The people's journal. (Pickens, S.C.) 1891-1903, 1902-09-11
BILL ARP ON NEGRO ORATORS.
MISTAKES AS TO PROGRESS
OF THE BLACK RACE.

In All the South There Was
Nota Negro Prison Nor Il Con-
vict or Il Chain Gang.
Atlanta Constitution.
Of course l was vory much interest
cd in the great negro convention. So
was evory thoughtful man North and
South, but there were some features
about it that did not harmonlze with
the views and memories of tho old
masters. The oft-repcated assertion
that forty years ago the negro emerged
from bondage and barbarism is a mis-
take. II is worse, for it is slander.
Ono orator said that they had beon in
savage state one hundred years
another SAID two hundred and fifty
years-and their progress since free
dom came was wonderful. Some Of
our young people of this age and gen.
Grafton may carelessly believe that, for
they have been taught it from the
North where it Is universally believed.
Booker Washington may believe it,
for he is III his middle age. But Evan
Howell and l and all other veterans,
whether white or black, know that it
is not 80. l don't want the old-time
negroes slandcred.
Tho orator might rs we'll have said
2,250 years ago, for their ancestors
were all in Africa then mono of the
grown up negroes who were set free
had been in bondage more than fifty
or sixty years and mono were savages
or barbarians. They compared well
with the illitorato white people, and in
fact fell above them and spoke of them
as poor white trash. The close asso-
citation for two or three generations Of
these slaves with their white masters
them IN good morals and MANNERS and
industry, which is better education
than books, and the truth is they were
whom freedom came infinitely superior
TO the race as IL now is. The progress
that Booker Washington and his as
sociates boast Of is an alarming retro
grade and degeneracy. When free
dom came there was not an outrage in
all the Southern land nor was there q
convict or chaingang nor negro
prison, but now there are 4 400 con-
victs and tho number increases faster
than the population.
| No--there is no upward gradation
in their morals. The higher education
that these negro colleges are giving to
the few have no good effect upon the
many, and, according to Mr.. Wash
ington's own statement, he is alarmed
because most of his graduates aspire tc
be leaders and teachers and preachers
and bosses. They are pamperet
negro aristocracy and widely scattered
as they are, they have not reformed
the race in morals or in honesty or NJ
observance of tho marriage relations
l can assert with truth that at leas
one-third of the negro children in an,
around Cartersville are bastards
There are nine within q stones throw
of our housc--and yet their mother
are very good servants and make goo,
cooks, chambcrmaids and washer
women. They lose no caste or eocia
position or church membership b.
reason of their unchaete and unlaWfu
cohabitation, and tho children of thes
} women are growing up without mora
training and are as notorious yOun
, thieves as the Arabs of the desert
The white people have got 80 accue
, toned to their petty thieving that the
do not prosecute them.
, Mr.. Washington made another mis-
, take when he said that the number c
3 convlcts increased because they wer
} too poor to employ counsel 1t is wo
1 known to the bar and to those who a
D tend tho courts that the Judge alway
, appoints competent counsel, and h
f leans to tho negro and protects him 6
0 far as he can consistently with h
@ duty. | know that our judge doe
L About year ago he tried three n
j. groes for CRIME in neighborin
8 county. They were easily convicte,
o for they were guilty. Ho fined eac