Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1907-06-30
THE NEGRO PROBLEM

The solution of this problem cuts an important figure in our economic l life. It has been popular in n1y own state among the politicians to use the
 negro as an easy way to obtain offiN l The abuse of the negro has become
 quite popular and a vote catching 1 proposition it is dead easy. resent
 with every drop of blood in my body
 this base use of the ignorant negro to further selfish interests and to feather
 the nests of political demagogues; the southern negro is just what the peo- 1 pie of the south have ma1e of him. l We ran him down in the Wids of 1 Africa; We cut off his tail and brought him here under closed matches and in ! chains and the white people of the south are responsible for nine-tenths of his shortcomings; and for my part am willing and I hope every true southerner will De willing to sha.e his part of this responsibility. And let us work together to improve these
 conditions
 There can be no doubt that the na- gro has some damnable characteris- tics; but, my frieds, is it not equally true that he has some of the most ad- mirable traits of character of any peo- pie on earth? After the war we turn ed these freedmen over to the carpet baggers and scalawags; we washed our hands of him and considered that our responsibility was ended and the carpet baggers and scalawags used him for their own selfish purposes.
 We hear now from nearly every stump and we read in nearly every newspaper about the education of the negro. and ill measure he is being educated; the blind leading the blind! For some years I have contended that the white people of the south should take charge of the education of the negro. I have discussed this question with many prominent men in my own state and they all agree that condi- tions would have been much better had we permitted our own sons and daughters to teach the negro schools and direct the minds of these people in the proper channels. We have lost this opportunity and now, as is usual among the entire human race, we try to shift the responsibility. I hope each and every ono of you will give this matter seriouT and unprejudiced thought and careful consideration.
 I contend that the negro, when pro- perly educated, is better servant; and some also contend that the edu- cated negro is incompetent as ser want; and some also contend that the higher wages he receives for his la bor, the less work he does. This has not been my observation. have worked large numbers of them all my life, and for the last few years l have gone over my pay rolls; l have all of these for the past fifteen years. I find in every instance ths negro to whom I have paid the highest wages and the negro who can read and write is rarely absent from his post of duty. I contend that we, by our lack of forethought and greed, have made the negro what he is.
 The negro in the south is the only human being on the face of the globe today who can get everything lie wants without giving a penny of se- curity. You know what Christmas money is! The average negro of to- day, when Christmas comes, demands of his .'boss" Christmas money. He may have come out behind; he may have loafed two-thirds of the year; hs