The Montgomery advertiser. [volume] (Montgomery, Ala.) 1885-1982, 1903-12-09

A SENSIBLE NEGRO
Who Hopes for Good to His Race by
Good will All Around.

Union Springs, Ala, December 4, 1908.
Editor The Advertiser:
I wish to thank you for the editorial OF
even date. under The he caption The Sur
have been subscriber Of your IA
nous paper for long time, and have
watched with increasing interest all that
you have written con erning psaceabie
solution of the perplex race problem.
When a famous paper like yours shows
a friendly disposition to help honest me-
groes who are striving to better Their con.
dition, the race feels greatly uplifted and
The negroes of Bullock County may not
be as prosperous as the Demopolis negro,
financially considered, but we know there
has been a decided progress among US.
There is a good feeling existing between
the races. The negro carpenter finds plen-
ty work here, brick masons are in de-
mand, painters are kept busy from Janu-
ary to January, SO that the negro who
wants work to do finds II here In abund-
ance. l cannot say that negro teach rs
rast of the OF
in the Educational Department, but they
are better satisfied because they are now
paid monthly instead of every three
months.
The ministers of the race are perhaps
the most. favored of the full shot sack
silver dollar club The mightiest men OF
found in the country, and Bullock can
boast of a few negro farmers who live
far above the average.
We do not claimer for social equality
| We have no desire for It, We have no
compromise to make with any negro who.
because his skin Is light, seeks to leave
his race. No man has ever become ia
nous who did not love his race. We care
not for social privileges. The written and
unwritten law says no-Nature says no
forever no. God has decreed 1t should not
be, and the Southland on this question
rightly says, Thy will be done or re-
What the negro wants is a chance to
work. He needs the help of Apglo-Sax-
ons, who has had centuries Of advantages
and If 1 am to Judge the future by the
past, the Anglo-Saxon will continue to
hold the rein of government In hand CEN
turtles to come. Let the press of this
country help their back brother. Let the
negro leaders. who are Industrious and
who live peaceably and who are law-abid-
| ing, be encouraged to speak cd word
and offer frlenuIy and timely suggestions
new vagrancy law, / presume will take
care of the rest)
Voting has become a lost art with US.
While | have never been a delegate to
political convention, it is natural that
feel somewhat sorry for many Afro
American politicians of ante ct post bel
lum stripe who have lost their pull.
The DISTINGUISHED of Montgomery County
once honored me with the nomination Of
Representative in the General Assembly
to represent one of the wealthiest, coun-
Ties VI our great 0IAtS. ne
was unsolicited on my part. l was at
home sick In bed and knew nothing of the
affair until my attention was called to it
by one OF your subscribers. / positively
refused the nomination. thinking in matur-
sr years l would enter the political arena
and Join my brethren In a chase for
pie" few minutes study convinced
me that the air castles of mine C luld not
be rcalized-that could serve my people
to far better advantage in the calling of
my MISUNDERSTANDING show them
far more excellent way along the lines
or Industry. economy, morality and in
tellectual lines. The writer and few 9TH
ers of the County registered, but If we
organize a convention there will be hard
ly enough to keep minutes. The Bullock
County negroes promise the State of
Here we West" to never rest until we
have come up to every standard named
In the Constitution. We are going to. for
benefit Of self Improvement pay poll tax,
even though We are not registered.
I agree with you, distingui she'd sir, that
may l not say our) Southland. Since our
stay 10 destined to be centuries it be-
hooves the negro to live on friendly terms
with their white neighbors. If we are
given good chance to acquire property.
to buy farms 20 open wide the d1ors of
industry, If the negro Is given prote stion
In the right, IL the youth are properly
trained II the suggestions which you
made in your editorial are followed by
both raceE | see no reason why the South
land should not become a land of cheer
and plenty and prosperity will be no less
In the negro cabin than in the mansion
| OF the most favored race.
|. w Jones
Principal Colored School