El Paso daily herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1881-1901, 1901-03-01

1
But he lacks the power to push him
lself ahead to a position of independ-
lence of the white man.
Too many freed men have reared
their children in the belief that they
were above the mental callings to
which they are physically and mental
lily so well adapted. The young people
of the race. especially, are slipshod to
a degree that was whipped out of their
fathers and grandfathers long ago. The
treason is said by this black-skinned
Jeremiah to be false teaching by men
of his own race.
AS there is no place in the busy
world of today for the slovenly toiler,
the Indifferent or the unskilled work.
man, Mr.. Thomas proposes a remedy
for the unfortunate existing conditions.
1t is return to the soil" Back to
author points his race. AS a basis
for character building, says he, this
work away from the cities would be
worth a century of half baked educa
ton. 1t is a question of putting the
negro in the place for which nature
fitted him. 1t would make him indie
pendent in a way of which the younger
generation of the blacks never dream
ed. Coupled with this solution must
come land ownership and individual
responsibility. The writer sees in this
scheme, properly worked out, a grand
mi ifv no in WI oh no
would be. in the highest sense, helped
to help himself. He would, thinks Mr..
Thomas, gain that faculty of intelli
gent forward action, which he now so
conspicuously lacks. He advocates the |
establishment of negro communities |
of landowners, with schools, churches. |
workshops, stores, and all else that is |
needful in modern industrial life, own
ed and managed by negroes. He be-
lieves that the association of the two
races is the worst thing that could
happen, and the most formidable bar
rier to the real advancement of the
negro race.
The negro, says Mr.. Thomas. is a
savage still. He has all the savage
traits that are only CLOSED over in
some cases by purely external and imi-
tative changes. He does not think or
reason. he does not know what he
wants or how to get it. He has no
deep seated respect for law and order.
and simply doesn't care" The writer
that the race as a whole
is incapable of elevation or refinement,
as long as the lowest elements are al
lowed to infect and drag down the
whole fabric. +
The moral nature of the negro is I'M
speakable depraved. says this writer, S
and he is particularly severe on the 10
preachers and teachers of his race. {
They have not assisted in the attempt z
% elevate their race, and on the con- C
rary have had much to do with keep u
ng it back. They have degraded and e
nisled their followers, and have urged b
he race away from contemplation of s
he factors of material success, pros t
,erity, and uplifting. and stepped it
n the mire of sensuous superstition.
rhe negro is not taught to assimilate e
he Christian truths, but is led to con- q
ider his religion as something entirely e
part from his daily life, and not in p
ny way connected with his daily
uty.
Darker and darker grows the pic =;
ure, as the author paints in blacker =
ues the vileness of his race. and the
pathy, which is worse. Degradation
growing greater. says he, and the d.
ace more callous in moral sense. cl
ct, while he unsparingly condemns ri
ne members of his race who are guilty 81
{ revolving crimes, he also condemns al
ne white men who teach contempt d,
Or law by themselves ignoring and tt
reaking it. There is no pity for the
ictims of mobs, but the author de-
lares the methods Intellectual, and =,
ending still further to degrade the
ace by removing respect for estab
shed order.
Mr.. Thomas denounces the modern ir
ystem of education, as applied to the Sc,
egro. The negro is quick to learn by te
ote, but slow to absorb principles. =,
uperficial by nature, this trait is m
altered to in the public schools. What e;
ne negro ought to have is industrial ~
1ucation.. the training of the hand, W
nd only so much of what is popularity 81
nown as classical education as will m
lable him to make the best use of a