Jefferson jimplecute. (Jefferson, Tex.) 1907-1926, 1911-08-25
THE NEGRO and
PROHIBITION

III WIG iN1thN IN OiiDiNich Nitt
ton quite a large number of the
NEGRO preachers, teachers ard
laity placed themselves upon the
right side of the prohibition
question; and they did it in the
face of strong inducements to do
otherwise. But they stood firm
and proved themselves worthy
, of confidence and high regard.
Hundreds of them are worthy
of all praise and encouragement.
They have demonstrated the
fact that they stand for intelli-
gence, good morals and high
order of citizenship. And we
take their action as a good omen.
1t leads us To believe that the
good and true negroes are ready
to stand with the good and true
white people in our effort to pro-
mote the largest interest of both
races. In an emergency they
can be depended upon to dotheir
duty as patriots and Christians.
For this class we have the high
esta appreciation, and as in the
lpast, so in the future, they will
ALWAYS know where to find their
best and most untiailing friends.
| All honor to these good and
true negroes VINO stand by right
and against wrong. They are
the hope of their race, and from
their services are to come the
best results in the training and
directing of the negroes in ways
OF peace, prosperity and devotion
to law and order.
| But the great bulk Of the negro
vote went against us. 1t was in
fluenced by the vicious element
among the white and negro
race. And we are sorry to say
that a few OF the leading minis
ters and teachers among the ne
groes listened to the blandish
ments of the ants and prosti
tuted their ability and influence
to support the saloon. Sin Killer
Griffin, the noted negro evange-
| list; Raynor, man whofor years
has posed a teacher among them,
and Rev. j w. Stokes, who as
sumed to be the most scholarly
man. among his race, all did their
utmost to direct the negro vote
| to the saloon cause. An they ex-
erted large influence in their
efforts. But to cap the climax of
disappointments of this kind,
President e. l.. \ Blakeshear of
Prairie View Normal for Ne
lgroes, the only institute of ne
groes supported by the State,
reversed his position of long
standing on the prohibition ques
tton and did more to mislead and
confuse his race than any other
negro in Texas. Why he did
this we are not going to say, but
no man will have to impose a
heavy burden upon his credulity
| in reaching a conclusion upon
the subject. He wrote a cate
chism and put it in child-li
Language so as to be easily UNI
Iderstood by the simplest of his
race, in which he told them that
| if prohibition carried the negroes
would be DISTINGUISHED, their
! liberty would be imperiled and
that other dire calamities would
follow. He knew better, for he
is an educated man. He also
told his people that the prohibi-
tionists were not their friends,
but that the ants were the PEG
pie to whom the negro must look
for safety and protection. When
he penned such misrepresenta-
tons he did not believe what he 4.
said. He knew it was asolutely
false. Yet his nefarious and
false teaching had wide inhu-
ence on the ignorant mind.
| For the bulk of the ignorant
negroes who followed the vicious
white mans lead and the few
designing leaders among the ne
lgroes who wilfully and perhaps
for consideration did their ut
most to throw the negro vote to
| the saloons, we have more of
pity than censure. They did not
know any better. They have
lyet to learn their duty. But for
these so-called leaders who with
full knowledge of their terpi-
Itude, we have nothing but un-
Imitigated contempt. They are
mot worthy of the confidence or
ldecent white people. They are
, a disgrace to the negro popula'
ton of Texas, n miserable ira
lvesty upon manhood and good
Icitizenship, and the most dan
gerous and hurtful influence
with which the progress of the
NEGRO race has To contend. They
Iare willing for mess of pottage
Ito deliver their ignorant hordes
lover to the saloon and its cor
Irupting influence. They are not
!worthy to be recognized as the
friends of good government, 10
rs. 40. hsp.r 80 rans-.alS and ra