The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1899-07-25

SE3GEA@Gg VIII S@PF~
Correspondence Of the Progressive Farmer.
am not conscious Of eny prejudice
against the citizenship Of the negro.
In proof of this I will, at the risk OF
perhaps scanning immodesty briefly
state my own record in regard to it.
Brought up in South Carolina by
Christian, slave holding parents, who
fully realized their responsibilities, and
associating all my younger days with
Christian slave holders, 1 yet when q
boy became opposed to the institution
OF slavery and ever remained 30.
When General Johnston surrendered
at Smithfeld in May, 1865, ! at once
took the position that the negroes no
longer being the wards Of their mas
ters as slaves, were entitled to citizen
ship and to the exercise Of its rights,
including suffrage, so far as was com
patible with the welfare Of the State.
advocated extending suffrage to all
without regard to race or previous
condition, with some very moderate
qualification to protect society-the
negroes acknowledgement the ruinous
results Of granting suffrage to q a
of ignorant people. I advocated this
as a matter of simple justice and also
as a matter Of policy. IE seemed clearly
manifest to me that unless we took
such action political greed, tanatical
folly and revenge on the part Of some
would cause the North to force univer
sal negro suffrage on the South.
Experience has clearly shown that
the suffrage hestily granted negroes
has been a great injury to them and l
think it is time that We should pass q
Just election law that will prevent
them from i~uficting injury upon them
selves as we'll as upon others. Let the
question be settled by law, and avoid
any continuance Of intimidation, cor
ruption or dishonest returns. 1t is I'm
wise as we'll as immoral to do evil that
good may come. Those who do wrong
will in the end suffer more than those
who are Wronged.
Besides this, We are allowing this
question to absorb attention to the ex
clusion of public questions OF vital i'm
portance. Let this question be settled
so that as a people we may properly
consider other questions and help de-
eide them on thir own merits.
In a recent address in Brooklyn,
Prof. Booker T. Washington aaid: "It
must be apparent at this time that the
effort to put the rank and file Of the
colored people into a position to exer-
else the right of franchise has not been
q ucc in those portions Of u wi
country where the negro is found IN
large numbers.
'In my mind there is no doubt but
that we made the mistake at the be-
ginning of our freedom Of putting the
emphasis on the wrong end. Politics
and the holding Of Office were empha-
sized almost to the exclusion of every
other interest and We accepted respon
sibilities which our experience and edu
cation had not fitted us to perform
with success and credit. =
For my part I say without hesita
ton that judging by what I have Oh
served in the South since the freedom
Of the black man, I do not believe that
it is wise for the government nor just
to the people sought to be helped, to
confer unlimited suffrage upon any
ignorant, poverty stricken, inexperi-
enced people. I would let the right to
vote be interviewer with the ability to
acquire intelligence Oh property or
both"
He is one of the most intelligent of
his race, who jig devoting his life to it's
elevation and speaks in it's interest.
He we'll says that the chief danger in
suffrage is from the large numbers
massed together in some portions of
the country.
The iIliterate OF cur white citizens,
with the exception Of some communi-
ties in our mountain region, are scat
tered among their better informed
white fellow citizens with whom they |
are coming in contact constantly, and
in every possible way. The educa-
tional advantage of this close associa-
ton, is very great, for the best part of
the education of those whom we call
educated get the best of their educa-
tian from contact with the world, OBJ
servation and experience. The negroes
where massed together have no such
advantages. 1t is the blind leading
the blind. How can they avoid falling
into the ditch9
Many persons, it seems to me, are
gravely in error in assuming that vot
ing is in itself q most important means