Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1907-07-19
RICHARD CARROLL.

There were more than two hundred
people, some forty or fifty Of them
whites, in the court house last night to
hear Richard Carroll, the well known
negro platform orator, deliver his lee
ture on the "Vision Of the Sunny
South" or the Servant Labor Prob
lem"
Carroll was introduced by Rev. H.
]. Cauthen, who knew the speaker as
boy, and who took pleasure in
vouching for his honesty, sincerity and
ability, and the lecture that followed,
although consuming about an hour
and a half in its delivery was listened
to with careful attention throughout
by all present.
The speakers message is to both
whites and blacks; but principally to
the blacks. He notes some pretty seri-
Gus derelictions in a part Of the white
race-the more vicious element; but
1t is to the weaknesses and shortcom-
ings Of the negroes and the means to
be used for their correction that most
of his lecture Is devoted.
Carroll has no doubts on the ques-
ton as to what Is the best thing
for the negro or as to who Is
the negro's best friend. He says that
the negro is best understood and ap-
preciated by the white people Of the
south and 1t Is among these same white
people that he will find his greatest
opportunity for comfort and happi-
ness. The southern people will give
him more sympathy more encourage
ment and more practical assistance,
than will the people Of any other part
of the country.
The cue of the negro is to be ener-
getic, Industrious and faithful. They
have long been showing a tendency to
be neglectful, lazy and slothful. Large
numbers Of them are inclined toward
idleness, even when they have no trou-
BILE in finding profitable employment.
In fact they are given to making ex-
cuses to keep from work, merely that
they may indulge their propensity for
idleness. This will not be tolerated by
the whites Of this or any other coun-
try and the negroes who seek to pur-
sue such a course are only piling up
their troubles. Instead Of this, every
negro man and woman should seek
useful employment and whether the
wages be satisfactory or only 10 cents
day give the very best service that
within their power lies. He mention
ed the habit Of cooks in carrying away
from the homes where they worked,
double supplies Of rations as contri-
buting to the worthlessness Of the race
by encouraging idleness. He thought
1t Is the duty Of every negro man and
every negro woman who really desires
to get along to use every available le-
gitimate means to make every member
Of the race earn his or her own living
at some useful employment, and he in
sisted that this Is the only way by
which it is possible to secure the gen.
eral elevation so earnestly desired by
the more laudably ambitious members
of the race He thought this was the
way to get better wages, and the way
for the negroes to win respect Is to
respect themselves.
The speaker devoted quite a consid-
cradle part Of his time to the discus
sion Of secret society organizations
among the negroes. He was willing
to admit that there was need for few
organizations; but there are too many
of them-too much Of this nurse the
sick and bury the dead business" He
threw off on the desire Of the negro
to have a big funeral, and called at
tention to the fact that the white man
was not concerned whether he was
buried at death or not. All he cared
about was that his family be provided
for and this he managed by means Of
insurance. He warned the negroes that
the maintenance Of 50 many secret or
ganiZations was only calculated to rem
der them unfit to properly attend to
their duties, and would sooner or later
get them into trouble.
The lecture, summed in a nutshell,
is intended to teach the negro to be
honest, Industrious, faithful and 10y
al. The negro is given to understand
that it Is his place to serve, and there
is no escape from his destiny-that
he must serve out his time.
Carroll told quite a number of inter-
esting anecdotes and laughter provok-