The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1904-01-24
wnJLACK COURAGE
Not the Faithful Minis
ters of the Church.
But Those Men Who Would Subordi-
nate the Spiritual Need of Our
People to the Greed and
Gain of ShekeIs.

To the Editor AS constant reader
of your enterprising newspaper, as
Southern man with tar on one heel
OF least,) as a Democrat >spelt poth
ways, capital and lower case,) as SCUM
ern Methodist pastor, and as Il humbly
trust) a Christian, L beg space to ami
madvert upon the existing conditions IN
the Old North State, and especls.--y IN
North Carolina Methodism.
| have been a member of Western North
Carolina Methodism for only four years,
and on account of a sudden failure ia
health, have been actively engaged only
q little over half of that time. For tie
past two years, l have been stationed in
the delightful city of Reidsville, being
sent to the little church in Albemarle
in November last.
1t is not my nature to take the role
Of a leader, but to go along quietly in
the discharge OF my ministerial duties
and leave the task and the glory of lead
ership to more ambitious men. FOR
! years. l have abstained almost entirely
from writing for the church papers: and
as for speech-making in the Conferences.
/ have not so much as opened my mouth
In fact, 1 have never been introduced
to the Conference. But quiet as l have
been, I assure you, l have been watching
the course of events with the profoundest
| interest, and with no little anxiety.
For many years North Carolina has
been in q state of general fermentation.
Along with her phenomenal Industrial
expansion and material progress, her best
people have been aroused, as never be-
fore, to the Importance and necessity Of
better educational facilities; and the
world never witnessed a more vigorous
campaign in behaIl of popular education
than that which has been waged on our
soil. Nor has she been content with ma
! terial development and intellectual pro-
gress, Temperance reform has kept even
Ipaee with the growth of interest in edu-
cation. Every moral question has had
tits thorough discussion in the press, in
THE pulpit, and in the form.
At the same time, certain untoward
events, arising partly out of the strained
relations between the white and colored
races, and partly out of a very ugly
political situation, precipitated the I'M
mediate and hasty solution OF certain
phases of the negro problem, and to this
! solution the best people of the State
brought the treasure of their wisdom
and the fervor of patriotic feeling. It
was not a theory that confronted them:
but an actual condition of distress and
lawlessness. OF course, it was not ex-
pected that any solution of the probleIn
would give universal satisfaction but the
suffrage amendment was adopted by a
tremendous majority, and peace and order
were restored.
| The South is trying to do what has
never yet been done in human history
to keep two races, living side by side,
in peace, in happiness, in mutual help
fulness. If she succeeds, she will per-
form the political miracle of the cen
turies. And 1 believe she will succeed,
il she be left untrammeled, in her
nughty task, by the unwise suggestions
and bitter criticisms OF an ignorant and
extreme radicalism The real friend Of
the negro is not the negrophilist nor the
unWise advocate of absolute political ard
social equality; for it is mistaken kind
ness that would encourage false hopes.
but the true friends of the weaker race
are those who know and appreciate their
virtues who pity their misfortunes, who
throw the mantle of charity over their
sins, and try, in every possible way, to
! lift them UP to higher manhood and a
moral state deserving cf a larger free.
dom and a nobler destiny. For cor
crete example of the negro's friend, take
our able and bighearted governor, the
leader of the white supremacy move
ment, and yet the staunchest advocate
of the education of the negro at the ex-
| pense OF the State.
AS to the Bassett-Trinity incident. let
me say few words.
In the first place, l think the whole
tone of the Bassett article in the Quar-
terly was essentially harsh and false
estimate of Booker Washington was
doubtless sincere, but none the less ex-
tremely silly. he has surely studied
History" to little purpose.
2. AS the purveyor of general intelIi-
gence and the editor of public journal,
you are wholly within your limits when
you published the utterances Of Prof
Bassett, and commented upon them. There
was certainly no telling tales out of
school," no dragging of ''soiled garments
into public view. What is written for a
Quarterly Review and put into cold type
becomes, by that very fact, public
property, and must take its chances with
public opinion.
AS member of the Methodinst church,
you had a right to demand the retire
ment CT Dr. Bassett from Trinity College;
that is, if Trinity belongs to the Metho-
dist church! But / must say, l think you
went beyond the bounds of journalistic
prudence when you demanded his removal
as an editor of secular journal.
However, we know that Josephus Dan
/ Tel &c hof fria nf he 90,
of North Carolina than Joseph Bailey
and that DR.. Ivey is as truly loyal to
his church as Mr.. Blair
BY the way, in this matter and in his
Continued on Page Three.)