The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1901-04-14
A Graphic and Touching Re-
view of Old Times.
THE FUTURE HOPE OF THE NEGRO
He Must Quit Politics and Become an
Efficient Laborer. No Hope in
Anything Else.
Especial to News and observer)


Philadelphia, Pa, April 13.-This af-
ternoon DR.. George T. Winston, of Raj
eigh, president of the College of Agricul-
ture and Mechanic Arts, delivered an
address here on the Relations of the
Whites to the Blacks" before the Ameri-
can Academy of Political and Social
Science He said:
Since the abolition of slavery great
change has taken place in the relations
of the whites to the negroes in the South
ern States. This change has been one
not merely of ownership and legal author
ity, but of personal interest, OF moral
influence, of social and industrial rela-
tions
To day there is practically no social in
tercourse between the two races ex-
cepting such as exists between the ne
groes and the most degraded whites. 1t
was far different in slavery. Then the
two races mingled freely together, not on
terms of social equality, but in very ex-
tended and constant social intercourse.
In almost every household the children
of the two races played and frolicked to-
gether. or hunted, fshed and swan to-
&GIneF IN the IeldSs otAOdhlo dhN ASA
ests. During my childhood and boyhood
the greater portion of my play time was
spent in games and sports with negroes.
Scarcely any pleasure was so great to a
Southern claild.as playing with negroes In
the long summer evenings we would play
and romp until bed time in the spacious
ward surrounding the house, or in the
garden or nefghboring fields. ] remem-
Der we'll how the evenings would fly by,
and how my Nmother would grant re-
peated extensions of time, just to play
one more game of fox and geese, or hide
the-switch., Some of the songs that we
sang and some of the games that we
played, part singing, part acting. part
dancing. still linger in my memory and
carry me back to the happiness OF child
hood Always in my childhood memories
especially in happy memories, ma as
sociated together my mother, my nome,
and the negro slaves
During the winter evenings Wnen II
was disagreeable out of doors, / would
get permission for four or five negro
bows and girls to play with me in the
1ibrarv. or in the nursery. Here we
would play indoor games; jaek-straws,
blind-man's s-buff, checks, checkers, pam
tomine. geography puzzles, conundrum
matches and spelling bees. Frequently l
would read the negroes fairy stories, or
show them pictures in the magazines and
books OF art | remember how we used
TO linger over beautiful picture of Lord
William Russell bidding adeu to his fam
lily before going to execution; and how IN
boyish way l would tell the negroes the
story of his unhappy fate and his wife
devotion. Another favorite picture was
the coronation of Queen Victoria. How
we delighted in ''Audubon's Birds and
in the beautifully colored plates and ami
mails in the Government publications on
Natural History. The pleasure was by
no means one-sided. To our hotch-pot OF
amusement and instruction the negroes
contributed marvellous tales of birds and
animals. which more than Offset my famil-
lar "reminiscences of Queen Victoria and
Lord Russell
1t was a great privilege during sla-
very for the white children to visit negro
cabins at night and listen to their foil
lore. Those delightful stories immor-
taIized by Joel Chandler Harris in the
character of Uncle Remus, heard many
times in my youth and many others be-
sides equally delightful There is mar
vslous attraction between white chile
and negro; even between little chile
and a grown negro. ] always found !
a pleasure even to sit in the cabins ant
watch them at work 1t was pleasure
Just to be with them. | have eaten man!
meal with my fathers slaves IN tnel
cabins. always treated with considera
ticn, respect and affection, but not great
er than / myself felt for the master an
mistress Of the humble cabin. MY motne
would have punished severely any dls
respect or rudeness on my part towar
the older negroes. / would not hav
dared to call them by their names |
was always Uncle Tom" or Aunt Su
SAN when addressed them. This forr
of appellation was common in the Sout
between whites and blacks. Even
strange negro whose name was no
known however humble he might be- wa
saluted ON the high road, when passe
by a respectable white person. with tn
friendly greeting of 'Howdye, Uncle 0
"Howdye, Aunte''
Social intercourse between white an
bIack during slavery was not confined I
children Not infrequently the negr
would come to the white House" to Sc
the mistress, often in the evenings. sill
ting and chatting in the nursery or th
ladies' sitting room. Visits TO the slay
cabins were made regularly, oftentime
daily by the white women of the house
hold who went not merely to visit til
sick and inspect tho children, to advis
aad direct about work and household ma