The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1903-02-24
The Saloon and the
Rum-Grozed Negro.
CONTINUED from First papel

while, the difficulties increased They
meet us now. Let us present some of
them.
Dlfflcultles of the co-existence Of the
opeh salooH and the emancipated negro
III the south! First, there is the increase
vi the negro population. Whether or not
Ihey increase more rapidly than the
whites we need not argue. In many
southern counties and in some States,
they outnumber the whites and are still
idpiaiy increasing. Again, the old slave
generation of negroes, docile. respectful
and often a~ffectionate, to the children
and grand children of their former mas
tiers, has about passed away. A Younger
and still a junior generation of negroes
mas come on. They no longer exhibit
that Difference, courtesy and kindly feel
ing to the white people which was so
general among their forefathers. Strain
ed relations, resulting ia uuarrels and
lawlessness are under stimulants much
more probable; and in fact are more fire.
Quent. Then, too, Notwithstanding the
generous efforts of the Southern people
and the phlIanthropiSts of the North. it
is doubtful If the agencies for education
nave been directed along such judicious
and moral lines IS to greatly relieve
the difficulties in the case, and when the
increase Of population constantly en-
larges the demand for uplifting agencies,
there is room for serious doubt whether
the real advance upon the ignorance,
Idleness and immortality of the colored
population in the South has much more
than begun. Here, too, we have thou
sands of idlers herded in negro villages
and around plantation quarters or loung-
ing in their town settlements or at sa-
loon doors in our cities and smaller
towns. The dictates of common prudence.
TO say nothlng of wise craftsmanship,
would be Use all rational means to
quiet, mollify and elevate this menacing
clement to our peace and prosperity and
social life. On the contrary, low licenses
and cOvetous officials nave thrown the
doors of thousands of saloons open and
they have saturated myriads of uncon-
trOliable, passionate beasts with fiery
stlmuiants, 10 &c forth among peaceful
farm houses and unguarded hamlets and
villages to prey upon our property, our
homes and to wreak ruin upon the most
refined and helpless members of our
households. Heretofore, most of our
people in North Carolina have regarded
these conditions as hopeless, but we are
grateful that a better day has dawned
Relief-Thanks to an overruling Provi-
dence. The Democratic party was in
spired to make a mighty effort to eman-
cipate the white people from the bondage
of one hundred thousand illiterate, mar
ketable colOred voters, and the friends
of virtue, security and honor can meet
their opponents upon a fairer field. This
Continued on Page Tenn
We propose to do. We propose TO rally
all true and good citizens and all loyal
and patriotic statesmen to the defence of
our people from inebriated beasts and
prowling brutes, fired with the poisoned
stimulants which goad them on to rape
and other crimes. We propose to relieve
our people of the tax imposed, to subsi-
die q large police force kept to hold
back these brutes from injuring our
families. We propose to go to every
town and village in Eastern Carolina and
say to our fair and noble women, My sis
ters, YOU are free now: you shall walk
our street seven days of the week as we'll
as the negroes. On Saturdays you, too,
may so forth to your business or pleasure
without fear of being Tudely jostlcd or
painfully affronted by rough words or
profane Oaths from Swarms of drunken
negroes or whites who have 50 regularly
shut you in-and for this emancipation
We now appeal to the loyal and righte-
Gus statesmen assembled in our State
Capitol! If the negroes are c~mancipated
from the restraints of slavery, the whites
must be emancipated from the bondage
of the saloon.
w. D. MORTON.
Rocky Mount n c..