Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1899-06-25
THE NEGRO IN THE SOUTH.
Letter from G. Il. Huntington to
Sup't OF Negro Reformatory,
% Broad street, New York,

% Broad street, New York,
March IL, $50
John III. Smyth, Esq, President and FL
nancial Agent. the Negro Reformatory
Association Of Virginia. Broad Neck
Farm, Hanover, Va:
My Dear Sir,-Your letter of the Sth is
received and read with interest, as I in
the main agree with you in what you
write or what you propose to do for thar
part of the, negro race coming within
your sphere Of Influence. As / think I
told you when I saw you, to me all races
and creeds should be alike before the
law but prejudice is factor TO be over
come Just as much as any material or tan
elDle obstruction. The more gently any,
thihS OF that Kind is dealt with. the easier
1t Is and the shorter time it takes to re-
move II. Allow me to say that | think the
negro IN the South would be better off
Al ne uld not vote at all until the rela-
tons between him and his neighbors OF
nc CducaSiah race run on better and
Rledsdhter lines than they do at present.
Inc situation is much strained ana the
causes OF II lie deeper than words or even
acts. III Is race prejudice, to dispel which
Is a matter OF almost centuries. and il
can only be done through enlightenment
on one side and the acQuirernent on fhe
other Of those qualities which make die
nlhed and valuable citizens. Social equal
lty is name, and amounts to nothing
II can be pretty well expressed I'm the old
axiom, Birds of a feather flock to-
selher' Even amongst the Caucasian
race as race, Social equality does not
exist, Tor superiority in the social world
means pretty generally the possession of
more money than other people. or the
aDlHty 10 brag Of some ancestors who
were particularly noted for something or
UlHtl-SOnetlne vic mia
Whlch has been followed by their pos
terlty. In all civilized countries to-day
IL Is the great middle class which controls
the world, and am thankful that it is so,
Tor that is as 1t should be-
| snail watch your experiment there
win a great deal Of interest, and shall
Try some day or sometimes to spend q
little time on the farm, for | myself have
some pronounced ideas about farming
ana may tell them to you some day when
1 am down there. l want TO see this farm
made succeSs-a success the KNOWLEDGE
of which shall be an education to the
people Of your race in the South I do
not expect any returns on my money.
except the sense that ii has been 81 great
benefit to the cause you and l are 50
anxious to forward. / believe under Mr.
Smyth everything will run on right lines,
and that the money invested in this pro-
perty Will bring a plentiful harvest in the
good It accompishes.
/ want TO say, further. that whenever
1 feel satisfied that the farm is being
conducted right and worked for the best
possible purposes in the development Of
your people, then | propose to give a deed
of the property TO some one. probably as
Mr. Smyth and his friends may direct.
and thus let the farm pass entirely away
from the ownership or control of myself
or mine.
There are many things that I would
like TO say to you, but | am too busy and
cannot now spare the time. | shall be
very glad to see you and your people
to have you start IT in the old State of
Virginia, of which you speak so warmly.
Virginia, perhaps more than any other
State in the Union, has always done those
things that ought to have been done in
the direction of justice to all men.
Yours very truly.
(SgneD c. L. HUNTINGTON.