The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1901-08-01
LYMAN ARBOTr'S VIEWS ON THE
SOUTH.
Ba Gilmore Sun.


At the present time the people Of
the North are giving great deal of
time to a discussion of affairs in the
Southern States, and the negro in the
South of course occupies prominent
position in the discussion. 1t is en-
couraging to see that many Northern
men of intelligence have been visit
ing the South and have carried home
with them much valuable informa-
ton. Among other tourists the Rev.
Lyman Abbott has gathered some
facts which he told at public meet
ing in Brooklyn the other day. DIR.
Abbott called attention to the fact
that while the North has sent $780,
900, 900 to the Southern States for the
education of the negro. the South
itself, out OF its poverty, has spent
$l20, 100000 for that purpose. II
there is any prejudice against the
negro in the South, or any hostility
toward him, this does not look like
it, as DIR. Abbott justly remarked.
The war and reconstruction left the
South bankrupt and it took years to
recuperate. For this condition and
for the condition of the negro the
North was responsible. The North
gave the right of suffrage to the
negro and then left mainly to the
white people of the South, bankrupt
as they were, the burden of educating
him for the ballot. This burden
the North should in Justice have
shared to a far greater degree than it
has.
Discussing conditions in the South
DIR. Abbott said: The negro in the
little log cabin in the South is better
off than the negro in the North in a
tenement with fifty more of his kind.
LET US get away from the notion" he
added, THAT the South can't be friend
ly to the negro because they don't
regard the negro as we think they
ought to and as we would not regard
the negros if we were living sur
rounded by them as they are. We
must get rid of the idea that all men
are equal and that. every man has an
equal right to stand where everybody
else does
Many other gentlemen OF intelli-
gence who have visited the South in
recent times have gone back to the
North and have told the people there
these same things and the news.
papers have published what they
said. A correct understanding may
be slow in coming, but it will come
finally. There has been talk in the
North among the politicians abou,
| furnishing the South for disfranchis.
ing negroes. Maryland even was
threatened with the loss of a portion
of its representation in Congress and
its electoral vote because it was be.
| lieved that difficulties had been put
| in the way of the iIliterate voter, not
withstanding that the right of Massa.
| chusetts to disfranchise it's illiterate
vote absolutely was conceded. But
nothing has come of all these threats
Wise counsels SO far have prevailed
1t NAV be that the idea OF building uE
a Republican party in the South is Q
| delusion. Whatever the people oi
the South may think Of high tariffs
and expansion and ship subsidies
there can be no Repu blican party in
the South as long as Northern interfer
ence makes the race issue paramount
and renders it necessary for the white
people TO unite in order to prevent &
return of the reconstruction era ant
/ negro domination. Self-preservatIor
/ is the first law: after that is estab
liShed then people may have time tt
talk about tariffs and subsidies.