Virginia citizen. (Irvington, Va.) 1891-1921, 1904-04-29
ELEVATE THE NEGRO

negro is an exemplar to his race. Fol
some reason or other there have beer
no outbursts of the fend that hal
done so much to retsrd his progress
and make his race despised. Whert
this is the case white citizens tina
look to the welfare of their country
should not let it pass unnoticed. Ii
is our province to encourage him tC
this exemplary life and to give him
credit wherever it is due. During
the agitation of the suffrage question
pending in the Constitutional Con
vention, we took occasion to say that
II all the negroes of Virginia bad
showed themselves as good citizens
as those of this section there would
De no crying demand for negro dis.
reimbursement Unhappily the rest
OF the State was not so fortunate as
we, and our negroes innocently suf-
fered for the sins of their race in
other parts. With the sole exception
of Presidential elections the negroes
OF the Northern Neck have stood
In elections with the better ele.
ment of the whites; on moral and
economic questions, and in battles
between Democrats they supported
the moral and best men and interests.
We are prompted to these remarks
bya news item not long ago that Gov.
ernor Aycock, of North Carolins, had
addressed negro Emancipation meet
ing, and was heartily endorsed by
them for these words when rebuking
Northern sensationalists:
Quit writing about him, quit makiug
him the white mans burden, let him tote
his own skillet quit coddling him, let
him learn that no man, no race, ever got
anythiug worth the having that he did
not himself earn; that. character is the
outcome OF sacrifice, and worth is the
result OF toll; that whatever his future
may be, the present has in It for him
nothing that is not the product OF in
oustry, thrift, obedience to law and up
rightness; that he cannot by resolution OF
council or league accomplish anything.
Out he can do much by work; that vio-
ience may crafty his passions, but it
cannot accomplish his ambition; that he
may eat rarely of the cooking OF equality,
out he will always find when he does,
that there's death In the pot"
As we said, the negroes heartily
endorsed hisremarks, and these words
wound up the resolutions afterwards
drawn by the meeting-"We appre.
ciate the friendly feeling that exists
IN this State between the races and
desire this feeling to grow" That's
just the point. The negro is here
with us, and to stay. Some would
be rid of him, SO they say, but it is
doubtful that if put to a vote
throughout the South he would
be voted out. Let us make the best
OF the situation, aud the best citizen
of the negro we can.
Recently we reproduced resolu-
tions passed at an educational gather
ing of negroes at White Stone, this
county. For the expressions the
resolutions contained Lancaster ne.
groes have been much complimented.
And now We want to reproduce
others These words appear in reso-
lutions offered at the last session of
the Southside Rappahannock Baptist
Association (colored) by the commit
tee of which T. @. Walker, lawyer,
was chairman:
"RssOlped. 6n. That intemperance is a
great menace to the moral, spiritual and
material progress OF our race; therefore
we arge our people everywhere to alb
stain from the use of intoxicating drinks.
We. further, disapprove of the making
and of the use OF wines in our homes"
The Committee on Resolutions of
another colored body, the Woman's
Baptist District Missionary Conven-
ton, in recent session reported,
among Others, the following which
were unanimously adopted:
WHEREAS, immortality has done much |
Aad Is doing more to drag us down to |
degredation than any other evil; there.
fore, be 1t
&esOIced, sth. That we take more active
measures to eradicate this great vice.
WHEREAS, That In view of the feet
that there are so many crimes committed
and after they are committed we are ex-
pected to help defray the expenses of the
law cases. and they being on the increase:
be 1t
Hesosced, 9th. That no more money be
appropriated by this body for these cases.
The spirit that seems TO animate
the representative negroes in this
Tidewater section should be encour-
aged. Certainly its emulation bv
The race elsewhe throughout the
south would 60 far to solve the vexed
race problem, givepea to the South
md rob politicians and Northern
'gItators of means Of livelihood.
RICHMOND should be the place for
'ur State conventions, and we love