The Marlboro democrat. [volume] (Bennettsville, S.C.) 1882-1908, 1903-02-27
RACE Il,l q J QUESTION. SO. |!
Mrs. Teresa Dean Writes Of cohdi-
tions In the South s;; &.

Mrs. Teresa Dean Writes Of Cohdi-
q tions In the South SIS. Is;
TWO STANDARDS ARE NEEDED.
white and Black Should Not Be,
q Treated Alike. White suprem-
ncy Absolutely Necessary to
Preserve Clviiization.
Mrs. Teresa Dean, WHO writes for
Town Topics OF New York under the
designation OF tThe Widow writes
on the negro question generally from
Columbia as follows:
Conditions are III, wrong in the
South either for carrying out high.
moral purpose, Tor instantaneous
changes. The negro is the stumbling
block Northern politics have placed
him where, under the flag and con-
stitutionally, he has the same prwi
lcges as q white citizen. Foiitic did
not remember that the negro in his
natural state is a savage and in his
civilized state q dependent slave. To
give him his freedom does not take
fro.n him the instincts Of his nature
or of the later scrvility; can not put
into him force Of character or ambi-
tion. Freedom, if it means anything
to him, means doing as he pleascs,
with no knowledge whatever Of the
finer sensibilities that make thrall-
dom OF ones conscience. Free as the
negro Is, the Southern negroes must
be led, or must be driven, or else must
be given time and the right conditions
for development into respectable law
abiding, law-protccting citizens, This
can not be brought about by politics.
Politics, however, through franchise
and wire pulling, can bring about Il
condition that makes the negro vote
legal. Should this become general In
towns where the colored popula tion is
the largest, it would mean disaster to
the South and racial war This
country is supposed-to be a white
mans country. Even the most dar-
ing and unscrupuious politician would
not in his senses assert that the stars
and stripes are meant for more than
to protect colored people under white
rule. Yet, under present conditions
with colored political appointments
rasping against traditions with COM
pulsory education heing legisiatcd-
reading and writing being The test
that makes the negro Il votcr-our
Ilag does not seem much or protcc-
tion. Surely the problems OF the
South are a,Chincse puZzle
With two distinct races in color and
mental development there should be
different laws-onc for the negro, one
for the white race. / heard prOlni-
ncnt judge, who has been on the bench
for years in South Carolina, say that
hc always mcted out much sevcrer
punishment to the white prisoner than
to the colOred; that he considered the
white man much more responsible for
his sins than tue negro; that the In
telligencc of the negro fell far below
even the lowest class OF white. Yet
politics and the franchise place them
equally in the affairs or the country!
For very sname's Sake, and perhaps to
have something to lcgisla:c these
people seem to be indcfatigablc Legis-
for compulsory education and bills for
/ ;o.a.oa abettering Of all conditions in the
South are introduced in the State
Legislatures and then fall flat or be-
come imperative because OF struck
out clauses or from tile fact that the
| negro must be helped the same as,
and by the side Of, the white people.
There is no class uf white child that
will sit down by the side of Il colnred
child in the scho, is Of the South They
can play together lis children, but the
black child fctcleS and carries for the
white child and is still the subject as
in the slave days. The great question
Of child labor has for It's strongest
| point the fact that while the white
child is employed in these mills, the
negro is getting ahead in education.
The negroes knowing that they are
not voting citizens without the knowl
edge of reading and writing, and be-
ing taught that to vote is power,
crowd the schools with seeming
ambition away beyond the whites.
Their ambition does not go beyond tho
franchise clause, excepting in rare in
stances where ar intelligent half-an-
| SSoUiJ Iluo OSCl DuEtIlCGu CIlc ucRrU
drifting instincts.
| Compulsory education which has
become a law In this State, has been
made imperative by striking out the
clause iining or imprisoning parents
who do not enforce the law In every
instance the incentive for this cundi-
tion Of things is to keep the negro be-
low the privileges accorded by the
government. 1t sounds badly to ad-
nit or assert that the South does try
to keep the negro down, but the
Southerncrs know the negro. They
know his possibilities and imposslbili-
ties. They know his condition is bet
ter when entirely cared for by the
white people than when he does for
himself. They know he can not get
on without the guidance Of the white
people. They know he lacks the
reasoning power that makes an intelli-
gent, wide world in one accord. BE-
cause Of this lack OF reasoning power
and the impulse that alone guides his
actions, and with his ideas Of license
misunderstood libcrty--thc negro is
the menace to Southern civilization lis
we gauge it from the North. The
negro is not held down by the South,
but the negro can not he made into