The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1900-05-13

HOUSTON, SUNDAY, MAY IL, 1900.
THIRTY PAGES.
WORKING TOWARD SOLUTION.

A recent issue OF the Harlequin contains
a controversial treatise on the negro prob
lem between two clever writer's. One
writes from the Northern standpoint. but
unhampered in concept by sectional
craftsmanship, The other from Southern |
view and equally uninfiuenced by vulgar
prejudice. Both are right and both are
wrong The one declares tina, "the negro
will not be deported" and volunteers the
information that doubtless there is much
talk in the South Of forcibe deportation
Right in the FIRST half Of his proposition,
woefully wrong In tho latter half. No man
in the South whose opinions are sought
after or that are enough to shape public
sentiment and direct State policy pre-
sents deportation as the solution of the
negro question. This theory has not found
vigorous advocacy on the platform or in
the press except from John ]. ingalls,.
He was not a Southern man. His prejudi-
cies against the South. II one must be
guided by his wolash utterances in the
American senate, were not one whit less
cruel and, may we say, less unreasonable
than his insistenoe that tho negro BIO de-
ported as condition inai to tho disposl-
ton OF the negro problem. To deport the
negro now is to destroy the measure Of
civilization attained by him and to con.
denim 10 eventual barbarism, Whether
the negro cares TO admit 1t or not he has
risen TO his present condition by the exer
else OF his marvellous faculty of imitation
excited to activity by contact with his
white neighbor who Is immeasurably his
government, Intellectual development.
rather than perforoe of any other basic
element OF civilization He has not yet
reached such conception OF the science
and purpose OF government and bow to
perpetuate the one and to strengthen the
other that he can be left .n-suund phil
osophy or good conscience. to shape his
own destiny unaided by his white neigh
Dor. The negro knows this. There Is
no use in anybody getting silly over it
The concealment OF fact out OF fear OF
wounding somebody's feelings Ia the dis
cussion of grave problem of race, so
GEOLOGY or government, never instituted
reform or destroyed truth.
The solution OF the negro problem is
not SO much a racial as an economic Is
sue. The South needs the labor, the In
dustry, yes the assistance OF the negro.
1t does not want to deport him. Neither
does 1t want to educate him to a life OF
idleness. 1t Will not support him He
must support himself, It is human as
well as divine decree that all men. what
ever their hue, whether white as Psrian
marble or black as Styglan night, must
eat their bread in the sweat OF their brow
Constitutions nor legislative enactments
OF States can change the Immutable
statutes Of God not construed by Him
but made in the Great Court OF Ultimate
Appeal, The negro Is not the equal OF
the white man In the capacity for self
government and progress He was not
created So He knows it. He will not
be the white mans equal measured to the
present standard of Caucasian excellence
for a century OF centuries, If he ever Is
Let the negro recognize this fact and from
the hour OF Its recognition may date his
real progress. Let him start out with the
Intention to learn a trade, to take an
honorable place In the industrial world
to own his own home to become citizen
Interested In and demanding orderly and
frugal government rather than to persist
In a course hat makes him the prey Of
vicious politics and a purposeless idler.
Let aim rely a little more upon himself
and little less upon his white neighbor.
and accustom his developing muscularity
Of brain and body TO the burdens and re-
sponsibillties Of seasoned self-rellance.
Constant practice along this line VIII give
him an emancipation greater than has
yet been achieved for him.
Grandly Gays this Northern writer in
the Harlequin:
Let US accept the inevitable, work Win
not against, natural law and so come the
earlier 10 that perfected democracy IN which
no man shall count for more than any other
ano n which every nan shall be an ar.sto-
The sentiment is exquisite but neither
practical nor profound II is as II some
one had thrown round an ugly skeleton
The concsaiius folds Of poetic raiment
bNt the skeleton is still there dainty all
most avesome. rhetoric can not kill truth.