The Ocala banner. (Ocala, Marion County, Fla.) 1883-194?, 1917-07-27

separate public schools, separate sun
day schools, separate churches, sepa-
rate public conveyances and separate
hotels and boarding houses.
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
vonveyances for the whites are pro-
yided with. The waiting rooms have
chemically like provisions.
Can that justly be described as a
species of cruelty? 1. 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 ugIiness from unconcern-
ed outsiders?
make the following quotation
from your article:
GAS 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 to
New York. He followed them, and is
organizing them into a church in the
metropolis"
Rev. A. L. James is still in Ocala
and is pastor of his flock here.
am enclosing you letter under
his signature, written to the Evening
Star of this city, which I hope that
you will spare the space to reprint in
your columns. You and your readers
will see how far wrong you are.
It is true, as he says, that he did
go north to study conditions. but he
returns. and, like Booker Washington,
after travelling over the greater part
of the world. was convinced that the
south is the best place for the negro
to work out his destiny-among the
people he knows and who know him.
Booker Washington made the state
ment that the negroes of the south
were better paid than nine-tenths of
the working classes in any part of
the world.
But, speaking OF race prejudice, do
you come into the parliament of this
discussion with clean skirts? Is not
the history of the world the history
of race antagonisms? Has it not ex-
listed as far back as history and ira
dition reach?
Was there not antipathy between
the Egyptians and Hebrews? Between
the Jews and all other races? Are not
whole pages OF sacred history but a
recital of the total annihilation or ex-
pulsion of races by races. and vol
umes of profane history tell the same
story.
After the Normans conquered Eng
land did not the prejudices between
the cOnQuerors exist for number OF
centuries? Was it not for a long
time considered a disgrace for the
proudest Norman knight to marry the
richest Saxon princess? Race hatreds
between the ancient population OF
Spain and the invading Goths lasted
for eight hundred years. Between
the Arabs and the Moors there was
bitter enmity. Do not race antago-
nisms still exist in Europe, and other
parts of the globe?
On this side OF the Atlantic did we
not drive the aborigines back. and
back, and back, until now they hard
ly have territory enough upon which
to rest their feet? And many of the
tribes have become totally extinct.
Benjamin Lundy was the first one
to start a newspaper to create a SEN
timent for the liberation OF the slave
1t is little remarkable that he should
have established it in the south, and
as long as it remained here he was
unmolested. but when he removed it
from Jonesboro, Tenn, to Philadel-
phia it was burned by a mob.
In 1884 Thomas Jefferson proposed
an ordinance that after the year 1900
there should be neither slavery nor in
voluntary servitude in any OF the