The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1903-09-13
WILLIAM ]. BRYAN ON THE
NEGRO PROBLEM AS IT IS
.sNothing Will Do More to Kill Race Prejudice Than
the Building Up of Character, He
Concludes.
(Wm. ]. Bryan in The Commoner)

! fear of it? 1t is grievous mistake to
turn the Negroes thoughts from the sub
stantial advantages of industrial. intellec-
tual and moral progress to the unsub-
stantial promises of social recognition.
The amalgamation of the races is not the
solution of the race problem, and that
would be the logical result of social
equality In their natural right TO life,
liberty and the pursuit of happiness the
white man and the black man are equal
and these rights should be protected with
| jealous care. Educational advantages
| should be open to both races and both
should be encouraged to secure all the
mental discipline possible.
| Whether the more advanced race should
| fix suffrage qualifications for the less ad-
vanced is a question to be determined by
| the facts in the case, but it is safe to
say that on this subject the people of the
North would be much like the people of
the South if they were compelled to meet
the same conditions
| AS to social equality there should be
] frank and candid understanding. There
| is no difference on this subject between
| the white people of the north and the
white people of the South The color
line is drawn by Republican families as
distinctly as it is by Democratic families,
as distinctly by Northern families as by
Southern families. There is more friend
! illness and helpfulness where this is re-
cognized than where it is left in doubt
| and uncertainty.
1ubit 10 h.
rights of the black race and lend it every
possible assistance The whites of the
South are taxing themselves to educate
the children of darker skin, while Repub-
lican politicians in the North are riding
into office on black votes and, while they
exclude the colored people from their So
cial functions, are constantly trying to
array the Southern negro against the
/ Southern white man.
There is another aspect of the question.
The promise of social equality-false as it
is-encourages the educated negro to hope
to get away from his race and thus the
race loses the benefit that the more pro-
gressive negroes might bring to it. In
stead of trying to bleach the face or to
| take the kink out of the hair let the
colored man recognize that he is black by
nature and set to work to show what one
of his race can accomplish. No upright,
intelligent and law-abiding colored man
ever gets into trouble himself or involves
his people in race war. After the colored
man has established reputation for vr
tue sobriety and good sense, let him de-
vote himself to the building up of a So
ciety that will satisfy his needs. If he
has daughters let him make them worthy
of the best young men of his race; if he
has sons, let him make them examples of
industry and good habits. To deserve re-
spect and not enjoy it is better than to
enjoy respect without deserving it, but
to deserve respect is the best way to Sc
cure it.
a good character is more valuable and
more permanent that postoffice, and
nothing will do more to kill race prejudice
than the building up of character.
The white man needs to be reminded,
as the President suggests, that lawless-
ness is dangerous and torture demoraliz-
ing to those who practice it, but the black
man must also be cautioned not to judge
the white mans life purpose by the pas
sions of an hour and he should be warned
not to allow the vices and lusts of the
most abandoned of his race to provoke
hostility between himself and the whites.
The race question is here and it will
require the intelligence and the patriotism
of the people North and South to settle
it Alright. 1t has too long been used for
political advantage