The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1903-05-03

irritation and radicalism on tho neoro
question that all people here-whites anel
n, 5roes alike were looking forward to
ann nc, al era OF tranquility and settled and
> ate had never known since the war In
TACT that condition actually existed and
| apparently there was nothing ON the hort
, zon to interrupt it. Party lines that had
.helr basis almost entirely on sectionalism
"e,e t tba ,n, or actually giving way,
SSIIaIvnra,ing the last election of President
| Mchinley white Democrats were quietly
celebrating it with beaming faces and
mu nal congratul ttions. As one partic-
e aross loud whoop went up from the ne
with party Of friends near by said:
never expected to live to @ the day
when would be glad to hear the darkies
celTrbrating political victory, but I have"
| - The last dish Of crow served UP by the
reached the endurance Of the Dem ocratlo
! oDu'hs stomach Even now you hear II
SAD by people here on all hands that had
Mchinisy lived through his second term
! the solid South would have been thing
| of the past.
- all pc p le were happier here in Miss
lss'ppi than they III d ever been since the
! war Prosperity was everywhere mani
fest, The Hill negro cotton factory out
look was rosy. Then came President
o Moh aha ys,. death s and following quickly
the Administration which at one swoop
put back affairs by half score Of years
Irritation and prejuiics that had all but
died out were revived and invgcrat, d
with a long, lease Of life. Welcomed
Joyously by the ag'tators and the active
RADICALS, it was correspondinRly deplor d
, by the thoughtful and conse rvative. Upon
the negroes the effect was i'm n ,date, and
10 such leaders as Hill most depressing.
We have not given up the cotton mill
but the course OF President Roosevelt
I has greatly injured us. Subscriptions
| practically ceased coming, right on the
heels OF events which so reused the whites.
The CO. colored PEOPLE, who we're hopeful and
existing, beo1me Allied with uncertainty
as to. the future. Many Of them even
| talked 10 me about Bishop Turner'S plan
Of an African colony 1t did a very great
injury to the people Of my race here.
-One Of the dire ct results of the prelim-
mary talk about the appointment Of Crum
and Of the Booker Washington matter at
the White House was the meeting Of the
people. of lndianola at which the colored
Eostm'stress there was requested to resign.
That would never have occurred but for
the irritation caused by the Presidents
course. And what he did was uncalled for.
The white men OF the South do not dislike
the colored people. They like them, and
lte COlOTeN people ike inc S)ulnern WflNeS
They know ard understand each other
Thc'~ relations would be friendly and with
OUT friction If they were left to themselves.
But am going on with the cotton mill
project 1t is discouraging now. but
believe confidence will come back The
whites would subscribe now just as they
will subscribe to build our churches and
our schools. But that was not the design.
We wished to start a factory Of our own.
The fact that we had done so would en-.
courage others 70 try, II would be the
beginning of field Of industry for the
Southern colored people that might and
/ believe would. reach far and be Of great
and lasting benefit. We have received a
setback by the course OF the Administra-
ton. / believe, however, it will be only
setback. We will succeed in the end
By throwing oven to the negroes the
doors of hope a. represented by few
Federal offices, there hos been brought
about here In Mississippi campaign to
close the echoolhouse door OF hope and a
state of affairs tina; at least by a good deal
delays the opening Of an industrial door
Of hope. The schoolhouse door of hope
will not be closed. and the industrial door
of nope in the end will be opened.
The clock has been put back that Ia all.
And the part cularly unfortunate feature
Of it all is that ii came at time when cordial
relations between the races were estab-
lished on lines satisfactory both to whites
and to blacks and which apparently were
based on lasting foundation.