The St. Lucie County tribune. (Fort Pierce, St. Lucie County, Fla.) 1905-1920, 1910-04-22
CANDIDATE CORRECTS
SOME FALSE REPORTS
Viking, Fla Amil 18Th

lated against me.
10 the Voters of st. Lucie County:
Having canvasscd over the larger
portion of st. Lucie county find that
friends ca have circulated the news
that | believed in negro equality /. @.
that they should 60 to the same school.
may not be able to see each voter
before the primary. 50 take this method
To brand the accusation as false. The
report has also been spread that |
taught the pupils to sing the old "War
songs"
ask the favor of your consideration
of the following explanations: have
taught five schools in this section. The
first at Orchid in 1928.
Three at Fort Pierce, and once at
! Viking, the last during the term 1907
and 1908.
1t was during the term 1900 and 1901
the last school taught at Fort Pierce,
that the report first started,
The negro question came up in the
history class, and in the discussion !
made the statement thar in some parts
of Illinois they had the same right in
the schools as the whites had and
thought it the same in several northern
states. That | knew Of three mixed
schools in the county | formerly taught
in, the nearest being some four or five
miles from our school.
told the pupils that did not APP
prove of it and was glad to he in a
state that would not allow it. No
negro ever went to our school, and no
self-respecting white teacher would
teach the negro schools, | meyer went
to school with them. in fact knew little
about the negro race until l came
South. was raised on a farm, and
worked there until was eighteen, go
ING to school during the winter.
never saw negro at work TOR
white men in our neghbOrhood. Or
course, reading Northern literature
gave me the impression that the negro
was mstreated in the SOuth-most
northern people used to believe that.
A short residence in the South convinced
me of the error. Politicians in the
North were the cause of our belief.
The common people have had their eyes
opened. want to say that, white
supremacy for me, first, last and at all
times.
Northern people, while obeying the
laws there. in regard to the negro IN
school and in politics, of which he Is a
factor, sought out by the office seeker,
do not treat them as equals socially.
and one who did so, would be ostracls'
ed by the self respecting whites, just
as quickly as down here.
Some ofmy pupils misquoted mel
can't say it was intentional, nor malic'
inns but nevertheless it was false,
and caused some patrons of the school
and others to think little of me. Whl'e
deploring the mistake, met 1t with
fortitude | made the denial at the
time to any who asked about it. A
man told me the other day that | never
Joried if to him. replied that he
ravor asked me about it. His reply
WAS that he was not interested, as ne
had no children in school. Am sure
that il was not my place nor duty to
saek ont any one who might believe
srcb unjust reports. Yet this person
has told several parties that he could
not snnport me, because believed in
negro equallty' ,.,
If anyone offered for any public
,,,,,;t;or believing in such doctrine, !
y,uld be one of the first to condemn
him and work against him. But
,ro,,ld first find out from him it 1t were
,,,a do not feel that am getting a
souare deal. In regard to the tales be-
;n,, circulated, it reminds me OF a story
! was told about the three black crows
Iohn Smith had been very SICK ana
,vbile eonvalescing, told a passing friend
thot h. had vomited up something as
,I.,..k as Il crow. His friend passed on
and cav a neighbor in a field ana to'o
hin, that John Smith had vom'ted up a
hact crow. The man in the field called
'cross to one near by that John smith
had vomited up two black crows Inc
,asf man met friend and yelled OUT
..Ob! say, what do you think! old 'phh
cuitb has yomi, ed up three black crows
Goodness knows how many there
,,ould have been if the last man mao
x had sense CROUCH to go to the SICK