New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1904-01-04
THE RAKES PROGRESS.

The wish TO reduce the negro TO n condition
of practical serfdom, which is more and more
frequently expressed in the South. is new de-
veIopment However Southern white men may
have felt twenty-five years ago, those Of them
in places Of leadership never publicly avowed
such sentiments as were recently expressed by
Ex-Governor Russell of North Carolina to The
Washington Post" He was quoted as sayings
The truth is the negro is going to fare best
and be happiest when his position is most subor-
I dinate. Financial and industrial equality is as
bad IN the eyes Of the whites social equality.
The negro who gets very prosperous is to be
pitted, for straightway he is IN a situation
where danger confronts him Let him but own
a fine farm. blooded horses and cattle. and dare
to ride in a carriage. and II were an insurance
agent / wouldn't make out a policy on his life.
In plain English to get above his ordained sta
ton in life is. generally speaking. 10 invite
sassination.
How does this sentiment which IS by no
means confined TO Ex-Governor Russell, and
which not infrequently manifests itself in overt
acts compare with the earlier voluntary pledges
OF the South toward the negro? We say moth
ing OF the guarantees OF the Constitution. The
wisdom OF the suffrage amendments is itself in
dispute. We are told that the ballot was given
to men who were unfit 10 use IT, and that self
preservation required the South TO eliminate
the ignorant and worthless negro from politics.
Our question touches not the negro's technical
rights, but the disposition Of the South to do
him substantial justice. In that respect the at
titude Of certain section Of the South, and
that a conspicuous one has been a steady prog
ress from bad TO worse. When the Democrats
gained control Of the Southern States after the
era Of reconstruction it was with far different
sentiments from those which are now n mat
ter OF everyday avowal. The Democratic State
Convention Of Mississippi in 1875 In its platform
declared: Eve recognize and Will maintain the
civil and political equality OF all men as es-
"tablished by the Constitution OF the United
States and the amendments thereto" The
South at that time disclaimed any enmity to
the blacks. They were being misled by white
adventures, and 1t had been necessary to tear
the governments from their hands somewhat
irregularly; but this was done under the pledge
that the State governments should, TO use the
phrase of L. Q. C. Lamar, "be conducted TO
protect the colored men in all their rights, and
''in cooperation with them IN the sovereignty Of
"the government" In one Of his greatest
speeches Mr.. Lamar, on August ., 1876. in the
House Of Representatives said:
You have given tie black race the most dell
cate the most dangerous well as the most
sacred, of all privileges. Let that privilege be
maintained inviolably; but give him real free
dom. and do not make him the january Of party
tyranny. Allow that race to learn what you
have learned in New England and carried with
you into that empire Of the West which
your energy has created: that moral worth. in
teiligence and industry and wealth the true
foundations of q peoples happiness and liberty,
no matter what their color.
The South Of Lamar and Hampton was taken
at it's word The negro was left TO the justice
Of his white neighbors. Once in control of the
governments, instead Of protecting him in his
Constitutional rights, they proceeded frankly
TO deprive him OF them. But, they said, it was
not because he was a negro, but because he
was ignorant. Then new State constitutions
were made, not against ignorance, but only
against ignorant negroes. But that was not
enough. a new school has arisen which pro-
claims the unfitness even of the most honest
and intelligent negro for the ballot. Excluded
from his rights on the pretext of his ignorance.
he is now told by many that he ought not TO be
educated at all. Now the latest step in the
rake's progress is the declaration that he must
not even be prosperous on pain of assassina-
ton.
If this is to be the atrocious ending OF the "let-
Observation-Disclosures its-own- problem" policy
patience with IL on the part of the rest OF the
country can hardly be expected. We do not hold
the South in general responsible for Ex-Governor
Russell We know too many men there who are
striving to advance justice and civilization; too
many who still, like Justice Lamar, want men