The Birmingham age-herald., 1904-07-24

and other southern states, who served in either the confederate or United States armies or navies, and many of them who have sons living in these states, 1t will he observed that quite number of negroes are allowed to vote who can not stand the educational test In this par ticular respect the negroes have not been unjustly treated. They occupy a com mon ground, under the constitution, with the whites
 Negroes not Mistreated.
 As a matter of fact the negroes of the south have not been mistreated and some speakers from the south In order to get the sympathies of our northern neigh. bors have made the mistake of talking of our internal affairs, regarding the negro, in an apologetic manner The south has nothing to apologize for and left alone can work out this problem to the satisfaction of all.
 In all justness and fairness to the negro, however, it must be said that he is not treated with quite as much justice as should be accorded him in the courts. The illiteracy, Ignorance and vioiousness of his race has been largely responsible for this condition. There has been a notice- able improvement in recent years and this phase of the question, it is believed, will gradually work itself out.
 While the fear of a possible throwing out of the electoral votes in southern states has not been discussed in the press. it has reached business eenters and such action on the part of republicans would , seriously disturb business conditions throughout the United States Southern men. who buy extensively in the north would break off relations and northern security holders In the south would rap- idly dispose of their holdings.
 fs rg.. Ia z leading democrats want to force the re- publieans to state their position on the question during the coming campaign.
 LamentabIe Ignorance.
 In the north, east and many sections of the west there Is a lamentable lgnor- ance of true conditions in the south re- garding the negro and well informed dem- ocratic speakers would serve an excel lent purpose as educators if no more. Such plan of education on the part of the campaign orators would be of vastly more benefit to the people of the north and east than numerous movements in recent years on part of philanthropists in the north and east to educate the south.
 During the recent sessions of the educa- tional conference for the south held in Birmingham the addresses of the various speakers, especially from the east, dis closed an astounding ignorance of condi- tion in the south and lack of practical suggestion as to how they should be remedied. In manner, very irritating to southern audiences, they would talk in a patronizing manner as to what should be done and what had been done. The conference showed clearly that the south was much better educated on affairs in the north and east than was that sec- tion on affairs in the south Many lead ing southerners have expressed the opin- ion that the title of conference for edu- cation in the south was a mlsnomer, and would have served a much better purpose by being called a conference for information on conditions in the south."
 Negroes of the North.
 Several weeks ago the writer was in St. Louis and engaged a little negro girl as q temporary servant for his family This little girl from the beginning eyinced much interest at the first southern people she had ever seen and was greatly sur prlsed at unexpected kind treatment. When her curiosity could be withheld no longer she inquired of a married woman in the party if she had ever seen negro lynched. The lady from the south was very much amused at the little girls surprised look when she was in- lOllltQ ildl ltW idulcS III lnt SOulI ildQ ever witnessed such an event.
 "1he colored folks here tell me-" said the little negro, that all the white folks ir the south have place in their back yards for lynching negroes. and l thought maybe you had seen one"
 Further inquiry elicited the informa- tion that this idea prevailed throughout the negro section of St. Louis. There would have been an excellent opportunity ffor aa1, pd ba foIr 1ty arose in the mind of a man from the south as to whether people of such ighor- ance regarding affairs in their country should be allowed to vote. It strengthen ed his opinion of negro elimination from politics and helped to maintain his sup port of what is familiarity known as the grandfather clause" in the Alabama con i stitution
 Another Negro Idea.
 At Hamilton, O., a negro barber evil dently of public school education inform ed the writer that he was afraid to visit the south because he had heard that the 'people down there would take clubs and run negroes off the sidewalk and make them walk in the gutter" Upon being correctly informed on this subject he made inquiries concerning the lynch ing of negroes. He was told of the nature of the crimes for which negroes were sometimes put to death by lawless mobs and excitedly said: q would help lynch them for that whether the victims were white or black"
 This negro had read extensively of the action of mobs in the south, but had not heard of a lynehing within forty miles of his home within the past four months. The education of this class of negroes, and many whites who held the same views. would be great and beneficial work by well informed democratic speak CTS who could explain the situation in a calm and dignifled manner.
 Origin of Ballot Box Stuffing
 There Is one class of negroes in the south of which probably a majority of the people in the north and east know absolutely naught. The class referred to is composed of the farm laborers In the southern section of the state and especial- ly in the black belt It is estimated that 9S per cent of these negroes can neither read nor write and have no ambition oth- CT than to be good hands on the farm and to make an honest living for them selves and their families. In the black belt counties the negroes outnumber the whites by large maJorities and the pos sibility of county affairs falling into the hands of the ignorant and uncultured fin- ally brought on the adoption of a new constitution and the elimination of these negroes as a factor in politics. To under stand the conditions of these negroes one must see them Theories from afar will avail nothing and the people who have lived among these remnants of slavery understand them best and are possibly far Letter situated to regulate their affairs than alters. These negroes are kind hearted and obedient. and it is very sell dom when one of them commits a crime