The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1921-10-11
STORIES OF OUR SOUTHLAND
The Southern People and the Negro
Our Southland 100 Per Cent
Pure American

ton surrounded Dy slaves. l have
worked negroes all of my life, as
farm hands, domestic servants and in
other capacities. / have had in my
employ what were known as very bad
negroes; but I have never had the
least trouble with one, Or had ne
: gro to give me the slightest imperti-
nence. So it is my firm belief that
if white man will stay in his place
negro will remain in his place and
not presume to trespass on the do
main of his employer. If you will
analyze the racial troubles, in most
cases they originate in some white
man placing himself on an equality
with negroes, associating, drinking
and gambling with them. The negro
always look down on a white person
who places himself on their level, and
is ever ready to take advantage of
such condescension on the part of
white man. ''Give one inch and he
will take an ELL" The result is that
the white man becomes incensed at
such familiarity by his black asso-
ciates and falls back on his blood.
Then his own race espouses his side,
the negroes rally around their color,
and trouble results.
believe understand negro nature
thoroughly. He must first of all be
kept in his place, and be made to re-
main there. The negro is always am
bilious to advance his position along
side the whites, as he looks up to
them as superior race, and is quick
to take advantage of the slightest
movement on the part of a white man
toward wiping out the dividing line.
While there are brutes among the
negroes, as whole they are a kindly
gentle people, and easily controlled:
for good or evil. But the negro is a
child of impulse, and is easily led.
During the days Of reconstruction he
was controlled by political adventure
ers from the north, but after the
overthrow of carpet-bag rule his lead
ers were from his own race, generally
his preachers, as they are an emotion
al people and quick to espouse any
new thing that comes along.
They are enthusiastic about their
churches, their schools and secret So
cieties. But the negro is devoid of
two traits: gratitude and resentment.
Even after emancipation some of the
hardest taskmasters among farmers
can get all the hands tfey need,
while toher men who are kind and
more lenient with their hands find it
hard to secure laborers. This was
evidenced in the case of Col. James
M. Smith, the great Georgia planter.
Col. Smith dealt justly and honestly
by his hahds, but he worked them
as hard as during the days of slavery,
and punished any neglect of duty on
their part. Yet Col. Smith had no
trouble in getting pick of labor. But
it is casting pearls before swine to
do a negro kindness and expect any
gratitude or appreciation in return.
He has no appreciation whatsoever for
favors, and will unhesitatingly, when
his interest or humor prompts him
desert you and go over to the one to
whom he owes the slightest favor. AS
evidence of this, Col. John H. Christy
of Athens, Ca, for years supported
an old blind negro and kept him out
of the poorhouse. But when Col.
Christy made the race for congress,
and was opposed by white carpet
bagger, this old negro voted against
his benefactor and for man he did
not even know.
The thriftlessness of the negro and
his wasteful extravaganza have been
a boon to the south. Had these peo-
pie the thrift, economy and business
management of the white man they
would today be the land owners Of
our section, as they titled the fields
and by saving their money be enabled
to buy up on time the bulk of our
farm lands. While an occasional ne
gro, by economy and thrift would
manage to accumulate considerable
property it does not remain even
through the second generation. That
old darkey is not long in his grave
before his children begin to squander
their inheritance, and it quickly pass
es back into the hands of the white
man. Every child that old negro has
left wants to begin life where his
daddy left off. Very few blacks will
labor with money in their pockets and