The Montgomery advertiser., 1904-12-25

at least much larger opportunity to win his way and with no more social Instructions than were thrown in hIs path in the North. Our purpose in writing this is not to promote sectional feelings to the prejudice of this our home section. It is with the mere hope of warning those who appropriate too much pride to themselves and are too apt to cast aspersion on our Southern countrymen because they do not solve this problem quickly enough to suit us.
 The editor of The Rams Horn has just returned from Alabama and is bound to record many pleasant obser- vations which relate to this subject. He found, for instance, that there were approximately ,5600 colored men regis tered and accepted as voters in the State of Alabama, though the new Flaw, which was supposed to practically prohibit them from voting. has been in effect but a comparatively short time. This shows that there Is no inherent objection on the part of the people of that State to the negro voting when- ever he has qualified himself for that sacred privilege. On going north through Montgomery a local paper pub lished in that city was brought on the train and three items of news arrested attention. In the first place, in a col
 
 proceedings, 1t was told of voluntary petition in bankruptcy being filed by Preston Henry, a Montgomery negro. One might think this was not hopeful item of news for Henry, but 1t indicat- ed this fact. that there was at least one colored man in business in Mont gomery1 and he probably was in some thing more pretentious than the chick en business, or he would not think 1t worth while to go through bankruptcy. In point of fact, there are everywhere in the South hundreds of colored people who are conducting business and re- ceiving the patronage of white custom CTS. Another item of news in this same paper of this same date was the hang irg of Jeff Allen, black man condemn ed for murder, but not until after he had been given repeated opportunity to prove his innocence and not until six ty prominent white men of Marion had petitioned the Governor to spare his life. This would indicate that not ev- cry negro accused of crime Is given short shift for his life without fair trial.
 A third item was still more interest ing. It will be recalled that the troop of militia which played the part of cravens at the lynching of two black men in Statesboro, Ga., several weeks ago were drummed out of service, dis honorably stripped of their uniforms and are in disgrace. Some people may have wondered what would be done to the officers of the regiment who are usually men of considerable social in- fiuence as compared with the privates Was 1t not the officers after all who were more to blame than the rank and file? This Montgomery paper con- tained the gratifying intelligence that Capt. R. M Hitch. who was in charge of the troops at Statesboro on the oc- casion of the recent lynching, has been dismissed from further service in the State militia. The verdict of the court martial has been approved by Governor Terrell. In addition to dismissing Captain Hitch, the verdict suspended, with public reprimand, two lieutenants. These fleeting items of news of course do not prove everything. but they are very significant and are almost con- elusive hope of better things, espe- cially when we consider the firm atti- tude of United States Federal Judge Jones of Alabama. who has given dis tinct warning that any repetition of lynching of colored men where 1t could be shown that white men similarly ac- cused would escape or have a fair trial. would come under the Federal law and
 
 found that the declaration of Governor Jones Is supported by every white man of position or influence in Alabama, and we doubt not the same is true of other Southern States. Perhaps the most hopeful fact of all Is gleaned, not from Southern paper. but from the report of the United States Commissioner of Education, which was published Octo- Der 30th of this year. The report shows that last year 1.57s.SS2 colored children were enrolled in the common schools in the sixteen former slave States and the District of Columbia. Those figures are more eloquent than fiery rhetoric or frenZied oratory, which has no effect except to make our people North and South aliens 10 each other. It is unfortunate that throughout the North the South Is judged by the mad vaporings and fla grant outbreaks of such men as Var daman and Tillman. They do not rep resent the South. The better South repudiates them and rejects them This is said in fair play and with the hope that hereafter there will be less sus- picion and distrust and more hearty desire throughout the Union to make our common country glorious and worthy of esteem among ourselves and throughout the world.