Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1921-10-18
THE SOUTHERN negro
Catalogue Of Virtues and Faults by
One who Knows.
MAN GENERALLY LIKES HIS MASTER
Best Servant in the World-ls More
Honest than He Gets Credit for Be-
ina-Lacks Gratitude and Also Lacks

T. Larry CAN'T.
was born and raised on planta
ton surrounded by slaves. haN'
worked negroes all my life, as farm
hands. domestic servants and in Other
/ capacities. | have had in my employ
! what were known as very bad negroes
| but never had the least trouble with
one, or had negro to give me the
slightest impertinence. SO it is my
firm belief that If a white man will
stay in his place a negro will remain
in his place and not presume to tres
pass on the domain of his employer
If YOU will analyze the racial troubles
in most cases they originate in some
white man placing himself on ar
equality with negroes, associating
drinking and gambling with them. The
negro always looks down on white
person who places himself on theil
level. and is ever ready to take advan
tage of such condescension on the part
of a 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 ma
ture thoroughly He must first OF all
be kept in his place, and be made to
remain there. The negro Is always
ambitious 10 advance his position
alongside the whites, as he looks up
To them as superior race and is quick
to take advantage of the slightest
movement on fhc part Of "A white man
toward Winning out the dividing line.
While there are brutcs among the
negroes. as whole they are kindly,
gentle people, and easily controlled
fer good or evil. But the negro is q
child of impulse, and is easily Jed
During the days Of reconstruction he
was controlled by political adventur-
crs from the north but after the over
throw of carpet bag rule his leaders
were from his own race, generally his
preachers, as they are an emotional
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'twp
traits: gratitude and resentment. Even
after emancipation some of the hard
est taskmasters among farmers car
always get all the hands they need
while other men who are kind and
more lenient with their hands find II
hard to secure laborers. This was
evidenced in the case Of Col. James
NJ. Smith. the great Georgia planter
Col. Smith dealt justly and honestly
by his hands, 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 nc
trouble in getting a pick of labor. Bu'
it is casting pearls before swine to dc
a negro a kindness and expect any
gratitude or appreciation in return. lie
has no appreciation whatsoever fol
favors, and will unhesitatingly, when
his interest or humor prompts him de-
SER you and go over to the one tc
whom he owes not the slightest favor
AS evidence of this, Col. John RI
Christy of Athens, Ga, for years sup
ported an old blind negro and kept him
out of the poOrhouse. But when Col
Christy made the race for congress
and was opposed by a white carpet
bagger this negro vosed against his
benefactor and for man he did not
even know.
The thriftlessness Of the negro and
his wasteful extravaganza have beer
\ boon to the south. Had these people
the thrift. economy and business man
agcment of the white man they would
today be the land owners of our sec
tior. as they titled the fields and by saw
ing their money be enabled to buy III
i'm time the bulk of our farm lands
While an occasional negro, by econo'
NV and thrift would manage to accu-
mulate considerable property it does
not remain even through the seconC
generation. That old darkey is not
long in his grave before his children
begin 70 Squandcr their inheritance
and il quickly passes back into the
hands of the white man. Every chiid
that old negro has left wants to begin
life where their daddy left off. Very
few blacks will labor with money in
their pocket and good clothes on then
backs. AS successful southern plant
cr once remarked to me, to get gOod
work out of negro you must get ana
keep him poor hungry and naked.
But the negro has unquestlonably
made great strides and advances since
cmancipatiun. but this applies To only
isolated eases and not as IL general
rule. The great mass of our southern
IIacks continue to live from hand to
mouth and such will always be their
case. Hut the morals have undcniably
improvcd. notice by my travels oven
the south that the blending of white
and black blood has almost ceased. ii
is , r:re thing these days to see Il