The Montgomery advertiser., 1903-02-01
1o1BINa THE NEGROES.

0DS4SN A&k& ~ y00G5V60s The New York Age. colored organ, warns its race against the schemes of
 the National Council of Ex-Slaves As- socfaticn." under which hish-sounding title certain 'conscienceless promoters are setting rich. The alleged object is to Induce Congress to grant pensions to the ex-slsvss. and bill has been introduced Tn Congress in furtherance of the scheme. of which The Age says:
 The whole matter is both ludicrous and eoriosio. Ludicrous because of its int- practicability and the personnel of its promoters. and serious because of the voluntary surrender of hard-earned money by the ignorant, infirm, and un- tortnnate Of the race at the South and elsewhere. This scheme should be ex- posed by our race journals everywhere.
 The Age Is right in warning the colored people against schemes of this nature. Paying their late owners for slaves, and paying pensions to slaves are two pipe dreams of which and against which warning Ia necessary. It is especially desirable that the negroes of the South should be put on notice that every dollar they contribute to this alleged pension legfslation Is a dollar stolen from them to go into the pockets of some scoundrel. white or colored, who has adopted this method of making money easily. Agents of this association with the big title are collecting money from the colored people all over the Union. assuring their vic- tims that they are gbing to get a bill through Congress to pension the former slaves. and that nothing can prevent such ieg1sfatton but lack of funds.
 Under such promises and representa- tions the negroes are sending their money and The Age declares that the promoters Of the scheme 'are waxing fat and pros- porous upon the liberal contributions rs. ceived from thousands of former slave, throughout the South" This is not very surprising. however much we may la ment 1t. The negroes are, as a class both Ignorant and trustful. They are the most easily beguiled and deluded people that ever lived. From the day of thr,r emancipation they have been the victims of white sharks. generally Northern men. who have swindled and robbed them without mercy. They will bite at almost any bait and invest in any scheme if promise of gain is held out to them.
 Under such circumstances and for these reasons we are not surprised to hear that this pension business is a mine of wealth to its promoters. The idea of pension is very acceptable one to the average negro. When he Is assured that the government is going to take care of him in his old age by granting a pen sion that will enable him to live easy 1t Is not strange that he opens his heart and his pocket book and contributes his dollar or more to the fund. That the promoters and advocates of this impos- sible proposition know its futility is A matter which doesn't worry them as long as they are growing rich in its advoca cy AS long as they can keep up the delusion in the minds of the negroes 1t will be profitable and they care nothing about the rascahty involved. It is A matter of business. nefartous though 1t be. and they will keep 1t up as long as the dollars come in. The negroes every where should be informed that the whole thing is black mail and that they are being robbed for the benefit of scoun- drels.