The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1899-04-21
DISTINGUISHING the Negroes.


Both branches of the North Carolina
Legislature have adopted constitutional
amendment designed to eliminate most of
the negro vote, and it is to be submitted
to the people for ratification at the Aug
ust election of 1901. 1t will be adopted,
of course, for all the Southern States are
taking similar measures, and the move
ment is less political than a racial issue.
Everywhere, both North and South,
the friends of the negroes are sadly dis
appointed and disguised with the out
come of all their efforts. The first gene
ration after emancipation has shown an
alarming degeueracy of the negro popu-
lation and total unfitness to fill the place
of American citizenship.
1t is not only in the South this degen-
eracy has shown the natural hoo-doo
nature of the negro, but in the north
where SO much was expected by the phi
lanthropists who sacrificed much in the
cause of emancipation. In Chester
county, Pa, the Underground railroad
conveyed hundreds from the land of
slavery to the land of freedom. Great
sacrifices were made in that border county
for the slave. He was housed hidden,
clothed and fed with all earnest benevo-
lence which has few parallels.
The abolitionists suffered ostracism,
revilings and risked imprisonment for the
regro's sake. They believed if he only
had chance of education and freedom
he would rise up and stand the peer of
the white man. They proved their faith
by their works and built him a college or
institute, and provided the means for a
liberal education But alas on the very
doorstep of the college the young worth
less negro rowdy stands the disgust and
sorrow of the people who sacrificed so
much to free his ancestors.
This moral degeneracy of the negro is
sore trial to these good people, who
firmly believe they were the chosen in
struments in the hand of Providence 10
help lift up an enslaved and wronged
race. They misunderstood the designs OF
Providence as many sincere and good
people have before. The Creator made
cuff" child of the sun and placed him
in the tropics. There, if anywhere, or
ever, he will become civilized race, i'll
the sense that the white race understand
civilization. There are individual excep-
tons, numbers OF learned, and able men
are found among the race, but like the
would soon carry these down to the com.
mon level if left to themselves, without
their white props to support them.
1t is too apparent to be doubted by any
that the disfranchisemen of the negroes
throughout the Southern States will, be-
fore many years, be an accomplished fact.
The reconstruction plan of the South
ern States was a deplorable blunder An
educational qualification should have gone
with enfranchisemeut. 1t was hoped that
popular education would in time cure the
evil, but trial of thirty years demon
strates, on the contrary, all entire failure.
Sanguine hopes were entertained by
enthusiasts that mesegenation would III
timately take place and new and better
race would be developed in a millennial
of the future, and here again were the
architects of a new and imaginary race
wiser than the Universe Creator. Ethnol-
ogists tell us that the Latin races origin
was a blending of the dark and white
races at remote and early period before
the historian appeared. Shut off from
other tribes the blending produced fixed
type. If this theory can be accepted the
final result is sad one for the Latin races
are steadily decaying. The religious
superstition that chains them down is
little short of fetishism
In Baltimore the mayoralty campaign
now nearing the end is being fercely
fought more on class than on political
lines. On the transpariencies such
mottos as This is White Mans City"
are cheered more loudly than any other
sentiment.