The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1903-09-08

not TO make any mention Of II, as /
wished to review the book over my
" signature in one Of our religious
Weeklies. Nothing was said al that
time, about my words concerning the
race problem.
He went away and after an hour or
two returned saying that he had a
rumored report OF my criticism of the
book, and intended having it publish.
ed whether | wished it or not. Then
50 that | might not be misquoted l die
tated to him the same criticism of
The One Woman that appeared in
the Times" Still he did not mention
the negro matter TO me. Between two
and three o'clock in the afternoon he
returned TO my home. had me awaked
from my afternoon sleep and submit
ted 10 me the proof of the copy. |
read it, and approved it-having in
mind only the book criticism.
My purpose in the negro matter had
been SO far from what has been at
tributed to me, and my remarks about
the negro, seemed to me to be SO far
from the sensational that it did not
oCIul " lit l1dI IutS WOulu OCCdSlOu
any reader a second thought. The re
porter led me to believe that only a
very short and modest notice would
be made of it. And | now insist that
the only sensation connected with my
u~tterances is the sensation that the
papers have read into them. In proof
Of this, in the statement hat Mr..
Conn tho rannrtnr him Golf mo1n TO non
tO-wit: That the young man who told
him Of my criticism of the book did
not even mention that | had made
any u~tteranceS about the race trOu-
bles and he said hat it was after his
second visit to me hat he happened
to find out about it.
CD Now about the circumstances
any my purpose:
The remarks that l did make were
uttered at my prayer-meeting service.
to an audience composed entirely of
white people (eyen the ~janitor is
white) and no reporter was present
and thus my remarks could not have
reached the negroes, but for the me-
dunn Of the press. So that if there has
any wrong impression conveyed
to the mind OF any negro, the respon-
sibility belongs to the press which car
ried it to him and not t me.
My prophecy of dire calamities"
was simply a statement of my appre-
hension Of the danger of a conflict, in
which lawless negroes would resort to
the shedding of blood and acts Of in
cendiariSm. A more careful watching
OF the principles of fairness and JUS
tice in our dealings with them would
lessen the danger of a conflict, and
discharge the duty that every employ
er owes to Ills employe and his God.
| do not approve OF the
torch on in the hand of the
nor of any other deeds
of lawless resistance to white suprem-
acy, and my remarks could not prop
erly be so interpreted. do most heart
lily condemn anything hat approaches
hat spirit.
| am southern born, with a south
ern ancestry from the Revolution"
down and with the exception of three
years in Ohio, my whole life has been
spent in the South. It's history, tradi-
tions and p~rejudices are mine. |
can not permit any man to question
the loyalty of my southern principles
and sentiment. But as a minister Of
the gospel of Jesus Christ | must use
my privilege to teach the morals of the
social, racial, political or civil rela-
tons of our people. My first concern
about any of these questions is pure
ly a moral and spiritual one. My most
earnest purpose was not to create fric-
ton, but to prevent it. l shall be glad
to furnish the names of a number of
gentlemen who were at hat meeting
for reference as to the substantial cor
%rectness of this statement.
60 The question whether the negro
is paid wages sufficient to call forth
in him the desired trials of honesty
and virtue is a matter about which
we may honestly differ, and | am sure
tina the frank statement Of my opin-
ion does not deny to any other man
the right to hold and act upon his
opinion.
The following quotation from Bishop
Buckley of the Methodist church en-
bodies the essentials of my creed in all
these matters:
The only solution of these great
labor problems - in the practical ap-
plication Of Christian principles. The
rich man must regard the poor man as
his brother, and the latter must serve
the rich with fa~ithfulness, diligence
and sincerity.
1--WE cannot expect the walking dele
gate or ever the President Of the Uni
ted States to settle these questions of
capital and labor. Nor a politicians
improve the situation. We must ap-
ply the simple truths Of Christianity
and act on them at once or face the
deluge."
J. C. MASSEE.
MIR. NORWOOD WRITES IN DEFENSE
OF MIR. MASSEE.
To the Editor: As one Of those present,
-. A r-.lO~,onA1o nyo u a ,,nnt,nr