The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1899-09-27
THE NEGRO PROBLEM.
Gemeraa Esrutler Answers N orthern In
quiry.
Welr !Kofk>Sun.

uimbeu, MS Iamliy ana country, be-
cause lie will be free from the ruinous
and destructive competition of cheap
negro labor. Cheap labor Isl curse to
tany country.
Answering the second point of on.
quiry, l will say do not think the
vice lies in the dislike of the poor
whites to ''labor and to be restrained.
We have loafers and idlers in the
South, as in other sections of the
rcountry, unfortunately too many, but
it is a great mistake to suppose white
men in che, South are unwilling to work
and do not'work.
i can carry you into sections Of the
South.where there are few negro labor
ers, and show as intelligent, progress
i've, enlightened farmers as you will
find anywhere. I have in my mind o
lot Of white mechanics who have been
unable to make living wages because
OF the ruinous competition with negro
mechanics. There is no .,disguising
the'fact that this is true wherever the
negro .predominates and white men
who want to work cannotsupport their
families decently on the wages regu-
lated by the oheap, competing negro
labor.
You ask:
Third. ''If you get rid Of the negro
and that trouble being ramoved, if
your poor whites ind that they have
to work, to live, may they not still be
discontented, and the buffer being
removed, may. they not turn directly
upon the'better class Of whites?"
AsI.have remarked above, II think
the presence of.:cheep' negro labor is a
"buffer" against great many white
men going to work and developing
hheif own resources and energies rath-
or thsn'depending on the negro, but
this evil isnot confined. to the class
you choose to designate as "poor
whites" 1t influences all grades of
white men and is harmful to well to do
whites, as ';poor whites"
There is an implied slur in your
question upon the t;poor whites" thet
is not justified, and not deserved by
them. AS q rule they are native
American citizens, patriotic and de-
voted to their country. much more SO
than many who make greater preten-
sions. Whenever their sewicesihav
been demanded.in war or peace they
have responded with .promptness and
zeal, and served to the end With de-
vetion and Gdeliey that ought to put
to shame those who would cast raheo-
lions upon their characters 90 citizens
and throw shadow .of suspicion over
lives and conduct. It was my forenne
to be assoeis.ed as .comrade in the
Civil War with thousands Of whas ars
called "peoF Whites" ana, therefore.
4 can testify from personal knowledge
Of the heroic splender of.their courage
=a3 ..AaaiT &0oonscious fortitude aud
faithfulness.
They mean we'll BY their country,
and the country need have no fear at
their hands. In che struggle for sup
port and the maintenance of their
families. they only ask q white mans
chance, a chance that all white men
are entitled 70, and you may make up
your mind that they will be s.:;aSsd
with nothing less. I mean By this,
they cannot and will not put up with
the degrading competition Of cheap
negso labor any more than did the
white men Of che Pacific coast put up
with cheap Chinese labor. The same
issue is involved and thc revolt will
be che same.
To my mind, therefore, it behooves
the government Of the United States
to carry QUE the proposition Of Presi-
dent Lincoln, and provide homo in
Central or South America, or else
Where where che negro may be lndu-
ced to emigrate and set up for hinaelf.
1t 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
arc shut out from the negro, in the
main, by reason of his "coior and pre-
vious condition of servitude," thecon
stitution Of the United States to the