The Ocala banner. (Ocala, Marion County, Fla.) 1883-194?, 1920-10-29
LOOKING At THE SOUTH
THROUGH a GLASS DARKLY
Cedar Eapids. Iowa. Oct. II. 1920.
Mr. Frank Harris.

RRFe been kind enough 60 send to me |
allatin9 on the beauties OF Ocala and |
and am certain you have
as prime place In which TO live.
] also received the copy OF your
paper az recent date telling about
something yUu seem TO have found in
the Tribune which you consider
wrong and asking Why we do not
olegi the negroes 20 places of promi-
hence such as g0vernorships, congress
md 90 forth You must not forget
thal the negroes We have here are
mu iiy those who have escaped from
the terrors % them Ga your South, and
have been allowed TO acquire only
rh education as YOU allow the ne
rroes 90 acquire in that section. and
Hfline with absolutely no education
onlg fifty years ago. but it is not a
fact lhat they are barred from such
offices he this part Of the country a.
hcg are with yOu Minnesota had ona
Ger legislature one term, one na0e
JACKSON served two terms in Illinois
legislature. aud one named Priest
aergad two terms GA city council in
Ehigae0 aud another Was eletced 20
"a ce q him. The only point to this
that as soon as any man shows him
ief capable t0 ull any of the offices
e has q chance TO get it regardless
~ the color of his skin and with you
~ there be enough of the African
od n him 90 even show in the
whites cot his eyes he IFS forever con
e1ha1 by you. The trouble is that
rnnr rduactiOn began SOL years ago
tst august. when the first negroes
uaa stolen from their homes in
Africa by white men and sold into
IFert on this continent. and for 25O
ter kopt iu that state by the most
.ffror.zng brutality ever known in
hrlsteudom.
Sc far rs The hatred" you claim
60 exist ia this part OF the country
aaiuEt che South. / shall simply say
we are TOO busy with other things to
think OF hating You. aud ! am inclos-
ing part OF a speech by Senator Hard
Ing which comes as near expressing
the exact condition on that line as
anything ! have seen. We do Objec'
having the Democratic party control
this country By having l3 Of the states
teal the votes TO get them into power.
ana - keep them there You do not
hea.tate % count the negroes when
fhc dlslricting Of congressman is
aone but when they want TO have
word % say about waO shall repre-
sent them ia Congress their ballots
are thrown into the spittOOn and il
one 81 them has the nerve TO make
any objection he disappears and if
found al all his head Will be found
smashed. That is only one of the
aftermath OF slavery. and ii is not to
be- expected that a section shall be
able TO throw IL off in one generation.
bat We do hate TO be obliged to toler
ate having IL rule the country.
/ think there is no trouble but that
we understand each other or any rea.
son Rhy We should not be friends, be-
cause 81 differences of opinion on
politics. That. by the way, is another
difference in the sections. Any man
here can hold any opinion. not trea SON
able 90 the country, and express ii
anywhere he wishes and not be ostra-
ciaed on account OF that expression.
Can any republican move into your
neighborhOod and openly express his
political views. and live there any
length Of time. in peace? CAN HE?
Next time I 20 TO Florida / shall
extend the invitation I received in
Souh Ozark district: Come over and
stay al night"
Respectfully,
:. G.. HOLMES.
1872 > ave- Weet phone 553i-W..
Cedar Rapids, Iowa.
The above letter proves conclusive
~ what this paper has al along con
tended that there cam be no genuine
unlficauon OF the sections until the
Republican party is gathered to its
fathers
Here is a man whom we shall say
IN noint Of intelligence at least ranks
with toe average of his neighbors yet
he has been schooled to believe that
the Southern people are brutal and
hatbarous IN their treatment of the
negro
fIe seems really 10 believe that if by
chance q negro happens 20 vote that
Sc ballot Is thrown ont and cast into
tic Fpi,to0n and II he is heard TO-
murmur complaint he is found later
on with his head smashed. !
May we ask ii Mr.. Holmes and his
neirbbors are so busy that they have
no tine to think of hating the South.
whore ou earth do they obtain all this
false and sandalous information?
We feel that it is hardly necessary
for AS 20 proclaim that it is wholly
untrue
AS we have before asserted the Re-
rat,icau pa~'v IS - child Of section
alism
q was brought le3 being by the
haueful discussion of slavery and has
been nurturod on such literature as
"Uncle Toms Cabin" and worse, and
the masses of the people have been