancing their
wPyes and lift them up from their present
plane Of degradation. The ready answer Is
found in the fact that their methods Of work,
their habits OF life. their lack of intelligence
and adaptation and thrift in modern produc.
tion does not Justify 1t. This has been tried
within my know ledge, with disappointment
and loss as the result.
The same argument was used on the Pacific
coast during the agitation Of the Chinese la.
Dor question with the same result.
You may look at the subject In every one OF
its possible phases, and come back to the
starting point, that the negro, endowed as he
is with every civil and political right that
the law confers upon you and myself, cannot
and will not live in peace with the white
man, SO long as he is In immediate contact
with aim. 1t never has and never can be
done. until'the Creator Of US all changes the
natures OF US ALL Iyncbings, white capping,
mob law. every form OF iawlessness, constapt t
ly menaces society, obstructs progress, and
keeps up state Of anxiety while such contact