The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1899-09-27

/; himself, his family and country, be-
cause he will be free from the ruinous
and destructive competition Of cheap
negro labor. Cheap labor isa curse to
rany country.
Answering the second point Of en-
quiry, I will say l do not think the
vice lies in the dislike of the; poor
whites to "labor and to be restrained. y
1--WE have loafers and idlers in the
South, as in other sections Of the
|.oountry, unfortunately too many, but
it is a great mistake to suppose white
men in thesSouth are unwilling to work
and do.not,work.
/ can carry you into sections Of the
SoathAwhere there are few negro labor
ers, and. show as intelligent, progress
live, enlightened farmers as you will
find anywhere. I.have in my mind a
lot Of white mechanics who have been
.anable to,make living wages because
of the ruinous competition with negro
mechanics. There is no '.disguising
theffact that this is true wherever the
negro .predominates and white men
who want to work cannot support their
tfamiliesdecently on the wages regu-
/
lated,by the cheap, competing negro
labor.
Yon.ask:
Third. 'sIf you get rid Of the negro
and that trouble being removed, if
your poor .whitess6nd that they have
to work.to live, may they not still be
discontented, and the buffer being
removed, may, they not turn directly
upon therbetter class Of whites?"
4 As'I.haye remarked .above,iI think
/ the presence ef.cheap' negro labor is a
."buffer" against great many white
/ men going to work and developing
: their own resources and energies rath-
er than.depending on the negro, but
this evil is not confined. to the class
you choose to designate as ''poor
whites" It influences all grades Of
white men and is harmful to to.well-todo
whites, AS ';poor whites.
Thare is an implied slur in your
question upon the ssspoor whites" that
is not justified, and not deserved by
them. As rule they are native
American citizens, patriotic and de-
voted to their country, much more 50
than many who make greater preten-
sions. Whenever their services ihave
been demandedin war or peace they
have responded with .promptness and
zeal, and served to the end with de-
vetion and Gdelity that ought to .put
80 shame those who. would cast rshec-
| tions upon their characters as citizens
| and throw shadow OF suspicion over
lives and conduct. It vas my foctune
| to be associated IS .comrade in tho
Civil War with thousands Of what are
| called npoor whites" and, therefore,
can testify from personal knowledge
| Of the heroic splendor oftheir courage
| and their unconscious fortitude aud
] faithfulness.
They mean we'll by their country,
and the country need have no fear at
their hands. In the struggle for sup.
port and the maintenance of their
families, they only ask white mans
chance, chance that all white men
are entitled to, and you may make up
your mind that they will be satisfied
with nothing less. mean by this,
they cannot and will not put up with
the degrading competition Of cheap
negro labor any more than did the
white men Of the Pacific coast put up
with cheap Chinese labor. The same
issue is involved and tho revolt will
be the same.
To my mind, therefore, it behooyes
the government oi the United States
to carry out the proposition Of Presi-
dent Lincoln, and provide home in
Central or South America, or else
where where the negro may be indu-
ced to emigrate and set pfor himself.
It would be infinitely better for the
negro, who can never reach the full
measure Of American manhood and
citizenship with his environments OF
race prejudice and ostracism IN this
country. Something more than the
right to earn living is demanded Of
one who enjoys American citizenship.
The highest premiums and rewards OF
life should be within the zone of the
aspirations and achievements. These
are shut out from the negro, in the
main, by reason Of his ''color and pre-
, vious condition Of servitude, the con-
stitution Of the United States to the