The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1918-11-13

uation? We shall have to confron
the situation--We must not allow
to drift. The soul Of the negro is a
white as the soul Of the white man
thew have qualities capable Of hig
DEVELOPMENT. The question resolve
itself into this: What is the value O
a. man? AS a unit in the State he
all important to the State, and as sue.
he is a part of the State-a neces
sary part of the democratic whole
a pillar of democracy; one of thos
who guarantees and stabilizes the lif
of freedom. Shall we make tn
sacrifice? Or shall we like the chill
dren of Israel confess a lost oppor
tunity?"
Only among what were known a
scalawags and. carpetbaggers woul
such plain speaking have been posi-
BILE in any company of white people /,
the South 80 or 40 years ago. Regar
the setting of this remarkable dellv
erance at the Dutch Inn in Lexington
Va:
Subject-"The Negro in the Soutl
and His Status as Affected by the Wa
for Democracy.
Speaker-A Southern white man,
Democrat in politics, a former slav
holder, Virginian Of Virginians.
Company present-Twenty whit
men (only two Of whom were borl
north of the old 1ine), teachers, sol
diers, bankers, lawyers, one clergy
man, and all intent upon the issu
under discussion, differing widely as t
the means best adapted to the en-
in view, but agreeing that in tn
new reconstruction the white peopl
of the South should take the initia
tive and follow in sympathetic an'
unseliSh spirit new and just real
| ignment on the race issue IN tn
South. Noted among the .dif11cultie
in the way of a satisfactory settle
ment Of the issue is the utter lack o
race pride on the part of the negr
and the vivid recollection of the hor
rible conditions resulting from aliei
| interference in the political affair
of the South SO years ago.
Another difficulty is the CROWN
estrangement between the whites an
blacks that has followed the failur
of reconstruction in the South. l
| would have been easier to adjust tn
races half a century ago than it i
now. When the War Between til
States ended the whites and black
knew and appreciated each other bei
Ter than the whites and blacks OF tn
present day. Then it was the ques
ton Of race, now it is the question Q
race plus the misund derstanding tha
have resulted from the dispoition o;
both sides to continue the division
caused and encouraged by mischief
making theorists and greedy politi
clans seeking personal profit at tn
sacrifice of civilization.
OF course, the everything question c
social equality was discussed, ane
equally, of course, rejected as iii
possible in any circumstances; bu
there was general agreement tha
there ought to be and must be a re
adjustment of the race question alon,
economic and political lines.
A distinguished schoolmaster VIII
had come into intimate touch will
the question in the discharge of hi
official duties protested that bette
cation of the negro under improve
and steadily expanding facilities. II
had found the negro men entlrel.
reasonable in discussion, but hoped
be delivered from the negro women.
4 college president insisted tha.
in addition to improved educationa
facilities, there should be better liv
ing and housing provision for the ne
groes; that they should not be assign
ed to the slums Of cities, towns, an,
villages; that the lines should b
drawn between the moral and un
moral members Of the race; that tht
scoIored woman with a tring OF i!
legitimate children ought not to be re
garded with the same favor, as tn
colored woman lawfully married ant
the mother of children born in wed
lock; that the colored girl should b.
protected from the lustful eyes of tn
men of both races; that it would b.
proper and fair to address marriet
colored women as Mrs" and respec
table colored girls as Miss and i,
this way encourage them to appreciat'
the value and distinction Of belongini
to the respectable class; tha- the:
should be encouraged and promotet
in every reasonable and practicabl
sense to forget their color inj their cit
izenship in all the rights Of which
they should be protected by thei
white neighbors in the South. TIL
same college president was perfectl.
frank in confessing that the negro ha
not been dealt with honestly and in
sisting that the time had come whel
there ought to be found a new an'
better way Of making him a NOR
self-respecting and efficient membe
of society in the South, with equa
opportunity and equal protection un
der the laws.
Millions of dollars have been eN
pended for negro education in tn
South since the war. Schools o
theology are numerous. colleges an
universities abound, a few technica
institutions have done good work
and all this has been well enough il
it's way, but in the public schools il