Goldsboro weekly argus. [volume] (Goldsboro, N.C.) 1885-1909, 1900-06-07
NO 149

but we have never made free
use of the ballot, that sacred part.
By neglecting to make free use
of the ballot is why this great
curse known as the race question
is upon the country to-day. By
the Negroes failure to make a free
use of his ballot put the white
voters in political slavery, and I
see that all white voters, regard
less of their political faith, are
getting very sore over it. There
is no use in talking about sending
the Negro here or there, nor COL
onizing them any where in the
United States: it cannot success
fully be done. The Negro is here
to live or die. The Negro alone can
settle this great evil, aud he can do
it in way that will be an honor
and credit to the race, and relieve
the whole country from a great
curse. I will repeat again my sug-
gestion:
Let every colored voter declare
his freedom in politics.
Keep out of conventions, ene
dorsing and making tickets.
Make an independent free use
of bis ballot in the future.
Let the white voters form the
parties and principles, and let the
Negro vote his choice.
Under the present existing cirs
cumstances, l would call this both
freedom and good sense. By taxi
ing this course you see it is plain
enough that the whole country
would be set free so far as the
race question is concerned. No
one objects to the Negro's voting.
1t is the course he has taken in
politics that has brought sbout the
race question. Any sensiol nan
can soon study out the fruits of
such move as this. I know but
very little, and at that | know
enough to know that the most en-
during friends the Negro has are
the Southern people; and [ see on
account of the color line that the
Negroes friends are getting cooler
every year. Woe be unto the
Negro whenever the best thinking,
God-fearlng class of white people
lose their sympathy and respect
for the colored race.
1 claim that this race question
must be settle Or woe will be the
Negro. Education will never set
tie this great evil (for evil it is).
This question must be settled by
the grey heads of to day. The
young element of ..tke race. will
never settle the wee, bat will go
down under it, By the settlement of
this great evil more friendly
feeling would come on up among
the younger element OF both races,
and doubtless the result would be
peace and prosperity. II am in
correct in my sugge ,tlon will
some one so inform ne, if not
through the public press, by pri.
vate letter; for | am honest in
| what [ think, though [ be fool
l 6nd that the whole trouble
between the two RAGS is con-
fined mostly to the towns and
cities. Out on the farms there is
no friction; no trouble whatever,
both races are good neighborsy
and good friends to each other
and by this peace prevails. I
claim that the most successful
opening for the negro is on the
| farm. [ believe that Booker L.
Washington is right in his course
of teaching. One can live cheap
er; better keep his children at
he 1e and keep them more con-
stantly employed which prevents
many a temptation. Economy is
no disgrace. It is much more be-
coming in the eyes Of intelligent
society to see a 25 cent hat on
$500 head than to see $500 hat
on 25 cent head.
| Obediently yours,
f! GATuTN Rp0CK