The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1904-08-10
A Man Who Thinks to
Men Who Thinks.
(Continued from Page One.)

mat labor is becoming more inefficient
ana higher priced Skilled aruSalis
are becoming scarce. Unless there Is
decided change in the character and
eIilciency of skilled mechanical labor
III the rural districts this department
OF LABOR Will be forced into the hands
OIL white contractors by the 1oD ana
carpentry by the day will almost cease.
AS 10 agricultural labor the negro is
10 certain extent Indispensable.
Owing to the effiux from the country
TO the towns of our own State. ana
to the cities of the North the quantity
OF labor has been diminished. This
deficiency must be supplied by I'M
proved machinery, and for the use or
this machinery your own sons must be
trained and induced to stay on the
farm. The inefficiency of q large part
of our labor results from various
causes. One cause is the idleneSS OF
worthless boys and men in our towns
and around the railroad depots. An
efficient vagrant law ought to be
passed and enforced. Another reason
is the impression prevalent among the
negroes that they are not well paid,
falling TO realize that the furnishing
of dwelling, fuel and garden patch
make UP a good portion of the diff
ference in wages, and that n laborer
al
deal more work than is required here
of our servants. Another reason is
dissatisfaction on account of being de-
priVed of the ballot and the unneceS-
sary abuse of the race as a whole on
the part of many of our good white
people who do not feel in their hearts
many of the rough things they say
and write This dissatisfaction can
be overcome in time by the just and
kind treatment that has always char
acterized the great majority of our
Southern people as manifested by our
taxing ourselves in our poverty i'm
mediately after the war, and giving
the negro a fair chance to obtain AN
education. 1t would mark q sad de-
cadence in Christian philanthropy on
our part if in this day of our pros
perity. blessed as we have been by
a kind and beneficent Providence in
so many ways, If we refuse to the ne
gro the benefits he now receives from
our public schools. The negro is not
here of his own volition. he is tracta-
BILE, and is the best labor that we
can get. His course during the civil
war should never be forgotten by our
people. He is here to stay. Chris
tianity forbids his annihilation. He
has a destiny to fulfil, perhaps to
Christianize Africa He IS unfit Tor
self government much less is he lit
for the government of white men.
Let us not cultivate race preJudlce.
Let us, as we have in the past show
ourselves the negro's best friend. Inc
right of franchise is denied MN on
account of his ignorance and natural
lnfitness for which he is not reSpon-
sible. Let us hold out to him the
hope that when he acquires certain
amount of property on winch he VIII
pay taxes that the franchise Will not
ne denied him. and in reference TO
the educational qualifications for a
voter make them applicable TO Doth
races alike He should not be al
lowed to hold office over white men.
The XIV amendment to the Constitu-
ton of the United States conferred
the right to vote and not to hold
office. The amendment when first
prepared conferred the right to vote
and hold office. The clause forbid
ding the voter to be debarred from
adding office on account of color or
previous condition of serVitude, was
stricken out, and then the XIV amend
ment was adopted by Congress and
submitted to the States for ratification.
This exclusion of unfit persons from
holding office was common in England
for centuries 1t takes time for race
development Excuse the time l have
taken in discussing transportation
and Labor. Or the nlgneSt import
ance to you is the education of your
children. Your school terms should
be heightened Your districts con-
solidated as much as possible. Com
pulsory education enforced between
the ages of eight and twelve. To-
morrow you will have the pleasure of
listening on this subject to that fin
ished scholar, Prof. Joyner, Superin-
tendent of Public Instruction. and the
Hon. Charles b. Aycock. the Educa-
tiouaI Governor of North Carolina.