Okolona messenger. (Okolona, Miss.) 1900-current, 1903-08-19

-m ~ NenaIan sLar. 49,. ~


From The Meridian star. AUG. ifth.
There Is a class Of well-meaning, but
misguided men, who are clamo-ing for
the higher education for the negro and
the elevation Of that benighted race.
These same men are loud in their asser
tons that there Is no race issue be-
Gauss the edus ational qualifications re-
quired for voters eliminate the negro
from politics." II this- assertion Of the
negrophiles b. true. what will be the
result Of rhe elevation Of the negro
through thu higher education Z Out
OF their own mouths are they con-
demned.
Those who carry the white mans
burden" in the south may owe It to
humanity to give the children Of this
dependent race enough schooling to en-
able them to read and write, but here
it should stop. THIS was good enough
for our forefathers It was good enough
for the great masses Of the white peo-
pie Of today, who pear the burdens Of
this government, and it is good enough
for the negro. Il is more than thous
ands Of little bright-eyed white boys
and girls receive, yet they are children
Of fathers from the sweat Of whose
brows lie wrung taxes to keep up negro
schools. An this clamor for the higher
education Of the negro is disgusting.
For t~hirty-hve years we have borne this
burden, and misguided northern philan-
thropists have given their millions to
elevate the negro TO an equal footing
with the white man. We have main
tanned negro colleges by taxation Of the
whites In Mississippi and at the same
time sent to the poor house the decreTted
and unfortunate old Confederates, who
fought for u homes, and suffered all
that men ever dare" for our liberties
through four of the darkest years of
war and blood that the world ever saw.
Yet we have been patient, bowling in
submission to a set of tin horn polite
ians who wanted to make grand stand
plays to northern galleries, and show
them how we could crawl on our bel
lies and eat dust.
But when the negrophiles themselves
tell us that there is no race question be-
cause the negro has not been "eleva-
ted" by the higher education, and that
be is only eliminated from politics FOR
the same reason, it is time for us to
stop and think.
What has already been the result Of
our efforts to educate the negrof The
old time negro, was a faithful, indus
trious and useful creature, loved and
respected by all who knew him, is fast
passing away. In his place we have
Afro American razor toters, crap shoot
ers, Migrants and agitators and revolt
ing crimes, lynchings and race riots are
the result. These people, tens of thous-
ands In number, are of the non-pro-
duoing class and must be supported by
others who work. They are supported
in part by negro women who cook for
the white folks and carry of provis-
ions. They steal and gamble. aud are
helped by rich yankees" with more
money than brains. The average Afro
American is only fit to loaf, shoot craps,
engage in rowdyism and hold CONVEX
tions, to the leaders of which northern
men contribute money and the newspa-
pers give miles and miles of columns Of
space, filled with matter that is nauseat-
ing to every sensible aud decent man.
The uneducated negro, at work on
the old plantation, and under the whole
some restraint of the white man, is the
bappiest and most contented creature
on earth, and one Of the most useful.
To love and serve his white folks" and
have no cares and responsibilities of
his own-to be dependent upon his bUss
who gives him protection, encourage
ment and aid in every effort to better
his condition, is the natural element of
the negro. When he is educated and
false ideas are put into his head by i'll
advised people and Afro American
leaders who cla1or for social equality
with the white man, he becomes dis
contented and useless, and a good field
hand becomes a worthless warrant or a