The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1903-03-11
A Southern WOmm s View Of The Coi.
ored Man Destiny.
From the New York Sum-

Being q subscriber to the Sun, I
have been reading the many articles
published in your valuable paper on
the negro and his needs, and il is very
plain to see that the average North
ern man, with all his cultivation and
superior advantages, is altogether
ignorant as to the darby and the South
generally, and a total want Of knowl-
edge of these matters renders such a
one totally incapable Of forming a cor
rect opinion. I think it but fair that
these questions should be left to us VI
the South, who know the darkcy and
his wants 80 we'll.
Only yesterday a great burly, black
negro came to my door, with hat in
hand, respectfully soliciting the job
of repairing "a house about which |
had spoken to him previously. After
speaking to him about the work
he wanted to do he driftcd to the sub
ject Of the colorcd people, and stated
that any colored man who wonld keep
sober and attend to his business could
make a living, as he was doing; that
the trouble with the negro race was that
they drank too much liquor and were
too idle to prosper. He then went on
to say:
"What would become of US negroes
but for the white people? They are
u friends. We have been broaght
up with them, and know and bye
them. Why do these Northern peo-
pie bother over us 80 much? We
don't want Office; it don't suit US.
We want to labor and be happy here
in the South. We can'ttrust our OWL
race. and I've got no use for the
Northern man, either, if they who
come down here putting in machinery
are a sample. lie treats the negro
mean and cheats him out Of his mon
ey, too. Our white people don't do
that way. No, ma'am, I want to stay
on right here" This man is only q
of thousands whose ideas run in the
same channel.
We of the South know how to treat
the negroes. We know their require
ments. The have their own schools
and their own churches and we help
them to get them, and then support
them largely by taxation on our own
property. Some Of them own their
farms and stock, while not q few own
houses and lots in our towns and
cities. Others are shiftless and in
dolent and never will have anything,
but the same is also true Of some of
the other race.
1t 10 sadly true that the negro as o
moral proposition is far from perfect,
and here lies much of the trouble.
Education does not improve him in
that respect, for many negroes who
have the best school training are'often
immoral. They have q natural trait
of lying and deceiving in their make
up, but we people Of the South know
how to make allowances for that. We
may cultivate and improve them in
many ways, but We can't make them
over or change their original inheri-
tance any more than you can change
their color. So why push them on to
occupy places that they are not fitted
for and do not care for? Let them
alone; We are their real friends and
they arc happy here.
We have o charming country home
a.few miles from our thriving little
city, surrounded by several acres Of
forest trees, many acres of good farm
ing lands adjoining. In the midst
Of this forest is q beautiful spring
from which flows q pure stream of.
water that runs off like q thread Of
silver. The spring flows at the rate
of sixty gallons per minute and sup
plies eli IN the farm with an album
dance Of pure water. Just in q stones
throw from the dwelling house, and in
the cool and shady woods, dwells, in q
comfortable cabin, an old, old negro.
His step is slow, and his once strong
form is bent and feeble; his eye is now
dim and his hair and beard are snow
white. He lives here content, at
peace with God and man. In his
cabin :, a big o!d-fashioned fireplace,
with it's blazing logs. He has a good
bed, with plenty to eat and to wear,
with nothing to do but sit in his Chin
ney corner and dream of the "happy
days in Dixie, now gone by"
When this old man was young and
strong, and happy and secure in his
masters care, he knew and cared moth
ing for the ups and downs of life, nor
did he realize any of the hardships Of
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