The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1903-12-22

ton bolls, pine trees n flags of
Maryland and North Carolina were
the principal decorations at the first
annual dinner of the North Carolina
Society of Baltimore tonight in the
banquet hall of the new Carrolton
Hotel. Three hundred persons, many
of whom were from distant points,
sat at the table, guests Of the new
society. DR.. Edwin Geer, president of
the society, was POSTMASTER and intro
duced the guests. Governor-elect Ed
win Warfield was the first speaker
and welcomed the guests. He was fol-
lowed by Governor Charles B. Ay-
cock, of North Carolina, who spoke
in part as follows:
Il am proud of my State because
there we have solved the negro prob
lem, which recently seems to lave
given you some trouble. We have
taken him out of politics, and have
thereby secured good government I'M
der any party and laid foundations
for the future development of both
races. We have secured peace and
rendered prosperity a certainty. L am
inclined to give to you our solution of
this problem. 1t Is. first. as far as
possible, under the fifteenth amend
ment to d~isfranch1se him; after that
let him alone; quit writing about him.;
quit talking about him; quit making
. him the white mans burden let him
tote his own skillet quit coddling
him; let him learn that no man, no
race, ever got anything worth the
having that he did not himself earn;
that character is the outcome Of
sacrifice and worth is the result of
toll, that whatever his future may be,
the present has in it for him nothing
hat is not the product of industry,
thrift, obedience to law and upright
ness, that he cannot, by resolution of
council or league accomplish any
thing; hat he can do much by work;
that violence may crafty his passions,
but it cannot accomplish his ambition;
that he may eat rarely of the cook
ing of equality, but he will always
find when he does that there is death
In the pot
Let the negro earn once for all,
that there is unending separation of
the races; that the two peoples may
develop side by side to the fullest, but
that they cannot intermingle. Let
the white man determine that no mar
shall by act, or thought, or speech
cross this line, and the race problem
will be at an end. These things are
not said in enmity to the negro, but
in regard for him. He constitutes
one-third of the population Of my
state: he has always been my person
al friend. AS a lawyer I have often
defended him, and as Governor ]
F AVE frequently protected him.. But
there flows in my veins the blood OF
the dominant race-thar race that has
conquered the earth and seeks Out
the mysteries of the heights an6
depths. If manifest destiny leads tc
the seizure of Panama, it is certain
tina it likewise cad to the domi'
nance of the Caucasian. When tht
negro recognizes this fact, we shall
have peace and good will between the
races, but I would not have
the white people forget thei1
duty to the negro. We mus
3 seek the truth and pursue it. W
n owe an obligation to the man il
black We brought him here. H.
served us we'll. He is patient an
teachable. We owe him gratitude
Above all, we owe him justice. w
cannot change his color, neither cal
We ignore his service. No individual
t ever rose on stepping stones of dead
i others TO higher things, and no PEG
: ple can. We must rise by ourselves
We must execute judgment in right
we must educate not onl
|: ourselves, but see to it that the negr
d has an opportunity for education.
q LAS a white man I am afraid of bu
Il one thing for my race, n that
that we shall become afraid to civ
% the negro a fair chance. The frs
$ duty Of every man is to develop him
lie self to the uttermost, and the onl
limitation upon this duty is that h
shall take pains to see that in h
own development he does 30 injur
Q. TO those beneath him. This is tru
= Of races as we'll as Of individual
Considered properly. IT is rot a linn
tation. but a condition of develol
! ment. The white man in the Sout
y can never attain to his fullest growt
o. until he does absolute justice to til
negro race. IF he IS doing that nov
= il is we'll for him.. If he IL not doin
il he must seek 70 know the ways
: truth and pursue them"
Congressman Edward ". Pou.
North Carolina. DR.. Charles G.. Hi
NJ. ]. Motley. of Baltimore. and 9TH
after dinner takers also spoke.
A. UorI. ON Marker Street