The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1903-10-30
TIE EvOLU ZION OF ABE MIDDLE
TON.

abe Middleton in North Carolina poll
tics. He was a member of the Republican
State Executive Committee and one of
the ring-leaders in the successful fusion
that defeated the Democrats in 1894. AS
reward for his efficient "whooping up"
the negro vote Abe was elected door
keeper of the House of Representatives
and was big boss in the Republican
do much political work and ABE" became
celebrity OF Statewide reputation. For
four years he held a place with the big
bosses. and then in 1898 decided or was
persuaded, Gt does not matter which,, to
turn his attention from politics to farm
ing.
The day he dropped politics and took up
farming marked a new day in the life of
A. r. Middleton. He titled the soil and
the fruits of the earth gave their increase.
From the bitterness and rancor and ex-
element of political warfare he went to
the useful, quiet retirement of
agricultural life Instead of running to
and fro among the negro voters, doing the
bidding of his political superiors. he be-
came his own man. He rose early i'll the
morning and plowed and dug his farm and
cultivated friendly relations with his
neighbors Of both races, and has come to
e
in Eastern North Carolina This year he
shipped two hundred and fifty crates of
| strawberries to northern markets, two
hundred crates of huckleberries, Irish po-
tatoes and other truck Right now" he
said yesterday, 81 am selling green peas
to the James Sprunt Institute, hotels and
private families, and am doing we'll at
truck growing and farming" More than
that: instead of leading his race
ungrateful a set of politicians as
ever disgraced a commonwealth this
leader of the coored race has become
leader in the church and in agriculture,
and is trying to teach the youth of the
race that their only hope lies in right liv-
ing and in industry How much better
that is than helping to herd them to vote
for cattle who cared nothing for them ex-
cept to use them as planks upon which to
crawl into office?
When it was abe the politician. he
did not have time to lead his race in in
dustrial pursuits. When he retired from
politics and turned his attention to agri-
cultural pursuits, he was chosen president
of the Negro State Fair, now in session at
Raleigh, and is doing what he can, both
by precept and example, to encourage the
young of his race to acquire skill and to
labor on the farms. In his speech in open
| ing the Negro Fair, President Abraham
Middleton gave this wise counsel:
There is an unusual amount Of restless
ness among the colored people of North
Carolina, which tends to deprive this State
of the best negro labor, and it is the eff
fort of this association to address itself
in the work of bringing about a more sat
| isfied state of mind among the colored peo-
pie, and to stimulate in them efforts to ac-
quire skill, efficiency and reliability as
Workmen'
To the accomplishment of this end Pres
ident Middleton and the other leaders of
his race will have the cooperation of the
best men OF the white race. The negroes
who are industrious and skillful find here
in North Carolina the best place for homes
on the American continent In showing
this truth to the negroes, Abraham Mid
dleton is proving himself worthy leader
of his race and is doing more for them in
one day in such work than he did for
them in score of years as politician.
Henceforth we do not call him "Abe.
That was his political cognomen-the name
of smart negro who was negro poll
tician of no mean capacity. II rs now
become a successful agriculturalist and
| teacher to his race of work and skill
Therefore we will hereafter call him cab
raham,' the father of the new negro agri-
| cultural nrogress in North Carolina