The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1903-11-04
Reply to Rusticus.


Editor OF TIE Times-D ispatch:
SRI read With mich interest the
article Of "Fusticus,'' oh the negro
problem in recent issue OF your paper,
but I fear tho earnestness and good In
tent of the writer are only edualled by the
utter Impractical Of Ills schemes. He
would separate by law, each night, the
unmarried males and females OF every
log cabin In Virginia, In my humble
judgment one might al we'll attempt TO
dam the Mississippi River.
In the first place do not think any
Legislature would dare enact such radical
paternalism-which would Of necessity et-
feet both RACES similarly-and in the Sc
cond place. I do not believe that an army
I Of ofacials would be able to enforce shch
provisions, and 10 do 10 would necessltata
the presence Of an officer in each cabin.
every night In the year. Families would
not toll on each other, and certainly the
Individual members Of families would
not incrinninate brothers and sisters and
parents. How then would the law be en-
iorsed. save by an ever wakeful Cau-
casian eye?
Again In this average poor negro family,
where would the extra money come from
FOR new rooms, nav furniture, new bed
dlsg ana additional iirewood7 What white
men, having negro by tho year Gas MIL
ll6ns are hiring In the South to-day,
would consent TO build new rooms to the
tenants house for the benefit. Of his In
creasing fanily-for the worthless lads
and lassles above the fateful year Of
twelve?
What man, indeed7
But the chief point want to make
Is this, Granting that the views Of
'.Rus tio,iso could be carried out to ths
letter-what then? Does he Imagine for an
Instant that his improvement would fall
upon good grolnd-that It would act upon
the negro character as II would upon the
fine grain and tough fibre OF tho white
race? Does he fancy that he Is dealing
with plaster OF Paris, which simply needs
the plastic hand. but once III order that
the permanent mould may be found? In
short does he fancy that the same laws
would apply with edual efficacy to both
races? II. 80 ]. fear-nay, verify. know
that he ls sadly mistaken, II Is n capital
error to reckon the material Of the two
peoples the same. pI9S
And Just here. just Upon this point dc
half the benefcent efforts In behalf Of
the negro TALL. He will not hold Improve
rient. He lacks stamina. He Is shallow
hatured. He lacks depth, He resembles
the white, slaty soil Of ohr tlat@oods-he
Will not hold face.
You may Improve him to certain OK
tent. but Just as soon as the shaping
Hand ID removed; just as soon as he has
to bend for himself, he becomes an
invertebrats, ana like putty statue set
ties to his former level, 6a
He Is Inherently weak, Inherently shal-
| low, inherently unstable. He can never
| ia permanently Improved because thete
| Is no basic stun to Improve upon. Ills
nature is nature Of aiilcksand, and as
soon as the strain of solid Improvement
| tests upon 1t, 1t sinks And settles In
wretchea and miserable weakness.
This Is the whole truth--thls is the key
| to his former savageryi this is the key
| 10 his utter failures when brought Into
contact with the highest civilization. His
nature Ia Ills doom, and It cannot he
changed. AS the protected servant of Q
stronger Face he Will siirvivs few
years; sas an, independent taetori as an
educated rival Of the white man, he will
| sink irrevotably. His mission is to serve
and when this mission IL INTERRUPTED, he
| viii be destroyed:
Hence It would seem that the truess
btneficence In his behalf would be the
| full recognition Of Ills Limitations and the
CONSEQUENT Improvement Ut his nature
within those limita tions, To do. otherwise
is to court wrsek and disaster on all
hands.
Respectfully. AuBEMARLE
g October 80tf ~ saf s.a