Washington sentinel., 1901-06-01

and deprived a large constituency
Of the opportunity OF enlighten
ment on vital questions by his
action.
Had he aspired to be the Moses
to lead his people out OF bondage
Ito Bryan) there was hope for him
as long as he rested his case on
the two issues herein first referred
to, which sufficiently emphasized
the differences between himself and
Mr.. Tillman. In the course he
has taken there seems to be none.
Mr.. McLaurin has opened gap
between himself and his people
which time itself will hardly heal.
---aaaaE---
The South, the North and the Negro,
At the present time the people
OF the North are giving a great
deal OF their time to discussion oil
affairs in the Sou hern States, and
the negro in the South of course
occupies a prominent position in
the discussion. 1t is encouraging
to note that many Northern men oil
intelligence have been visiting the
South and have carried home with
them much valuable Information.
Among other tourists the Rev.
Lyman Abbott has gathered some
facts which he told at a public
meeting in Brooklyn the other day.
Dr. Abbott called attention to the
fact that while the North has sent
S2o, ,ooo, 900 to the S Southern States
for the education OF the negro, the
South itself, out Of its poverty, has
spent SGao, 900, 900 for that pur.
pose. If there is any prejudice
against the negro in the South, or
any hostility to him, this does not
look like it, as DR.. Abbott justly
remarked The war and recon-
struction left the South bankrupt
and it took years TO recuperate,
For this condition and for the con.
dition OF the negro the North was
responsible. The North gave-saei
right OF suffrage TO the negro and
then lett 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 far greater degree than
it has.
Discussing conditions in the
South DR.. Abbott said: "The
negro in the little log cabin IN the
South is better of than the negro
in the North in tenement with
fifty more Of his kind" LET US
get away from the notion" he
added, "that the South can't be
friendly to the negro because they
don't regard the negro as we think
they ought to and as we would not
regard the negro if we were living
surrounded 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 a vote
and an equal right to a place in
society and an equal right to stand
where everybody else does"
Many other gentlemen OF intel
tigence, says the Baltimore San,
who have visited the South in re-
cent years have gone back to the
North and have told the people
there these same things and the
newspapers have published what
they said. A correct understand.
ing may be slow in coming, but it
will come finally. There has been
talk in the North among politi-
clans about furnishing the South
Tor dislranchising the negroes,
Maryland even was threatened
with a loss OF portion of its repre-
sentation in Congress and its elec.
toral vote because 1t was believed
that difficulties had been put in the
way ofthe illiterate voter, notwith-
standing that the right of Massa-
chusetts to disfranchise its litter
ate vote absolutely was conceded
But nothing has come Of all these
threats. Wise counsels so far have
prevailed. 1t may be that the idei
OF building up Republican party
in the South is a delusion. But on,
thing is certain. Whatever tn,
people OF the South may think o
high tariffs and expansion and shiI
subsidies, there can be no Repub
lican party in the South as long d
Northern interference makes tn
race issue paramount and render
it necessary for the white people I
unite la order to prevent retur
oil the reconstruction era and negr
domination. Self. preservation
the first law; after that is estat
lished then people may have tim
to talk about tariffs and subsidie
! AS AN advertise ement Of our co