Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1905-08-25
FUTURE on
THB NEGRO.
Thos. Dixon Discusses Booker
7. Washington.
COLONIZATION ONLY SAFE SOLUTION.

COLONIZATION ONLY SAFE SOLUTION,
The Author Of the Leopard's Spots
Thinks the Negro Question ls ons
Of All Absorbing lmportanee, and In.
sists That Il Must Be Met With Wis.
dom and Courage. 1aonl
Saturday Evening Post.
For Mr.. Booker T. Washington as
a man and leader Of his race have al
ways had the warmest admiration
His life is a romance which appeals
to the heart Of universal humanity
The story Of little ragged, barefoot
ed piccaninny who lifted his eyes from
a cabin In the hills OF Virginia, saw
a vision and followed It, until at last
he presides over the richest and most
powerful institution of learning In the
south, and sits down with crowned
heads and presidents, has no parallel
even in the Tales Of the Arabian
Nights. ~
The spirit Of the man. too, has al
ways impressed me with its breadth
generosity and wisdom. The aim Of his
work is noble and inspiring. AS I un-
derstand 1t from his own words, It Il
ito make negroes producers. lovers Of
labor. honest, independent, good"
His plan for doing this is to lead the
negro to the goal through the devel-
opment Of solid character, intelligent
industry and material acquisition
Only fool or lknave can find fault
with such an ideal. 1t rests squarely
on the eternal verities. And yet II
viii not solve the negro problem nor
bring US within sight Of its solution.
Upon the other hand, It win only in
tensify that problems dangerous
features. complicate and make more
dificult It's ultimate settlement.
1t is this tragic fact to which am
trying to call the attention of the ma
ton.
/ have for the negro race only pity
and sympathy, though every large con-
vention Of negroes since the appear
ance Of my first historical novel on
the race problem has gone out Of Its
way to denounce me and declare my
books caricatures and libels on their
people. Their mistake Ia a natural one.
My books are hard reading for q me-
gro, and yet the negroes, in denounc-
ing them, are unwittingly denouncing
one of their best friends.
/ have been intimately associated
with negroes since the morning Of my
birth during the Civil War. Ny house,
hold servants are all negroes. took
them to Boston with me, moved them
to New York, and they now have en-
tire charge Of my Virginia home. The
first row I ever had on the negro prob
lem was when moved to Boston from
the south to take charge Of q fashion,
able church in the Hub. attempted
to import my baby's negro nurse into
a Boston hotel. The proprietor In
formed me that no coon" could occupy
a room In his house in any capacity,
either as guest or servant, I gave
him piece of my mind and left within
an hour. ~ aaL
AS a friend of the negro race I claim
that he should have the opportunity
for the highest, noblest and freest de-
velopment of his full, rounded man
hood. He has never had this opportu-
nifty in America, either north or
south, and he never can have It. The
forces against him are overwhelming,
My books are simply merciless rec
ords of conditions as they exist, condi-
tions that can have but one ending II
they are not honestly and fearlessly
faced. The Civil war abolished chat
tel slavery. II did not settle the negro
problems. 1t settled the Union question
and created the negro problem. Fred
eric Harrison. the English philosopher
declared that the one great shadow
which clouds the future Of the Amer
lean Republic Is the approaching
tragedy Of the irreconcilable. conflict
between the negro and white man In
the development of our society. Mr.
James Bryce recently made a similar
statement. t4.!aF
The Argument Of the Ostrich Man.
II allowed to remain here the negro
race in the United States will num-
ber 60,000,000 at the end Of this CEN
tury by their present rate of increase,
Think Of what this means for a mo-
ment and you face the gravest problem
which ever puzzled the brain Of states
man or philosopher. No such problem
ever before confronted the white man
In his recorded history. 1t cannot be
whistled down by opportunists, politi-
clans. weak minded optimists or female
men. It must be squarely met and
fought to a finish. ...
Several classes Of people at present
obstruct any serious consideration OF
this questionable pot-house politician,
the ostrich man, the pooh-pooh man,
and the benevolent old maid. The pol
itician is still busy over the black mans
vote In doubtful states. The pooh
pooh man needs no definition-he. was
born a fool. The benevolent old maid
every time the hat Is pass
ed and Is pretty sure to do as much
harm as good In the long run to any
cause. The ostrich man Is the funni-
est Of all this group of obstructionists,
for he is a man Of brains and capacity.
have a friend Of this kind In New
York. He got after me the other day
somewhat In this fashion: ... ..-
What do you want to keep agitat-
ing this Internal question for? There's
no danger in 1t unless you stir 1t. Let
1t alone. ! grant you that the negro
race is poor, worthless parasite,
whose criminal and animal instincts
society. But the negro Is here
to stay. We must train him. 1t is the
only thing we can do. So what's the
use to waste your breathT .a...
But what about the future when
you have educated the negro?" I ask
ed timidly. ... ...... '.
Let the future take care Of ITSELF"
the ostrich man snorted. I'VE live In
the present. What's the use to worry