The Atlanta constitution. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1885-19??, 1900-05-07
DISTINGUISHING the Negro.


The party disfranchisement of the
negro In the North Carolina republican
convention, is but one OF the many
signs of the times.
The crime OF enfranchising an igno-
rant and an inferior race is one which
has long since been recognized even
by those who were originally response
BILE for il, but the eXigencies of politics
have prevented them from making
their views known. 1t was so easy for
demagogues who were soft from the
influence of this vote, to cry out about
it's suppression" in places where it
was an imminent danger, that bitter
discussion has been prolonged. Already
the best men of the whole country rec
ognize the hard fight which the people
OF the south have made for white civ
ilization. and they are preparing a con-
dition which will forever remove the
possible dominance Of the inferior race
In any section OF the country. The
story Of Senator TfSsman's appearance
before the Good Government League"
OF Ann Arbor, Mich, will bear retell-
ing:
Directly I'm front and alone sat a colored
student and the senator looked at him
IN making his remarks.
''A OF scratch one OF these colored grad
yates under the skin he said and you
viii find the savage. His education IS like
a coat of paint like his skin"
There were Kisses from several parts
of the house. Senator Tillman smiled and
retorted:
you must excuse me for my frankness
There is nothing of hatred In my nature
for the negroes. When that man who
Kissed gets ready to give his daughter IN
marriage 10 "A negro and proves by his
actions and not by hiss9s that he means
business. l will apolcetEe, and not be-
fore"
Tho applause which greeted this retort
was tremendous. ana Jnere was no more
Kissing during the evening.
That applause came from the heart,
where the common blood was touched.
showing that 1t could be appealed to
just as effectually in abolition Michi-
gan as in Georgia.
The significance of the party sup
preston of the negro in North Carolina
Is most noticeable II advance of hts
practical ACKNOWLEDGMENT by the pend
ing constitutional amendment, his own
party throws him overheard and does
not give him a single delegate to Phil
adelphia. That it is a privilege which
most colOred men do not prize, except
as something to sell, may be believed
from the readiness with which they
move from Georgia, where their dis
reimbursement has been expressly de-
feated. to Mississippi. where 1t is an
accomplished fact.
The one thing which the white peo-
PIE of the south fear most Is that senti-
ment In the north which was unreason-
able in making a voter of the negro,
will now, that it has no more use for
him. be equally unreasonable in
crOwding him 10 the wall. The south
ern people differ from those of the
north in their appreciation OF the fact
that the negro is entitled to life and SO
much of its comforts as labor and hon
esty can bring. While the negro is shot
to death In Illinois for daring to work,
every avenue IS thrown wide open to
him In the south. Hero he is invited to
build a home, to keep his family to-
gether, to inculcate good principles IN
to them, and to work out his full des-
tiny. Here no shotgun obstructs his
way to earning a living, and here no
man is more ready than his white
neighbor to protect rim from imposi-
tion. We go even farther and say that
he IS entitled to that education which
will enable him to appreciate life and
to cultivate the best models.
But rule belongs to the Caucasian,
and never can be entrusted to any 9TH
er race.