The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1906-07-10
The Political Future Of the Southern
Negro
Negro


.. altogether past. there is a graft
disposition on the part Of the
t.r= of thought in both sections to
..#-- jb more calmly, cOnscrvatiyeIv.
... with better temper. While the
...Hn does not admit that the negro
. -5uH is an exclusively Southern
.. Hnu. and while it does not admit
..# amy settlement which the South
.He propose of this question which
..- not meet the approval of the
.u.uIHUt and COnSciepcc Of the cO1lu-
.. .H i1Tgc can be a final settlement
" Hue@ admit that it is a question in
."H-H tN" south is more deeply inter
NH imam any other section; and
n.a|IE and Of still greater importance.
.. shows growing tendency to con-
..|" that the attitude of the South to-
..rI the negro IS not only honest and
.U.rrr". but that its contention as to
tt., menace of negro suffrage finds sub
"Hutl1 support and confirmation in
H#. artuaI experience of the South ana
t.. country with the negro as a voter
Iun modification of Northern Senti-
moat upon this subject as the result of
h.'I"r and fuller information has re-
moved to a measurable degree the
#.H3ieap to profitable discussion and
,a-~bIe settlement in the interest of
'u. whole country and both races of
this n'rpIeEinG question, and has done
m"fn than all other things combined
MISUNDERSTANDING
disagreement and irritation.
IHr South is not only more inter
.f"t but it is more anxious than the
balance of the country to see this queS-
h"n settled, not as some suppose. in
.u interest of partiSanship Section-
aueln or race antipathy, but righteous
N n the interest of both races for
rfo common veal and in cOnSOnance
with the equities and cXigencies of
'n. situation.
The emancipation. enfranchisement,
ma The permanent presence i'll our
"uI-t OF the negro present three prob
."I'+. namely Il social problem, a polit-
IoH problem, and an Industrial prob
he social problem presented is one
which the South could and has settled
for itself. independent Of the rest Of
the country. That settlement is irrc-
'" dbl" and for all time. Upon that
question there is not now, and there
mas not been at any time, any division
among the white people of the South.
"Wo and all, now and at all times
they refuse as they have always re-
fused. and will always refuse, even so
much as to consider the suggestion of
social equality or social Intercourse
with the negro. Inc the view that
would mean degradation for the white
man. without compromising benefit for
'h" black man; and. so feeling and
"I"Fing. they desire not to see the
so" 4tl CI1Sn1 Wnlcn now separates
Iho$' two races lCSSened. but rather to
s'" It broadencd and Widened. This
l~ southern condition which is in
tNrahIe, and nothing absolutely
."hIng can change it. 1t may not
h.. and probably it is not, in the power
W the South to settle for itself indie
h"nicntIy of the rest of the country
iH" question of political equality be-
tween the races, but it has attempted
I" settle that question in Il way reason
a"} satisfactory TO itself. and in Il
| which. if undisturbed. we believe
N" prove reasonably satisfactory to
Bib. North also. BY one device or an
"r we have taken the ballot from
."- NIItCrate negro: not, as some have
charged, for political or race adVant-
.A". nNt as we believe, for his good
a"a for the cOuntry's good, and, speak
lug broadly. for our own SalNatlon.
h" manner of his disfranchisement, in
"'H" Instances at leaSt-aS in the cases
"i Louisiana and North CarOlina-maV
''o harsh and inequitable. but, as q
hal'eT of fact it is neither. Properly
Interpreted. these apparently diScrim-
."+'ing provisions simply declare. what
'>L"T1"nCc has COncluSiVelN proven.
."'f Tho negro possesses no inherent
"iHtrtE for SCIf-gOVernment such as
"H' H"c" undoubtedly has. and that he
."nnat be- safely trusted With the bal
HnitI he shows an attained capac-
. T." uSc ii With due intelligence and
'".'t"3I attitude toward the negro. as
.'Er just attempted on general lines
."iho 1t, can never become pl2ln or
'.|H b" made COMPREHENSIVE to any
'.'. who does not understand the ma
'... H0U COaraCteriSticS of the negro
. " race as the South knows and un-
."..~'aUds them. [ mean those racial
fi"rtfStic and qualities which are
''s blood and which can no more
banged than the color of his SKIN
In, l .,tlr
.E|#"~ Francis Adams as a result OF
..~ contact with and study of the At
H n Africa. the scales fell from
"E"~ and he saw after years OF
'"H tlat the attitude of the
..# WAS not one of preJudlc2.
#a# both natural md logical
from Mr.. Adams in Mays Cen
because it is a recognition of
philosophy which underlles the
'|''o Of the South III this whole
.""kjn@ about me among Afri-
+" africa far removed from the
."3n environment to which
h""n accustomed-thc scales fell
my eyes. | found myself most
.r-"t by a realizing sense OF the
lhg amount of error and cant
W" of the United states have
A'4 I'm on this topic the African
'L'.nca). We have actually wal
"a in bog of Self-Sufficlent 1gno-
especially We philanthroplStS
'h""rists Of New England. We do
E "r Having eyes we do not see.
now we not infrequently near
.d""essor to the abolitionlst ana
"hItarian of the ante-ClVll war
"" the Uncle Tom period-an-
that the difference between
"hfto man and the black man -
considerable than is ordinarily
tH" d. and that the only real op
n the negros way is that lie
YER been given a chance!
rr "| myself after visiting the pistck
VIII .A his own house, | come pdch
decided impression that thl9