The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1899-04-27
THE NEGRO'S GREATEST ENEMY.
Prof II. NJ. Browne Says it Is the
Politician-CoIOred Politician The
Worst of All.

Prof.. IL. NJ. BfOWne Says IL IL Iho
POlitician-COIOred Politician The
Worst Of All.
Prof. Hugh NJ. Browne, a member
of the faculty of the noted colored IN
dustrial institute at Hampton, Va,
was in Baltimore yesterday looking
after the arrangements for two meet
ings which will be held here in the
interest of industrial education for
people.
The meetings. Professor Browne
saws, are to be held for the sole pur-
pose Of spreading information about
the condition of the negroes of the
South and the benefits Of industrial
education as means of solving the
negro problem. Professor Browne is
remarkably we'll educated negro
and has spent years in working for
the improvement of the condition OF
his race. He fully agrees with the
views Booker T.. Washington that
long step will be taken toward the
solution of the race question in the
South when the negro learns that he
is iniuring himself by the continued
opposition to the white man and his
politics.
The greatest enemy to the negro
and the greatest obstacle to his pro-
press,'' said Professor Browne, sis
the politician, and the negro poll
tician is the worst of all. The poll
tician uses the negro for his selfish
purposes and does not care rap
what becomes Of him after his own
designing men have played upon the
weakness of the negro and have in
many instances arrayed the members
of the negro race against their best
friends, the Southern white men.
They have been taught that they are
asserting their independence by
voting against the interest of the
very men to whom they 60 in time OF
trouble, and they have not been able
to see or to realize that their interests
lie closest to the interests OF those
whom they oppose at the polls. And
this idea is kept alive by abundant
promises and the occasional bestOwal
of political offices. The negro must
be taught to work. Work is his sal
walton, but he does not know how to
work. ANY German farmer that l
have seen in the fields in Europe
would do two or three times as much
work in day as negro could and
think nothing OF it, When the negro
is taught to work, when he is shown
that few political offices will never
help him, and when he goes to work
earnestly to improve himself, then
the real solution of the negro problem
will be in sight"
When asked what advice he would
give to the negroes of the South in
the present state OF the relationship
between the races, he said:
II have only that which l have
given for years. | would say: I'M
prove the work which you are now
doing, court and deserve the friend
ship of the best white people in your
neighborhood, keep fast hold of in
dustrial instruction, for that is your
life, get that religion which prompts
you to buy home that you may
have guest chamber to place at the
| disposal of the Master and His
| disciples.
Il have always regarded it as ex-
| ceedingly unfortunate that recon-
struction engendered antagonism be-
tween the white and colored people
of the South. No good can ever come
| of this antagonism-certainly we
can never win by it. l know, and
| every colored man of common sense
| knows, that the best white blood of
| the South cherishes for us a friend
| ship which no other class OF white
people can understand, much less
feel. | believe that when the cause
| of true, CHI. istian industrial educa-
! ton in the South becomes the link
| by which the best white people of the
| South and our white friends in the
| North shall be united for our uplift-
ing, all questions pertaining to the
relation of the races will be speedily
settled to the best good of all con-
cerned and to the injury of none. y
| Baltimore Sun.