The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1899-05-18
BOOKER WASHINGTON


1t is not astonishing that the more
ignorant and violent negroes should
not be willing to follow the lead OF
the more conservative and wiser men
OF their race-Washington and others.
The negroes has been urged to quit
politics, that have brought them only
trouble and disappointment and to
90 to work in earnest, to give all
their time to industry and education,
and thus seek and strive to prosper
and uplift the negro race in the
South. Washington wisely advises
his people if they must and will en-
gage in politics if it would not be to
their true interests to vote with the
superior whites, who have been their
friends and helpers, rather than with
the political manipulators and
deceivers who have used them all
through the years to their own un-
doing. President Booker Washing
ton writes like man OF sense and
wisdom. He asks his people:
"Is there any reason why the negroes
in the South should continue to oppose
the Southern white man in his politics
Is this not the source OF nearly all our
troubles? UncOnsciously We seem to
have gotten the idea into our blood and
bones that We are only acting in manly
way when we oppose Southern white
men with our votes.
81 believe that Governor Johnston OF
Alabama is Just as good friend to the
black man as Hon. William Youngblood
of Alabama. Hon. William Youngblood
has about 400 white followers in
Alabama Why should we follow Mr.
YoungbIood with his 400 white followers
rather than Governor Joseph J. John
ston with his 500 900 followers when nc
principle is at stalker
Sure the white men of Wilmington
who for thirty-odd years gave work
to the negroes, men and women, and
showed in ten thousand ways and
times that they were friendly and
kindly disposed and would help them,
are more reliable, more to be re-
spected and trusted than were the
shiny demagogues and selfish office
seekers who befooled and beslimed
them. Bishop Vincent is Northern
Methodist white bishop. He lately
wrote to the extreme New York MAJ
and Express, Republican organ
that 1.-The hope of the Southern
colored man is not in the republican
party, nor in any other party; it is
not in the North; no, it is in the in
telligent and right minded white mar
Of the South The rabid Mail am
Express sees in such propositions
ton had been fruitless, that the con
stitutional amendments were nul
and void and negro suffrage hope
less failure!''
1t is far better that the negro race
should be on friendly terms with the
whites and cooperate with them il
every good word and work in behal
of the real interests of both races
than to antagonize the whites, vote
against them always and the enemie:
of the whites, and thus lessen con
fidence, wither hope and widen thu
breach. The Houston (Texas) Post
the leading paper in that great State
says:
of the negro will take the notet
Tuskegee educators advice and eschey
politics until he has become a property
holder and a skilled laborer and an in
telligent man, he will find himself 81
identified in interests with the dominan
political element in the South that b.
will need no special invitation to vot
with the white majority. So long, how
ever, as he continues to threaten South
ern interests and the domination OF tn
intelligent, property owning whites q
the South, he can hope only for politica
ostracism and a hostility that vii
seriously impede his material and menta
progress.
We have a pamphlet address of
noted negro preacher in the South.
man of much talents if not a wis
man like Washington, to which w
will call attention n.-WilmingtoI
Messenger.