The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-06-13

them Cullman and Belvidere. Ala. had
been very successful and located on what
he'd formerly been regarded as very poor
ground. They had made 1t as fertile and
as productive as any land in the State.
Nest of the cotton goods produced by
Southern mills was exported to China, the
entire product of one mill going to the
Orient. At present little or no fine cotton
goods were manufactured in the South. but
he thought in the near future the making
of Hne goods would be inaugurated. New
England and the South combined. he
thought, could control the markets Of the
world.
The Negro in the south.
In the negro, he said. the future Of the
South rested The supply of native white
would soon require negro operatives. They
were apt, quick to learn. and il they could
only be controlled and taught Industry
and obedience he thought the negro labor
would be the best and cheapest in the
world. The great trouble was that the
older generation cf negroes brought up
On plantations where they were compelled
to work. was being supplanted by
younger generation which had grown up
under lax laws and with the idea that
work was degrading The leaders OF the
colored race, such as Booker 7. Washing
ton and others, had realized the salvation
of the negro lay in his being taught to
work and-their industrial schools were
turning out men and women capable OF
supporting themselves anywhere.
There was no record, declared Mr.
Thompson, Of any graduate of any OF the
leading colored Industrial schools becom-
Ing a criminal. To prevent the negroes
from congregating on the street corners
and loafing away the day. several counties
had regulations which enabled the officers
to arrest any negroes without visible
means Of support and make them work
on the streets and county roads. This had
done away. to large extent. with the
idleness which formerly prevailed. He
remembered. he said. on his fathers
plantation. the slaves did everything and
the plantation was self supporting. They
were blacksmiths. wood workers. spinners,
farm hands, cooks. etc.. and the new gen.
Grafton could be taught the same trades.
Then, he believed, the South would be
self supporting. and. with increased work,
the discomfort of the negro would vanish.
Taking them out of politics. he said. would
prove their salvation, and that was the
reason why the leaders did not resist the
movement to remove them from politics.
When they ceased to be factors in poll
tics they would turn their attention to
making living and learn they could only
equal the white man politically when they
equaled him IN Intelligence. education,
thrift, and industry. Many OF the negroes
were now buying little farms on easy
terms and by exercising economy and good
management they were paying for them.
instead OF leasing lands and giving liens
ON their crops. Thus they became inde-
St1 nVd
they gradually accumulated little prop
erty they became transformed from idle
men. in danger OF becoming criminals. into
good citizens and taxpayers.
The Morning Session.
At the morning session of the COM
mission. H. F. Devans. Of New York.
Assistant Secretary Of the Metal Trades
Association, was a witness Mr.. Devans
testified concerning the agreement between
his association and the International AS
ISOLATION Of Machinists, the former rep
resenting the capitalists and the latter
the employees b. the agreement they are
prepared to submit all differences, local
and national, to a national board of arbi-
tration so that local prejudices would rot
affect the decision of the arbitrators. but
national conditions will receive the greater
consideration. He thought by this method
there would be no more strikes or Jock
outs in the metal trade. and. above all.
no sympathetic strikes. The association
had now 135 members representing scpa-
rate firms in New York, New Jersey, Ohio.
Pennsylvania. Illinois, Missouri, Indiana.
Massachusetts,, Connecticut, Wisconsin.
Minnesota. and Colorado. Eventually. he
thought. it would cover the entire country.
Frank H Hitchcock. Chief of the Division
of Foreign Markets. Department OF Agri-
culture. will be on the stand today. John
c. Coffin, Vice President @: the Southern
Industrial Convention, will be witness
tomorrow