The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1900-05-12

Demanded IL the Interests Of the south and
Of the whole Union.

Demanded II the Interests Of the south and
Of the whole Unien.
To THE EDITOR or The suS-Sir: Your cor
respondent at Ann Arbor. under date Of April
20. speaks OF Senator Tnlmsn OF South Carolina
and OF his lecture there under the auspices OF
tho Good Government League. his subject
being The Race Question" quote is
follows:
The incident Of the evening was his distrtbe against
the negroes. The sudieno. was composed of students.
Directly In front and alone sa, a colorsd student, ana
the Senator looked at'him In making his remarks
you scratch one OF these colored graduates under
the skin, he said. and you will md thu savage
His education Is like q coat Of paint, like his skin
There were Kisses from several parts Of the house
Senator TillmAn smiled and retored
You must excuse me for my frankness There Is
nothing OF hatred In my nature for the n'groeS
When that man who Kissed gets ready to give his
daughter In marriage TO a negro and proves oy MS
actions, and not by his hisses, that he means busi-
ness, ! will apologize and not before"
The applause which greeted this retort was ire
mendous. and there was no more hissing during the
evening,
One II filed with surprise that people or cul-
ture should have remained throughout the en-
tire lecture TO listen to such ridiculous balder-
dash. That the Good Government League
should not. then and there. have apologized
10 It's audience for introducing a speaker capa-
BILE OF using such language Is to be regretted.
That the colored student referred TO dld not.
then and there. Indignantly resent the
speaker gratuitous personal insult to hin IL
only proof OF the colored students superior
education, attainments and behavior. That
Senator Tllman should not have observed the
prophecies OF the OCCASION. In view OF the edu-
~cational opportunities offered since his advent
above the political horizon. Is also TO be re-
GREETED II might be advisable for MI. Tillman
TO visit the Tuskegee Institute. Booker WASH
ington, manager, and learn something OF the
progress and capacity Of the race he Affects not
TO hate, and Of which he shows such lamentable
Ignorance.
In the recent debate In the United States
Senate on the Pritchard resolution this same
Senator Tillman is quoted as saying;
Finally. after the bayonet had come to US again In
1879. we rose In righteousness and right; we took tho
Government. we stuffed the ballot boxes. we bulldozed
the niggers and We shot 'em-and are not ashamed OF
II The people OF South Carolina in their Constitution
have done IN cir level best 1, prevent the mig gers from
voting.
The time has come when all such fomenters OF
discord and disturbers OF the peace. who go out
Of their way to personally Insult the colored
man and hold him up to scorn and contempt,
should be called TO an accounting The country
is tired Of them. They are more dangerous 10
society than all the negro savages they pre-
tend to fear. The people OF both North and
South have had their All of war. They want
more peace and less politics. They want rep
resentatives in power who will express
their wishes, instead Of making the vital
interests Of the country subservient 10
narrow sectional prejudice. They want
men who understand and recognize the
fact that the interests of the respective
States are identical; that what Is for the in
terest of the South and West is for the interest
Of the North and East, that the old ante-bellum
negro issue Is dead that the present negro
issue Is very much alive, and has TO be met,
that abuse Of the negro is not the remedy for
the evil Of slavery; that he is here to stay. and
must and will be educated in the public schools
if it takes a thousand years to do it. and that
anybody now rafting around the Senatorial
shoe who attempts TO stay the march of prog
ress for the education and enfranchisement Of
the colored man will be relegated TO the ocean
of political obscurity. and thereafter find plenty
- tAhS w ~ ~ ~ ~
such men will so the sympathy. good will and
hearty cooperation OF the North. In their efforts
to meet and deal with one OF the most mo-
mentous problems now confronting the
whole country. viz, the education and enfran-
chisement Of the colored man.
You can begin this work by securing teachers
for the public schools who are not only glad,
but also anxious 10 see an ignorant child be-
come an educated child. Teach the present
generation the alphabet, the next the primer.
Treat them not as wards or pensioners. nor as
a necessary evil, but as human beings, Give
them a fair chance and in fifty years the colored
man will have reached a stage OF development
that will be an honor TO the State and TO the
Union. Treat him with kindness and give him
no longer cause TO hate the white man, Kind
ness alone will settle the question, and only
through kindness will the white race be able to
govern the black. Ostracize and ~relegate TO
the rear those who can see nothing but a savage
in the co!ored man. Such men may be sincere
in their belief, and doubtless are, but they are
behind the times and the country has no use
for them. Let the Southern States summon
| their merchants, planters and farmers in con.
~vention; name their public servants. and elect
them; invite capital TO assist In developing
Cultivate a fraternal feeling with those who
wish 10 become citizens, or are Interested in
their educational. industrial and financial
propress.