The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1902-08-08
FRIDAY, AUGUST s. 1902.
= souTHeaNER's MISTAKE.

Randolph Macon College. He is man
of decided ability, and the article under
review is strong and well written. There
is some truth in Professor Sledd's aru-
Gle, but much error, and. as he is south
ern man and professor IN o distinguish
ed southern institution of learning. his
article will do harm.
He declares that the South has car
RED the idea of the negro's inferiority
almost, II not quite, TO the point OF de-
humanizing him. he says that the SOUTH
ern people have a brutal estimate OF Inc
black man; that he Is regarded as MOTH
Ing more than the beast that perlshes.
unnoticed and not cared for so long as
he goes quietly about his mental Toll.
He saws that If the negro is thought of
at all In general way, 1t is with the
most absolute loathing and contempt
HE is either unnoticed or despised, the
writer proceeds "As for his feelings, ne
hasn't any. How few-alas how few
words of Centleness and courtesy ever
come To the black mans ear! But harsh
and imperious words. coarseness ana
cursing how they come upon MIN. "he-
ther with excuse or in the frenzy OF I'M
Just and unreasoning passion. And his
rights of person. property. and sancuty
Of home-who ever heard OF the 'iashts
of a .7ligger?' This is the general senu-
nent in the air, intangible, but strongly
felt: and il is, in large measure. TINS
sentiment that creates and perpetuates
the negro problem"
I'VE do not now speak OF the utterly
worthless and iepraved. There are many
such: hut we whose skins are white neea
10 remember that our color. too. has Its
numbers of the ignorant, iecherous, ana
wholly bad But take good negro
we'll educated, courteous, God-leaiihs-
There arc many such; and they are, IN
everything save color, superior 10 iaahy
white men. But what is their ne!
LAS they walk our streets they nit
their hats in passing the aged or Inc
-rrominen;. whether man or woman; yet
M man returns their salutatioa. Ihey
would 70 away; at the depot they may
MOI enter the room Of the whites, anu on
me train they must occupy their own
separate and second-class car heach-
ing Their destination, they may not eat
at the restaurant Of the Whites' OF Test
n, the wate hotel If they make pur-
chssas. shop ladies and messenger gen.
tlarucn lock down upon them with mani
fest contempt, and treat them Win open
brl;sa,ie4.ess and contumely- And II. on
a Sabbath, they would worship IN
white man s church, they are hidden TO
call upon Cod the Maker of the black
man as well as Of the white, and inNonc
the Christ. who d.ed Tor back and white
alike, from a place apart. And so, from
the cradle to the grave, the negro is
made. in southern phrase. TO know and
keep his place. :"
OF course the negro is regarded as an
inferior race. not only at the South. but
at the North and everywhere, and the
white man is instincively opposed to re-
ceiving him upon terms of social equal
3ty. His very nature revolts against 1t,
for God has made him SO. But that the
white man OF the South regards the
negro as a brute that he has for him
no feeling OF kindness. that he has for
;lim no words of kiadne 6. that he has
no respect for the negro's rights or feel
.ngs. is a most unjust and unkind char
acterization. There are doubtless some
white men that feel that way, but they
are the exceptions. There are certain
negro criminals who are dealt with as
brutes. for they are brutes, but the negro
who is decent and respectable is treated
with respect and consideration. I1e has
equal standing with the white man in a
court Of justice where his property rights
are in dispute. He is permitted to earn
an honest living, to do business and to
accumulate property. and the white man
taxes himself year after year to aid the
negro in educating his children It is
most astonishing to us tina. sensible
and well-bred man of the South. as We.
know Professor Sledd to be, should as
sert to the contrary. He is mistaken,
wofully mistaken, and he has done his
own people a cruel wrong,
As an evidence OF this alleged perse-
cution of the negro. Professor Sledd
points out that, under our rules and regu-
lations in the South, the negro is not
permitted to occupy the same waiting
room at the railway station with the
whites; is not permitted to sit in the same
car with the whites; is not permitted to
cal in the same restaurant with the
whites; is not permitted to take lodging
In the white mans hotel; and that II he
goes 10 the white mans church, he must
occupy section to himself.
lis il possible that IL has not occurred
to Professor Sledd that this complete
separation is absolutely necessary in the
south 10 the well-being of both races:
Goes he not know that the same arsu-
ueut that apples to separate schools for
the races applies with similar force to
separate hotels and separate cars and
separate waiting-rooms and separate
churches? Is it possible that a man who
has been raised in the South does not
know that this complete separation is alb
sclu,eiy necessary to preserve the In
segrity Of The Anglo-saxon race? If once
we PERM, the negroes to mix with the
writes . "a any terms Of social equality.
.raa,a 80, name of the AnElo-SaSo