Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1902-02-26
LETTER FROM FLORIDA
Mr.. j. NJ. AKERS WRITES AGAIN
Gives Our Readers Some Idea Of
the Race Problem in
the South.
SPRING PARK, Fla. Feb. q, 1902.

SPRING PARK, Fla, Feb. 81, 1902.
led. PUBLIC OPINION:
q / thought as had but little to do / would
write you again, telling you something about
the people. can see in many places and in
many ways that the old feeling of slavery
days crops out here. This is the case with
some of the people, but they are of the more
Ignorant class; and in many cases they show
it In various ways. To give you some idea of
the feeling that exists here still, in the first
place the colored people have their own
churches and their own schools, and when
they travel they ride in a separate car by
themselves, and the depots are all arranged
with two waiting rooms, one for the white
and one for the colored people. Just short
time before we came here a preacher that
breaches here gave presiding elder of the
colored church an invitation to come to the
church. He came but did not take his place
in the pulpit taking a seat in the audience.
Nesting had just begun when three young
DIFFERS walked in and told Mr.. Presiding
Elder he was not wanted there and Mr..
Presiding Elder walked out and went home.
1 met gentleman short time ago in my
travels and must say that he was geutle-
man in every sense of the word. When he
found was from Iowa he said he was born
in Florida and owned slaves at one time
Then our onversation turned to politics, and
he made the remark that 1t was too bad that
President Mckinley was killed the way he
way, said "yes IL was" And he said II was
glad he was elected but / did not
vote for him." said. stranger how is this,
you want a man elected and don't vote for
him. "Well, my friend, will tell you,
am q gold democrat and IL / lived in the
north would be republican but l am a
democrat here" And he said TO me "if you
stay in this country great while you will be
democrat - said IL might be, but guessed
not. So you see that there are many of the
people here that would do different from
what they do In the way of voting and in
many other respects If IL was not for the fear
Of public sentiment, and for fear of being boy
eotted by their neighbors for doing what they
think Is right. There is a colored scho ii near
where we live, and last week Friday was the
last day of the school. In the evening they
had an entertainment. i went to see how
they do things and / must say / was sur
prised / was treated with all due respect,
and their exercises were very good. Their
singing was splendidland their speaking was
fully as good If not better than the average of
the district schools, although they were taught
by q eolored teacher, it would be impossible
70 get white teacher to teach a colored dis
trict school in this part of the country, al
though there is no law to prevent it, but pub
nc sentiment is so strong against such things.
Among the Florida crackers they would be
In danger of being tarred and feathered In
many localities. In many places it would
not be SO bad, but among a certain class 1t
would be. Many Of the people still hold to
theirold prejudice against the colored peo-
pie. SinceI wrote my last letter we have had
some cold weather for this country. One
morning 1t was seven and the other two
mornings four below the freezing point. That
j. called very cold weather in this part OF the
world. But when we have the weather be-
low the freezing point, the Florida crackers,
rs that Is what those are called who are born
here, seem TO feel IL as bad as you folks ia
Iowa do at zero. At least they make as
much fuss about the cold as / ever heard in
Iowa when the thermometer registered at
zero. Everybody in this county l. well. am
rs ever, j. NJ. AKEss.