The commonwealth. (Scotland Neck, N.C.) 1896-1929, 1907-05-30
The North And The Negro
(Richmend Times -Dispaich.)

Presbyterian General Assembly at Co
lumbus, O., the statement that 1.-The
negro should not have been given
rights to full citizenship was receiv-
cd With applause by the assembly p
not enthusiastic, sayc the correspond
ent, "but pronounced, and coming
from all parts of the house."
That was going pretty far for a re-
served religious body, bat it is tame
in comparison with a communication
in the Philadelphia Ledger, from the
pen Of Mr.. Edward Lewis, a citizen
of that city. He says in plain terms:
THE fifteenth amendment to the
Constitution Of The United States
has caused more trouble With the
negro than any other one thing, and
it shonld be repealed"
And why does liz ss.- se7 Because
Philadelphia is getting taste of the
bitter fruits of negro suffrage. Mr..
Lewis gives the following outline Of
the situationin III Philadelphia:
If this city is not really b
paradise, it is nearer one for the ne
gro than any other place in the world.
This is the city where they can ride
! in the same cars, send their children
to the same schools. eat in the same
restaurants and at the same tables as
the whites. stand at the same bars
and drink, and even shove white men
to one side to make room for them;
they can visit the same theatres and
sit alongside the whites during the
performance lnG matter how objec-
tionable they may be the whites must
put up with it or leave the theatre
They can form mobs and dictate what
amusements TIC white people shall
patronize; they can have their shoes
shined by white men. In the hospi-
tails in this city the negro is put into
in the same wards with the whites,
waited on by white nurses and white
attendants, and they are the negroes)
the most insolent patients in the ir-
stitution, demanding things, not ask
ing for them, and very rarely thank
ing you for anything you do fer
them-more often cursing you and
80 per cent. of them walk into hos
pital with their hats or; just as they
would into a barroom, having no
respect for the nurses and doctors or
for the sick or injured lying on the
cots; and when requested to please
remove their hats they ssem insulted
and do not beg pardon, as white
man would do if he accidentally for
got to remove his hat; and when a
negro does voluntarily remove his
hat you can bet he is very recently
from the South and it is not Phila-
delphia negro.
"They are placed III positions here
where they boss white men working
under them. They are on the police
force here, where they have chance
to arrest white people. Did you ever
notice the look of positive triumph
on the face of negro policeman
when he has an opportunity tc arrest
a white man or woman? Ihave, and
he uses unnecessary force, and shows
more spleen when arresting a white
person tahn when arrestirig one of
his own color.
81 could fill pages with evidence
to prove these assertions. says he in
conclusion, and then states the reason
for the situation he describes. 1T
is because the negro is factor in
politics." he explains, THAT he is al
lowed to violate the laws with i'm
punity. This is the city where the
politician pats the negro on the back
and tells him he is as good (even
if he is wofthless) as any white man
ever born"
The Southern people learned this
years ago. They discovered in the
beginning that the worst phase OF
the negro question was political. The
negro's vote gave him pull with the
politicians, who coddled him and en-
couraged him in his insolence. Hence,
as soon as possible, the Southern
States deprived the ignorant negro
masses of the right to vote, and the
major part of the negro evil disap-
peared at once. If every Northern
community were afflicted as Phila-
delphia is afflicted, the fifteenth
amendment would be repealed in
short order.