The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1903-11-01
PROF. BASSETT SAYS NEGRO
WILL WIN EQUALITY

be conscious. THEY MAY EVEN
FANCY THAT THEY ARE THE BEST
FRIENDS TO THE NEGRO. But the adj
vance of the negro in education and in
economic conditions brings him ever into
new conflicts with the white man. This
is true because his advance means a
greater degree of comfort-a greater dis
position to desire the means OF higher
life. AS LONG AS HE WAS
MERELY A LABORER IT WAS
NOT HARD TO DRAW THE LINE
WHICH DIVIDED HIM FROM 9TH
Err PEOPLE. IT WAS AT THAT TINE
NOT HARD FOR HIM TO BE CON-
TENT WITH INFERIOR HOTELS, OR
WITH ACCOMMODATIONS IN THE
KITCHENS OF BETTER HOTELS. IN
THESE DAYS HE IS BECOMING TOO
INTELLIGENT AND TOO REFINED
TO BE CONTENT WITH THESE
THINGS. HE DEMANDS A BETTER
PLACE. FORMERLY, IT DID NOT
HURT HIS PRIDE TO RIDE IN A
"JIM CROW CAR; FOR HE HAD
LITTLE OR NO PRIDE OF THAT
KIND. NOW, HE CONSIDERS THIS
LAW A BADGE OF INFERIORITY, a
MARK OF INTOLERANCE WHICH
HE WILL SOME DAY SEEK TO WIPE
OUT.
With most white Americans there is a
very definite notion that the negro has his
place" In their minds this notion is a
caste feeling 1t is an inherited feeling;
and it is not difficult to find facts III
the negro's life which seem to give it the
support of expedcncy. To make him
know his place and to make him keep
his place" sum up the philosophy of
many people in reference to this intricate
and perplexing problem. But we ought
to remember that such an idea is neither
scientific nor charitable THE PLACE
OF EVERY MAN IN OUR AMERICAN
LIFE IS SUCH A ONE AS HIS VIR-
TUES AND HIS CAPACITIES MAY
ENABLE HIM TO TAKE. NOT EVEN
A BLACK SKIN AND \ FLAT NOSE
CAN JUSTIFY CASTE IN THIS COUN
TRY.
The most aggravating cause. however, OF
the present antipathy between the races
is the fact that the negro question * III
politics II has been in politics since
the day when the negro became the chief
factor in American labor 1t was 50 IN
Georgia in the days of the benevolent
Oglethorpe, when the chief political desire
of the people was the admission of negro
slaves 1t appeared in the great consti-
tutional convention of 1877 when certain
Southern States spoke darkly of the flu
ture in case they should not be allowed to
import saves. 1t was a political question
in the two angry decades which preceded
the Civil War, when abolition fires burn
ed fiercely on the one side and prO-slaVery
fires on the other It was still politics
in 1860 and 1861, when eleven States Sc
coded from the union rather than run the
risk of having the 'black republicans
abolish slavery 1t was still a political
question in the days of constitutional
amendment and IN THE REACTION
AIRY DAYS OF 1875. 1t has become a
political question in another form within
the last ten years. Whatever concerns
our secular life we undertake to regulate
by political action and it is not strange
that we have so often brought law to
bear on the question.
But the negro question has gone into
politics recently In party, rather than III
q truly political sense. 1t has been seized
upon by party leaders AS A MEANS OF
WINNING VOTES. THIS HAS BEEN
PARTICULARLY TRUE IN THE
SOUTH. Always since 1875 the Southern
democrat campaigners HAVE USED TIL
NEGRO ISSUE with good effect. \ GER
tain brilliant party leader, who now holds
large share Of puh'ic attention, used IN
the early days of his career, TO make his
best appeal to the gaping audiences at the
country cross roads by asking all the men
who wanted to vote the white mans ticket
to pass to one side of the road and all
who would vote the black mans ticket
to stay where they were. When the crowd
began to move across the road it was hard
for white man to stand in his racks.
THAT WAS THE WORST NANTES
TATION OF THIS FORM OF THE IS
SUE TWENTY YEARS AGO.
Ten years ago the South was in the en-
brace of the populist movement. designed
by its leaders to organize the mass Of far
mers into political association. This
movement, if successful, would have
broken up the democratic party. 1t was
storing enough to make itself dreaded by
the party. To fight it down the leaders
Of the old party were led to seek d strong
issue. i f1E NEdttO Issue Vas SE-
LECTED. It lent itse'f to the exigency
because the populists, wherever
they triumphed, had been in alliance with
the republicans and had brought
a few negroes into office. These negroes
were usually quietly disposed, but
they were frequently unfit for Office, and
the very fact that they were
negroes made it impossible for them to
execute their offices on white men They
were also sometimes unduly elated over
their success, being merely ignorant ne
groes. The result was various conflicts
This gave an opportunity to CRY Negro
domination" RAISING THE CRY BY
THE ONE SIDE PRODUCED IRRI-
TATON ON THE OTHER SIDE, AND
THE VERY IDENTIFICATION OF NE
GROES FOR "OUTRAGES" PRO
DUCED 4 CONTINUATION OF THE
"OUTRAGES." FROM THAT TIME.
TO THIS THE NEGRO ISSUE IN THE
SOUTH HAS TAKEN ON A NEW