The people's journal. (Pickens, S.C.) 1891-1903, 1899-06-01

for much of the remainder. Tho
south Is white mans country. and it
will never be delivered over to me-
groes, whatever the power and ioilu-
ence brought to bear to force this fear
full end.
In his recent charge to the jury, the
court sitting in Charleston, S. c., to
try certain citizens charged with
lynching negro in that State, Judge
Brawley said " If it be true that
this postmaster was an incOmpetcnt
negro, stranger and resident of an
other county, the community that he
was appointed to serve had grave and
just grounds OF complaint, and those
who are responsible for his appoint
ment cannot escape the condemnation
OF fair-minded mon everywhere for the
wrong dono to that community. Every
lawful effort of the people of Lake City
to redress their grievance would have
had the sympathy and support of all
lovers Of order"
How much did the appointment Of q
negro postmaster, over the protest OF
the people of Hogansville, town
residence, and the closing OF the mail
cars, to force white people to patr onizc
the negro's postotiice, have to do with
the awful tragedies that have been
enacted in my State? Let Judge Braw-
ley answer.
Hon. Charles Bartlett, representing
the Macon district in the present con
gross, upon application, secured rural
mail delivery for the county Of Bibb.
Mr. Gaitree, the representative OF the
postofiice department, went TO Macon
and located the routes. Mr.. BARTLETT
was assured that such carriers would
be selected as were acceptable to the
people. Quite q number Of good white
people made application, and on Mr.
Galtree's recommendation, two were
selected. Their bonds were sent to
the postmaster at Macon with instruc-
tions to have them filled out, and the
carriers to commence service May lst.
a day or two after, the postmaster re-
celVed telegram from the chief Of
the free mail delivery department.
asking him to hold up the bonds of the
persons appointed. Next day a telc-
gram came, stating the free delivery
would be established, provided the
bonds OF two negroes, naming them,
who had been appointed in the place
OF the white men, were filed out and
returned. Mr. Bartlett went to WASH
ing ton and protested that the farmers
did not want negro carriers to deliver
their mails, in the absence of all but
the women OF the families from home.
Two days later, u telegram announced
that the free delivery had been post
poned. 1t must be a negro or nothing,
says the government to the South.
When the government appoints
minister to Austria and the cable
gram comes" persona non grata"-
the namc Is recalled and another sub
stituted at once. Why Austria and
not the South .? Why dominate the
South with an appointec who is "per.
soma non grata" when Austria can get
what she wants? Why dominate &
section whose people, as q section, arc
more thoroughly American than any
other section OF the continent; a sec
tion more devoted to American indus
tries than any other section as such,
because Of its moro American citizen
ship; a section that defends the Ameri-
can flag with as loyal hearts, as heroic
daring, and as patriotic devotion rs
ever characterized liberty-l0ving
citizen of the nation? Let the North
answer me, why ?
Now, then, if the slave trade, the
promoter Of slavery in America, was
q sin, whose sin was it? Not the sin OF
the South, but the sin Of England, the
Dutch and New England.
Ii the comforting Of citizenship and
the ballot upon 10000 of people,
absolutely uataught in the simplest
elements Of government, was mis-
take, whose mistake was it? Not the
mistake of the South, but the mistake
Of the North
If the avenues to division and hate
and blood and carnage, outragcs and
lynchings and violence and mObs have
been opened up, at the South, through
the ballot given to the negro and that
politics taught him To pursue in the
destruction Of the whito man were q
sin, whose sin was it Not the sin OF
the South, but the sin Of the North
If the people in the South sheltered
the negro in his absolute poverty, Ted
him when he was hungry, furnished
him means to accumulate property and
money; educated his children to pre-
pare them for usefulness in life, whose
honor is it but the honor of the men
who have borne. for a generation, his
burdens, while he gave marked in
gratitude ia return through his votes.
What are we going to do about it?
The negro problem at the South will
not be settled in day. Step by step,
as 1t marches into the future OF the
nation, 1T must be met by ,he condi.
WV
solution. 1t will never be settled by
abuse Of tho South. and the North had
as we'll understand that fact now as
later. What Is needed now is, at least,
toleratiOn and nOn-interference, If the
South Is to be responsible for results.
Let mo say, in conclusion, that the
relations between tho races at the
South arc, in no sense, alarming.
Under God we will work out the pro.
blem In righteous settlement for both
races, If we are left alone.
Negroes arc employed upon our
farms, in preference to white pcople,
They are used as coachmcn, mechanics
and In all the trades. They never suf.
fer for lack Of work, if they want 8
JOB. We provide for them good
schools, that are superintendent by the
same boards as control the white
schools. Their religious training is
carefully guarded by the churches in
all the religious denominations. Con.
6dence Is constantly strengthened, as
the negroes arc beginning to kno the
| white people are their best friends.
| Sam Holt is by no means, q repro.
sentative Of his race. 1t is only o very