Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1899-09-27
GEN. BUTLER ANSWERS
NORTHERN INQUIRY.
States His Position Clearly as to
Separation Of the Races.
DOES NOT FAVOR DEPORTATION.
Negro Should be Given a Place
Where He May Abide In
Peace-Slave Competition.

| w uO40 A2S 4kAe1y <ANA0S 4A&
Peace-Slave Competition.
Washington. D. c., Sept. 1s, 1899.
Mr.. Philip Lee Wilson, 4S Wall
street, New York city.
My Dear Sir: Yours of the 26th
ultimo, was forwarded 10 me here
and received a few days ago.
I will answer your questions
with perfect frankness, but before
doing 30, let me call your attention
to what appears to me, to be q
Observation-Disclosures of
courae-of my position touching
the race question to which you
refer.
You say: "I read in the New
York Sun your open letter on the
deportation of the oolored man"
I have never at any time, or any,
whsre written q letter "open" or
otherwirs ''on the deportation of
the colored man." deportation"
implies force or coercion which
ought never to be thought of in
dealing with the "eolo,ed" or any
other race of men who are citizens
of the United States.
What I have urged is that it
would be better for both races if
gfadusl and permanent sepsra-
ton could take place, such separa'
ton, of course, to be voluntary.
I have not the slightest doubt
that if the national government
would lend q helping hand, the
negroes would prefer a separate
establishment, where they could
have q fair chance and an open
6ald 70. their social, political and
industrial advancement. The
discrimination against them on
these lines in all parts of the
United States is an impossible bar
to thei. complete emancipation,
and neither education. Chris
tianity. or any other civilizing and
enlightening influence can remove
it.
know if I were a negro, and had
my present sensibilities, I would
prefer to set up for myself in a
country free from the shadow of
the slavery of my race and from
environments that constantly
remind me of inferiority and
subordination to another and
stronger race. But to yoa r
quotations
You ask:
First. aIn what way does frse
negro labor compete more oppses-
sively with the poor white labor
than slave negro labor did?
MY answer is that free negro
labor does not compete more
oppressively with the poor white
labor than slave negro labor did.
My theory is and has always been
that the "irrepressible conflict"
between free and slave labor was
one of the prime causes of out civ
war. My judgment is that but for
the institution of slavery We would
have had no civil war. There is
this difference, however, between
"slave negro labor" and free negro
labor" The former was controlled d
by his master and had his scale
of wages regulated by linn. 1t
was the interest of the master to
keep that scale as high as possible,
and as negro slave labor was usual.
ly pro6tably employed he could
not cut under fair and remunera.
tive wages without the consent Of
his master. Of course there were
q few exceptions to this in tho
case of free negroes or slaves who
hired their time. In she main,
however, negro slave labor was an
oppressive competition with white
labor and hence the irsepressible
conflict.
"Free negro labor" competes
opprsssively with white labor just
ss Chinese labor competes oppres.
sively with white labor. The
negro and Chinaman have fewer
wants than the white man. They
can live cheaper; in fact they
can live in a style and manner and
on food that would reduce white
man to the depths of degradation.
The white man could not survive.
/! He and his family must 60 to the
wall in labor competition with the
negro or Chinaman. Experience
has shown this and requires no ar.