The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1903-02-20
Thr W(rssrn9rr.
sn-sreu aI the Postofice at Wilmine
ton. n. c., as Second-Class
Matter. April Is. 1879
BROOKLYN EAGLE ON THE NEGRO
QUESTION

The editor of the Brooklyn Eag.e is
Mr.. st. Clair McKelTay. One would
be pretty apt to infer from his name
that he was a man with a clear-he1d
and a weIl-baIanced mind. a Scotchman,
of close observation who will not put
his pencil to paper until he knows.
thoroughly the sabject on which he.
wishes to write. That he is this kind
of a man the following editorial from.
his paper proves him 20 be. He w-!;esI
on that subject which Just now is alb
sorbing so much attention. north and
south-the present nj future DositioIi
OF the negro IN the latter section. lie.
understands the negro and the south
rn situation thoroughly. 1t is re-
freshing to come across such views.
and opinions from rhc "GItor of al
are some who are not blinded by preju-I
dice. or. which is almost as bad. un-i
dertake to discuss the question and
give advice while totally ignorant as.
10 every phase of it.
The Eagle editorial is as follows:
This government is now under no.
more obligation to take care or negroes
than of the whites. Whites co not
ask the government to take carr OF
them They take care OF themselves
And they gag to take care OF the
negroes through state governments In
the matter OF education. and to lake
care OF them in the labor world un-
der the laws of employment and tle
like. The negro of today as the ward
or charge OF the federal gov ernm mt
has no status and should have lore.
He was freed forty years ago In that
time he mas been the cause or o-ca-
sion of a great deal of trouble in the
country. but only because he has been
cOddled. pampered or privileged he
yOnd his measure or capacity or de-
veloDment by those who do not under
stand him and whose motives as par
tisans were. to say the least. not
philanthropic. What the negro needs
is abstension from politics.. abstenSinn
from n~iICr-hOiding. educational faCiii-
ties. on Industrial lines. which recog-
nize his apt.tudes ard his limitations.
and then be let alone. TO stand or
fall. according TO his deserts
1T may he said thar the constitution
recognizes his political rights. But
the constitution in thar part does not
recognize his human nature. AMI hu-
IMAM nature was before constitutions.
is stronger than they and will conform
them to Its instincts and mandates.
This is a government of states as we'll
az Al union Suffrage in state turns on
state treatment OF suffrage. And pIb
lie opinion in states touching the Office
holding class. considered by races. will
get the best OF political experimental
ton against it, or at the expense OF
it. The, white race everywhere kaeDS
the red man under. keeps the yellow
man under and keeps the black man
under. The latter problem is u little
harder here than elsewhere. bcrauSe
the black man is massed rather than
diffused here. But the policy and the
instinct OF the white race viii not h
changed on account of that fact. any
more than II has been changed BY
constitutions or laws which did moi
take race instincts and rae limitations
into account.
What can be and what should be
done to the negro VIII be discovered
and effected when what cannot be
Aone ana SnOuLG not De ATTEMPTED 1OE
him is Candidly recognized. Mr.. Poot
recognizes It. Mr.. Roosevelt now pre-
sumabiy does. Hard-sensed men in
both parties recognized it before either
of these statesmen admitted that he
did. Life is a competition IN whicN
the fttest last. Government is an
evolution Of the needs and genius of
men among whom the fittest dominate
The fittest race in the world is tn
Caucasian. Among the weakest Is
the negro race. Neither poetry nor
procfama ton nor constitutions nor
laws nor uratory will change the fact
that it Is best for the whites to control
and best for the blacks that the whites
should control. For both races should
be education and personal and civic
freedom. But for the whites shO"l@
be government and for the backs
should be adequate education and &c
cent protection under government by
the whites"
AMENDMENT TO II CUBAN