The age-herald., 1901-12-04

kept faithful vigil, to rise up and check mate these evil influences which you have set on foot against us. Ton do no1 know the harm you have done' we know 1t. We feel 1t keenly in a hundred ways. Do not say that 1t is only the educated negro who is disturbed. God grant that 1t were so. But the cut mas entered the soul of the ignorant negro whose benighted mind cannot gather light from the philosophy of history and strength from a knowledge of the ulti- mate triumph of right; but the stolid. sullenly silent man whom you must change Into the citizen of hope and obe- tiience, or drive into the stupid, hopeless, riotous treasure of despair-a beast, constant menace to be cured by the Gatling gun.
 Appropriation for Negroes.
 "The new 'constitution makes 1t possible for the darkest wrong to be perpetrated on negro education, and many of the campaign speakers and writers prepared the public to commit this wrong. You can compel negro school to run ten months on one hundred dollars and ap- propriate one thousand dollars for ten months to white school under our new constitution. You must surely know that such injustice would not only drive away from you the loyal hearts of your negro
 
 Alabama. Your own Dr. Curry told your Legislature that the negro was, in cer- tain counties, often defrauded out of his part of the school funds under our old constitution. Who will guarantee that it will not be done to a greater extent under the new constitution? You got new constitution, you said to avoid the necessity of committing fraud in cleo tions. You promise us righteous treat ment in educational affairs. Your own statesmen say that the negro pays taxes and still some men persist in saying that he does not. If you wish division of the school funds on racial lines, go to the very bottom of the matter and see who pulls the tax money from the bosom of the earth, the only original source of wealth. We do four-fifths of your agrf- cultural labor and add four-fifths to your wealth from that source. Your own record shows that the mass of your ne gro labor Is not only law-abiding but in- dustrious. The proportion of negro wage earners to the entire negro population in Alabama is greater than in any other Southern state except Louisiana.
 Give us our portion in equity and we will not complain. You promised to do this. You said that with the political mat ter settled all else should be fair. still have faith In you. Though you slay me, yet will I trust you. Present the ques- tion fairly to the popular vote of the white people of Alabama alone, I believe they will vote for a division of the school fund on the basis of scholastic enumera- ton, and they would enumerate fairly, too Take this matter out of the hands of men who do not like my race. Let 1t rest on the golden rule then peace, pros perity and happiness will come to all our people and your waste places will bloom. Leave 1t with men who hate us, who ap- peal to prejudice, and it will soon take the place of the political question just settled"
 What Negroes Hear.
 'We are a part of your productive pop ulation. Please study us. Please look into what we are doing and what we are teaching and preaching. I beg you not to listen to those who use our weakness to arouse prejudices to elevate them to position. We want only what Is right. The better element of white people do not know what unnecessary insults and fardships are put upon we negroes. We bear these things because we know that even & manly and most humble protest Is often put down as impudence and arro. gance. Nearly everywhere we turn-in cities In backwoods-the negro stands muzzled and manacled. and unkind white men beabor our backs with impunity White men of Alabama, for Gods sake look at this picture! It is not overdrawn See the truth as 1t is before God and angels! Are you not debauching your own sons by lodging such privileges and unholy powers in the pigments of a mans skin? Perish the negro; whip him until the blood runs in streams when he is wrong, but let justice be done him though the heavens fall-justice everywhere.
 Truth, mercy and justice will strength en and adorn your race when it stands before the judgment bar of future inteili- gence and righteousness