Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1899-09-06
The NEGRO AND HIS PROBLEM.
They Are Discussed BY Senator TillmaI
and Rev. j. L. Dart.

They Are DlScuSseu ny Sehhtor Ahiihah
and Rev. j. L. Dart.
Charleston News and Courier, Saturday.
Some days ago, when Senator B. r..
Tillman strongly denounced the white
capping of Negroes in Greenwood, the
Rev. J. l.. Dart, of this city, wrote
him a letter of thanks on behalf OF
himself and his race for his strong
words of condemnation and denuncia-
ton of outrages and lawnessless. Be-
sides thanking Senator B. r. Tillman,
the writer took occasion in his letter
to touch upon several topics of public
interest, among them being the rela-
tions of races in the south and the
future of the Negro in this country.
On this subject the Rev. ]. l.. Dart
said:
"Whether we be Democrats or Repub-
licans, southerners or northerners, white
men or black men, there is common
ground upon which we can all stand, and
that is our united and firm determination
that all forms of lawlessness in our midst,
whether carried on by whites or blacks,
shall be put down and completely Danish
ed from our borders that the law shall
have its course in every case and instance,
and every citizen shall have the guaran-
teed protection Of life, liberty and the
pursuit of happiness.
"But for myself have come to believe
in the ultimate separation OF the races IN
the south-the emigration OF the race, not
so much to Africa as to the colonization OF
our people in the new possessions in Cuba
and Porto Rico and throughout the north
and west. This, Of course, cannot be
done for several years to come; but while
the Negro race in the south is gaining
in education, wealth and experience, pre-
paratory to their departure, they should
have the protection of the law and the
generous aid and sympathy of their white
neighbors."
TO this letter Senator Tillman re-
piled as follows:
TRENTON, S. c., August 26, 1899.
The Rev. J. L. Dart, Charleston, 5. G..
DEAR SIR: Your letter Of August l9 has
prised and gratified at receiving it. am
only sorry that badly garbled, and in
some respects distorted, report of my
speech was published in our state papers
and sent abroad. I used much stronger
language, and my appeal for justice was
much broader than what you saw. The
correspondent for The News and Courier,
Mr.. Kohn, wrote me that his report by
mail did not reach the office in time Tor
publication.
am considered as the arch-enemy Of
the Negroes, or colored people, because,
while governor, and before, exerted all
the influence 1 possessed for calHng
constitutional convention for the purpose
of disfranchising them. If you will con-
trast the condition of the Negroes in
South Carolina with that in North Caro-
lima and Georgia you will see that there
is much more good feeling and less fric-
ton here than where political activity
and the franchise exist on the basis OF
manhood suffrage. The Phoenix riot is
directly attributable to the political virus
injected into the Negroes of that neigh
borhood by designing white men-the
Tolberts-and the recent outrages are the
aftermath.
What the ultimate solution of the race
problem will be do not know. but do
superable barriers to social and political
equality in the south, and that the Negro
as the weaker and inferior race will al
ways be the victim of every conflict by
which he seeks, either Of his own accord,
or when led by designing white men to
break down those barriers.
There is no room in the northwest, or
opening, for any Negro communities, as
you will find if you go there to investi-
gate. The northwestern whites no longer
sympathize with the ideas which brought
on the civil war, as is proven by Governor
Tanners attitude and official action. There
may be an opening for limited number of
Negroes in Cuba and Porto Rico; but 1
think the field in the Philippines is al
ready occupied by a race that would be
more intolerant and cruel than the whites.
What the end will be l cannot say, but
this l do know, the Negro must remain
subordinate or be exterminated; and |,
for one, will always set my face like flint
against any injustice or unfairness to-
wards him as long as he remains in prop
er sphere and leaves politics alone.
The whites are in the ascendency and
will remain so whatever comes. And as
the superior and more civilized race, they
owe it to themselves to protect the Negro
in his right to life, liberty and the pur'
suit of happiness" even though that de-
claration was written by a stakeholder
who did not take the Negro into consid-
Grafton when he wrote it.
Yours truly,
.B. r. TILLMAN.