New Iberia enterprise and independent observer. (New Iberia, La.) 1902-1944, 1903-09-12

| w nen He mas appointed q cOlOreu maj
| to office he has done it with a flourish
of trumpets and brass band accom-
paniment that the world might know
| that the door was wide open
When a colored postmistress was OBJ
jected to he refused to allow her tt
resign and closed the otfice-and die
it allay race prejudice: No. it did
more to excite race prejudice than any
| ten colored appointments that Presi-
dent Mckinley made.
The Booker 7. Washington dinner
at the White House did more than the
Indianola postotfice incident to excite
race prejudice. The president surely
did not intend to inject the question
of social equality into politics, for on
that issue he could not carry a state in
the Union; then why arouse the col
ored people to expect social equality
or agitate the whites with the fear of
it: 1t is a grevious mistake to turn
the negro thoughts from the substan-
tial advantages of Industrial, intellec-
tual and moral progress to the unsub-
stantial promises of social recognition.
The amalgamation of the races is not
the solution of the race question and
that would be the local result of So
cial equality In their natural right
to life, liberty and the pursuit of hap
piness the white man and the black
man are equal and these rights should
be protected with jealous care. Edu-
cational advantages should be open to
both races and both should be encour-
aged to secure all the mental discli
pline possible.
Whether the more advanced race
should fix suffrage qualifications for
the less advanced is question to be
determined by the facts in the case,
but is it safe to say that on this sub
ject the people of the north would be
much like the people of the south if
they were compelled to meet the same
conditions. AS to social equality
there should be a frank and candid
understanding. There is no difference
on this subject between the white peo-
pie of the north and the white people
of the south. The color line is drawn
by republican families as distinctly
as it is by democratic families, as dis
tinctly by northern families as by
southern families. There is more
friendliness and helpfulness where
this is recognized than where it is
left i'll doubt and uncertainty.
The white race ought to recongize
the rights of the black race and lend
it every possible assistance. The
whites of the south are taxing them
selves to educate the children of dark
er skin, while republican politicians
in the north are riding into Office on
black votes and, while they exclude
the colored people from their social
functions, are constantly trying to ar
ray the southern negro against the
southern man.
There is another aspect of the ques-
tion. The promise of social equality
false as it encourages the edu-
Gated negro to hope to get away from
his race and thus the race loses the
benefit that the more progressive me-
groes might bring to it. Instead Of
trying to bleacchsthe face or to take
the kink out of the hair let the color
ed man recognize that he is black by
nature and set to work to show what
one of his race can accomplish. No
upright, intelligent and law-abiding
colored man ever gets into trouble
himself or involves his people in a
race war. After the colored man has
established a reputation for virtue,
sobriety and good sense, let him de-
vote himself to the building up of a
society that will satisfy his needs.
If he has daughters let him make them
worthy of the best young men Of his
race; if he has sons, let him make
them examples of industry and good
habits. TO deserve respect and not
enjoy it is better than to enjoy re-
spect without deserving it, but to de-
serve respect is the best and surest
way to secure it,
A good charcator is more valuable
and more permanent than pOstOffice,
and nothing will do more to kill race
prejudice than the building up OF
character.
The white man needs to be remind
ed, as the president suggests that law
lessness is dangerous and torture DEM
oralizing to those who practice it, but
the black man must also be cautioned