The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1903-04-26
SEGREGATION IS THE SOLUTION"
So Saws Sidney q. Fisher of the Negro Problem.
Northern View of the Southern
Darkey.

No one in the North, say the Southern
ors, can understand the negro problem,
in the South. / was born in Pennsyl-
vania and brought up there and in New
England in full sympathy with the eman
cipation and in full sympathy with the
feelings which carried the Civil War to
q successful conclusion and saved the
Union. i believe that it was right TO
save the Union and emancipate the
slaves. Whether l understand the negro
problem in the South l cannot say. The
Southerners must judge of that.
The Southerner knows the negro. We
do not. The Southerner knows all about
him: is in contact with him almost every
day all his life long; and the Southern
negro, although very trying and often
sive when numerous, Us, nevertheless,
worth knowing The Northern negro is a
faded specimen He has lost the wonder
full eXhuberance, the great-heartedness,
the mellow, homely wisdom, the inimita-
bic humor, the richness of voice, GER
tain indescrbable freedom in his point of
view and other qualities difficult to de-
scribe, and which cannot thrive after
they cross the southern boundary of
Pennsylvania.
Many a day have wandered over plan
tations listening to the dark race in the
full freedom of country life singing
at their labor their deep, sonorous voices
vibrating in superb harmony through the
dark pine forests; and from listening to
their music, which seems to belong so
thoroughly to the soil, it is no less a
pleasure to exchange greetings with these
whole-souled, humorous fellows, who re-
spond so quickly to the slightest good
noture or frank human sympathy on our
part. / have often thought on such days
what a dull place the South might be
without the black man; and in this l
have found that Southern white men
agree with me. They delight in the ne
gro; he is Ia source of pleasure and a
humanity to them, and / have heard some
of them say that If the negroes all left
the country they would follow them.
The QUESTION OF MAJORITY
1t is all a question of numbers and ma
jority, and when that condition exists the
bottom fact which causes all the trouble,
which causes the deadly quarrel between
white and black in the South, is that
which the negro seeks-domination. That
is an ugly statement and is seldom put
in print in that blunt way; but we shall
never, in my opinion. understand the
situation or be able to deal with it until
we openly and without flinching face the
great fact.
] am aware that negro leaders and 9TH
ers will deny that they are seeking domi-
nation, and l do not blame them for de-
nying it, for it is the obviously prudent
course on their part But all the facts
and incidents of the situation, and often
their own unguarded conversations, show
it, / have talked with educated negroes
who have explained to me that the white
mans domination or superiority was a
mere historical accident: that the negro
was equally capable of domination or SUI
periority, and was held back only by
custom and habit and the depressing eff
feet of slavery They move toward domi-
nation naturally, instinctively and in
many cases unconsciously, so that nc
doubt many of them sincerely suppose
that they have no intention or ambition
for domination.
| do not blame them for seeking domi-
nation. If l were negro / would de-
vote my life to it, There is no more
natural, wholesome and valuable instinct
in humanity than the desire to rule
the particular spot of ground on which
you find your race living in the ma
jority.
Looked at calmly in the light of his
tory, free government and political sci.
ence, it is the duty of the negro to seeE
domination for his race especially in those
parts of the country where he is in the
majority and has always been in the
majority. 1t is his duty to develop hi.
race to the highest point of efficiency
and he cannot do that if he remains sub.
servient; he cannot do that if he remains
either a domestic or a political slave
AS President Roosevelt and Booker T
Washington agree in putting it, the ne.
gro must be given political office to en-
courage him in the upward path of pro
gress
You must not close to him the door o
hope, "for if all inspiration and hope o
reward is to be denied them, they will
be deprived of one of the greatest incen
tives TO intelligence, Industry and righte
BUSINESS
NEGROES DESIREi TO RULE.
There is no question that the words o
our President and Of the great Negro
leader are profoundly true The only
pathway of improvement and develop
ment of a people lies, as our ancestor
of 1776 declared. through the government
and control of the land they live in
The only pathway of Improvement an
development of the negro race lies, un
fortunately, in hostility to the whit,
race, who prevent the negroes from con
trolling the land in which they live l
the negro is to be improved by givini
him political office there will be a wa
of determination in the South.
As a slave. held down by overwhelm
ing and irresistible force, the natural de
sire of the negro to rule himself and tn
country he lived in was reduced to
minimum or lay dormant but since EN-
ancipato that desire has steadily grown
and that is the reason that our Norther
people find TO their great surprise, tina
the negro problem in the South grow
worse instead of better. The more W
educate the negro the more he loses tn
M ela md -,lE