The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1902-10-12
ACQUISITION AND AN ANSWER.

Editor Of The Times:
Sir,-In The Times of October I'd.
under the caption of "a Revival" you
have an editorial criticising the October
Worlds Work because of certain OBJ
seryations on the treatment of Profess
sor Andrew Sledd.
The basis of your reply is to the effect
that Professor Sledd was mot altogether
orthodox on the question of the abso-
lutte separation OF the races.
VIII you be so kind astto quote in
Of Professor Sledds article substantiattng
,-our- statement? READER.
Worsham, Va, Oct. 4th-
famous article he said: '1f the negro
could DO made to feel that his funda-
mental rights and privileges are recos-
nized and respected equally with those
Of the white man, that he is not disorim-
mated against both publicly and pri-
vately simply and solely because Of his
color, that he Is regarded and dealt with
as a responsible, If humble, member of
his problem would be at once simplified
and would shortly, in normal course,
disappear. But the negro cannot enter
tain such feelings while the evidence Of
their sroundIessness and folly Is con-
stantly thrust upon him. we do not now
speak Of the utter worthless and de-
PRAYED. There are many such; but we
whose skins are white need to remem-
Der that our color, too. has its members
Of the ignorant, lecherous and wholly
bad. But take good negro-wen edu-
Gated, courteous. God-fearing. There eye
many such; and they are, in everything
save color. superior to many white men.
But what is their life? AS they walk
our streets they lift their hats in passing
the aged or the prominent, whether man
or woman; yet no man so returns their
salutat ton. They would go away: at the
depot they may not enter the room Of
the whites. and on the train they must
occupy their own separate and second
class car. Reaching their destination,
they may not eat at the restaurant Of
the whites or rest at the white hotel.
IL Iiiey LiuhS puiSiidSCSs S1.Op laolCo dlAu
messengers look down upon them with
manifest contempt, and treat them with
open brusQueness and contumely. And
If, on a Sabbath, they would worship in
white mans church, they are hidden
to call upon God, the Maker of the black
man as well as the white, and invoke
the Christ, who died for black and white
alike. from place apart. And so. from
the cradle to the grave. the negro Is
made in Southern phrase, "to know and
keep his place .
The logical inference from this is that
Professor Sledd thinks that negro men
and women should be permitted to oc-
cupy hotels and restaura nts without dis
their color; that they should be per-
mitted to occupy pews in the churches
with white men and women; in short,
that there should be no distinction be-
tween the races in such places provided
only the negro be clean and decent.
We respectfully submit that on that
! point Professor Sledd is far from being
| orthodox. It is essential in the South
at least that the races shall be kept abb
solutely separate. and that there shall
be no sort of social mix-up The bars
| we're erected years ago and the line
was sharply defined. If ever we permit
| the slightest departure from this South
ern custom and tradition, who shall say
| what the end Will be? We repeat that
the man who teaches any other doctrine
than absolute separation is not the right
sort of man to instruct the children OF
the South. Professor sledd is not ortho-
dox in the South.