The Montgomery advertiser., 1903-03-05
TWO NORTHERN OPINIONS.

will be found an editorial from The Port land oregonian or the much discussed negro question. which shows the opinions of one of the most prominent Republican | newspapers of the country-a paper. by the way, which Is not always wholly just or fair to the South. as can be seen by careful perusal of the article re- ferred to- Before commenting on this editorial. however we wish to make an extract from a recent editorial In The Kensas City Journal, another organ Of Republican thought and feeling.
 The Journal had been discussing the work of Booker Washington, especially the contention of that educator that the negro of the South "as his intelligence increases instead of entertaining a vain hope of social equality. will be content to mingle socially only with the members of his own race, while he will endeavor to establish business relations with the whites that will be as profitable to the one race as to the other" and that he will thus fit and prepare himself for poli- tical equality with the white race. Then The Journal adds:
 Such a situation of affairs as Professor Washington forecasts would be anomal- ous and unprecedented in the history of the world. No two races of men ever abided together with such relations as those which he expects will ultimately subsst between the blacks and whites of the United States Yet in the possibility of such relations lie the country's best h0naC n m hpra' he has the same right to be here as the white man has; he is not going to leave. and he will never again be sub servient to the white man as he once was. The two races never ought and never will amalgamate. But some basis must be found on which they may meet | and mingle on terms of amity. They can l not live forever in each others presence as enemies. The solution of the problem seems to lie in the education of the negro along the lines indicated by Professor Washington. As the black man grows in real intelligence he will perceive that his true interest consists in being indus trious and honest, in being respectful in his attitude toward the superior race. and in seeking the society of his own people except when drawn into that of the whites by his busin ess or political relations with them. It would seem to be much more decidedly the interest of white people to aid men who, like Booker T. Washington, are trying to en- Tighten and develop the negro, and teach him his true place in society, than 10 1n- terfere with their efforts by necessarily crying out, like Senator Tillman and.Sthe Rev. Thomas Dixon, that there Is an irrepressible conflict between the two races which cannot be ended except by their segregation or the extermination Of one or the other. Segregation appears 10 be an impossibility, and a war of extermi- nation Is too horrible and improbable thing to contemplate.
 Both these papers assume, as will be seen, that the superiority and domination of the white race in the South is a fact not to be questioned, which is going little further than some of our North ern critics are in the habit of doing Coupled with this admission, however. is the charge, almost in direct words, that the Southern people refuse to allow the negroes any opportunity to better them selves. We are virtually accused of per sistently and Intentionally trying to keep the colored people from advancing or in any way improving their condition. In short, we are charged in pretty plain terms with keeping them in the same de- bA AooCA anu lSllOIdul SOuulllOU lIdI they were as slaves.
 This is somewhat amusing to those who have some idea of the immense sums annually spent for negro schools most of which comes from white tax payers, as we'll as to those of us who have some knowledge of the many colored men in the trades and professions in the South. And The Oregonian's comparison be- tween "the respectful, well trained North ern negro. barber or railway porter and the insolent, passionate Southern darkey" is also an amusing instance of the writer's lack of information. If he will find in Portland, Boston or New York, better behaved and more courteous colored bar bers than he will find here in Montgom- cry, he will make an important discovery. And the same may be said of most colored employees down here. There are excep- tion, of course, but they are rare The editor of The Oregonian should come South.
 It Is encouraging to note that some, at least, of our intelligent Northern con temporaries are learning to discuss this race question with an approach to fair ness, even though they are not in all cases as well informed as we could wish. They must bear in mind that we of the South understand this question better than others can, that we propose to settle it for ourselves. and that We will settle 1t to the best interest of all concerned, if we are left without pernlcious interfer- ence. And we will give the negro a bet ter showing than he can get in many sections of the North.
 -S-@b-0
 It Is not exactly fair to the German