The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1901-07-10


gress. There is tendency on the part
of intelligent teachers and parents to
train the young child along these lines
to reach the intelligence and overcome
evil by appeal to the higher motive in
stead OF the lower; when this is more
general there will be less delay in con-
Quoting negotiations for peace and the
world will profit by the wise teaching.
Looking sky-ward and finding indications
of possible adjustment of difficult ques-
tions l lind much to cheer; when the ne
gro assembled in convention declares
that 1t is duty of the men of his race
to assist in the capture of offenders in
stead of shielding and assisting them to
escape" l feel that we are nearing the
time when law and order will prevail,
and lawlessness will be suppressed. Our
own race must make the move to insure
protection to the innocent, as we'll as PEN
atty for the guilty.
One of the favorable indications of
amcable adjus ment of the oft denied but
ever present race question is the friendly
reference made by controventional and
descriptive writer's to tn dedicate sub
ject of slavery as 1t existed in the South
prior to the emancipation proclamation.
Prof. Dubois has written a most in
structive and interesting description of
the condition of the negro in Dougherty
THE Worlds Work" and wilI repay care
full perusal and will enlighten even those
who living near have yet failed to realize
the full import of events now transporting
an dprogress made. II is written in spirit
of fairness to the old stakeholder, and If
there sounds at times note IN a minor
key it is because from his point of view
he has grasped only a portion of the con-
dition. vt 1t is in the highest degree cred
tab N ha int 4 taIo ~
writer.
With a negro population exceeding the
Caucasian more than FIVE to one. there
is absence of friction, there is for both
races reasonable degree of prosperity
and some of the negro farmers have
made excellent progress and have dem
onstrated clearly that the free African
will find his best field of labor in the ag-
ricultural field rather than in the sharp
competition of the crowded city. Just
how this may be accomplished is the prob
lem which we must solve My own view
is as usual a minority view, and can wait
for recognition by wiser generation!
The pressing imperative need is that the
reign of law shall be retained and up
held. When the rural home is as secure
as is the city homes thousands will flock
to 1t and both farm and city will feel the
impetus of renewed prosperity.
odical Booker T. Washingtn takes up the
theme and writes of THE Salvation of
the Negro" OF course he writes well.
He is one of the gifted few who makes
no blunders, but gives good advice and
counsel to his race and valuable sug-
gestion to the general reader. Writing of
the system at Hampton" under Gen.
Armstrong, he says: Slavery did, how
ever, leave the four million negroes
ON tod with hfOhor daorpa of oiU-
iization than was perhaps possessed by
any equal number of negroes to be found
anywhere else" Again, but notwith-
standing this the negro felt that he was
beig worked, and here is a vast difference
between working and being worked"
Il do not wish to convey the idea that
all slaves worked because of being forced
to do so, for there were many noble men
and women to whom Southern white men
can point, who in slavery even, consid-
cred it a disgrace to be idle. and priv
ilege to labor
So the endeavor at Hampton was to
Induce them to love labor for its own
sake" a similar course wisely and per-
sistently pursued might benefit any race!
Here Hes the essence and heart of the
story, ] quote again, 81 am almost ready
to say that the whole question as to the
future of the negro in America, hinges
make himself so valuable to the commu
nifty in which he lives that the communi-
ty will feel that it cannot dispense with
his presence
Here is an utterance which will crafty
all who read it. There is one test of
what the Southern white man thinks of
an intelligent. Industrious, law-abding.
property holding negro that l have never
seen fail.
all my eXneriPnNo The South
have never seen member of my race,
of this description get into trouble to
the extent that bond was required of
him by the court, that there was not doZ-
ems of white men ready to go upon his
bond to any amount" What better evil
dence is needed to show that in the South
the fair treatment of the negro is the
rule? True 1t is broken at times, but
spirit of fairness will induce contin-
uance of friendly relations. and when diff
fculty occurs 1t is often due to the evil
counsel given by those at a distance, who
however well intentioned, are ill-equipped
for the work. by ignorance of existing
when there might be peace!
1t is of no use to ask, what shall we do
with the negro? He must work out and
fulfil his destiny, with the aid and SYM
pathy of the Caucasian, there is no need
for haste, but rather for judcious non
Interference. renewed letting alone per-
hitting him to develope his powers what
ever these may be.
William Riley Boyd.