The Lakeland evening telegram., 1917-07-27


And the sun shines on no noble
women than the women of the south
The mothers of these men prove this
| assertion.
1t must be confessed that we have
full share of race pride and a love
for the pride of ancestry. We feel
that we owe something to posterity.
So believing we feel it a sacred
duty to stand unequivocally for race
purity, race integrity.
| Is that a fiendish crime? Is it a
crime at all? Is it one for which any
race should be ashamed?
We have only to cast our eyes
across the border into Mexico, towards
! Central America, Cuba, Haiti or San
! Domingo to measure the results of
race impurity, so we are trying as
best we can to avoid like condition.
| We do not want the south-fair as
any spot on Gods domainn-to be-
come mongrelized. Why blame us?
| Should we be mathematical for
that? Is it immoral? Is it n-Chris-
tian? Is it in contravention of Gods
ordinances or the very work of his
hands?
If it is any or all of these things
then the whole people of the south
need tn he horn again
All of my life | have lived in the
south; have travelled through many
states. and l make the statement with
| fingers uncrossed that | have yet to
see sign that reads: Negroes and
Dogs Not Admitted Here" Nor have
ever seen a person who would say
on his honor that he had ever seen
such sign in any part of the south.
can, therefore. regard it but fab
; rication.
! AS God in his creation differentia-
ted the races making some white,
some black, others red, and yellow.
we must believe that he did so for
some wise purpose.
| We know that he frowned upon race
amalgamation among "his chosen
people," and inculcated among them
the doctrine and precepts of race pur-
i-y. And throughout the ages, In
stress and storm, who does not honor
the Jew for keeping his race separate
and distinct? So we cannot be made
! to believe that in carrying out his ON
nipotent designs that we are wholly
sinful
1t is true that in the south we have
a segregation of the races We have
separate public schools, separate Sun
day schools, separate churches, sepa,
rate public cOnveyances and separate
hotels and boarding houses.
J The negroes first set the example.
and in saying this we are not endeav-
oring to dodge the issue. They first
cut themselves loose from the white
churches and established separate
churches Of their own, presided over
by their own ministers and their own
bishops.
They preferred to do this, and we
were glad for them to do so. They
felt less embarrassed, more free and
independent
The establishment of separate
schools was done under republican
administration in the south during the
reconstruction era. and gave eminent
satisfaction to all concerned.
The separate conveyances for ne
groes are provided with the same fur
nishings and conveniences that the
conveyances for the white are pro.
v;ded with. The waiting rooms have
identically like provisions
Can that just be described as a
| species of cruelty? 1t suits them
better and it suits us better, and
avoids friction, irritation and at
times. perhaps, violence. If they are
satisfied with these conditions, and we
are satisfied, why should it provoke
spleen and ugliness from unconcern-
ed outsiders?
l make the following quotation
from your article:
"As an instance of the wholesale ex.
odus, Rev. A. L. James, of Ocala. Flor.
ida, discovered couple of weeks ago
that his entire parish had moved &c