Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1901-04-20

T. l. -
this country within the last two years
has brought with it great questions
/ for solution, opening fields for the
best thought of the nation in which
to work and cultivate that which
shall elevate and benefit the human
| race as a whole. Formally, we the
white race, as the governing body,
| had to contend with the red and
black races in developing government
1 for mans best purposes. but with our
new acquisitions we are called to a
higher field OF active energy in gov
erning all the races into which the
! human family is divided.
Are we prepared for this self as
sumed task, is the question thrust
upon us by the march of events.
We can only judge OF our capabil-
tiles to govern races Of men
whose character and habits we do not
understand, by comparison with the
advancement made in governing
those races with which we have been
dealing for ages past. That we have
/ solved the problem of governing the
red man, to a limited degree ana
starting him on the road of peaceful
persuit and happiness, is not to be de-
MED, but how is it with the black
race, are we nearer the solution OF the
problem than we were thirty years
ago or are we drifting on the rocks
which will ultimately wreck the prin
4 cipal of human government and send
us back in the swell to state OF bar
barity, worse than that from which
the caucasian rose several centuries
ago.
! In discussing this question at Phila-
| delpha last week George L. Winston,
l. L. D. President of the North Car
DINA College. of Agriculture and
Mechanical Arts stated:
"The two races are drifting apart.
They were closer together in slavery
than they have been since. Old time
sympathies, friendships and affections,
created by two centuries of slavery,
are rapidly passing away. A single
generation of freedom has produced
indiffe renee, mistrust, and prejudice.
Unless a change is made, the coming
generation will be separated by active
hatred and hostility. The condition
OF the negro is, indeed, pitiful and
his prospects for the future are dark
and gloomy There is no solution
for the problem, unless it is dealt
with from the standpoint of reason
and experience, without prejudice and
/ fanaticism.
What volume of thought is crowd
ed into these few words, thought that
should awake this nation from center
| to circumference and cause its
statesmen and lawmakers to consider
and mature we'll, the plans for the
amelioiation of the race so lately
brought from bondage. State after
State has adopted laws, abridging
the rights of the black man soley be-
cause his skin is black, and the work
is still progressing. Only Saturday
last, MIR. John S Barber was nomi-
mated at Culpepper, Va, AS a delegate
to the Virginia Constitutional Con-
vention, called soley for the purpose
of ahri ling the rights of the negro,
~ accepting the nomination an
nounced the following as his purpose
if elected.
Il will support suffrage clause
which will disfranchise no white
man except for crime, whether he
has much or little education or prop
erty, and which will disfranchise
the incompetent, thoughtless and
blindly prejudiced negro, who has
neither the intelligence, desire, nor
sufficient motiv es of self interest to
compel him to see the good of the
State in casting his suffrage"
Mr.. Barbur is representative
southern gentleman, and no doubt
voices the prevailing sentiment in
his section of the country. nothwith-
standing this fact we are inclined to
believe that his remedy is wrong in
both law and principal, wrong in
that ii will aid, in bringing about
that state of which Professor Wins
ton has so thoughtfully observed.
American craftsmanship, as a whole,
has always been equal to emergencies
as they arise, and it is well to consid-
er the dangers, which lay along the
paths we as Nation are travelling,
lest we build pit falls and traps
that will ultimately destroy us as a
people, working for the good of HUI
mainly, without sounding the chan
mel as the ship of State sails into port.
WHY ZINC AND GINDING.
Zinc combined with lead and oil