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@hfi {Emilia @nimmfim ‘-
V'ol 3. X« X <*
THE SOUTH’S BURDEN.
Mistakes of Reconstruction the
Cause of the Negro Problem
0. Today.
The following letter to the New
York Sun, from the pen of ot
of Mitchell’s farmer citizens, will
be read with interest by the
leaders of the Enterprise.
To the Editor of The Sun—Sir:
President icsiucuu Roosevelt, wwsctcib, speaking to
the students of the 1 niversity of
Pennsylvania on Washington’s
birthday, amcng other things
said:
“Again Washington said: ‘Give
to mankind the example of a peo¬
ple always guided by am exalted
justice and benevolence.’ This
feeling can be shown aliike by our
dealings within and without our
own borders. Taft and Wright
in the Pbillippines and Wood in
Cuba have shown us exactly how
to practise this justice and be¬
nevolence in dealing with other
peoples—a justice and benevo*
lence which can be shawm, not
by shirking our duty and aban¬
doning to self-destruction those
unfit to govern themselves, but
by doing our duty by staying
with them and teaching them
how to govern themselves, by
uplifting them spiritually and
material^.”
When the war between the
states ended and emancipation
had comedo the negroes, it was
the serioaas desire and intent of
all Southern planter* taearry out
in regard do their foiraer slaves
the very “justice and benevo¬
lence” of which the president
speaks. There was no -disposi¬
tion to shirk the duties of the
new relatikms, and no thought of
“abandoning to self-detoruction
those unfitted for self-jgovern
ment,” but the honest purpose
was to cultivate mutual good will,
and “teaching the negroes how
to govern themselves by uplift¬
ing them in .every way.” iSchool
houses and churches were built
at once for Hkem, and the ipros
pect for pleasant relations seem¬
ed bright until the ballot was
given to negroes of age, anri 1 all
negroes wereiorganized into se
.cret political leagues under toe
Preedmen’s bureaus and the san¬
itary administration.
The South was divided intofiwe
military district*, and Thaddens
Steven’s “reconstruction” meas-;
mates were put into operation,
plan embracing the organization
of segroes into a party unto them¬
selves, operating through the
‘Loyal Leagues.” This done,
We Want Your Trade.
F» rm the habit of coming to us first, we point with pride to customers still with us, from our store fourteen
years or more ago. Satisfaction is one thing we do not sell. We it away freely to our customers.
A miser grows rich by seeming poor and an extravagant man grows poor by seeming rich. But our customers grow rich by taking advan¬
tage of our poorer prices.
25 pounds head rice......................... $ 1.00 All Calicoes per yd 5c ed Mattresses..................................................... $jCQ
8 1-3 pounds green coffee................ $ 1.00 Children’s rockers................................................. ,0c
Cfuaranteed patent flour, per sack ZII. 2 Sheeting per yd. 5c
Salt, per S aek Folding all wire bed springs............................... 1.90
..........................................
First First Served. Come, BERMAN BROS
Camilla. Qa.« Mar, lO, 1905,
Tull Lint Of
Hardware, Tin and Granite Ware.
New line of fine Oxfords Shoes, for men, women and children.
New line of Trunks, Valices and Suit £ases.
Buist Garden Seed of all kinds.
Full line of best Groceries.
Yours to Serve,
T. A. Acree,
Successor to
The J. B. Wilson Company,
and the negroes removed there¬
by from the influence of the
whites, that “staying” with the
negro and that “justice and be¬
nevolence,” and that “training”
new relations, and that “lift
ing up> , prccesS) were st0 pp e d
as jj or{ j er 0 { the military
ru ] er
The organization of negroes in¬
to these secret Loyal Leagues so
f lXe d relations and conditions
that the xne white wmte people people weie weie pow- pen
erless for teaching or training or
uplifting. These leagues detach¬
ed the negroes from the whites,
estranged them, destroying all
trust and confidence in the na¬
tive whites, and the carpetbag¬
gers a»d the bureaus controlled.
To render the negroes more mal¬
leable, and to build a wall be¬
tween negroes and whites, there
came to the leagues a mysterious
“exodus order” lo the effect that
all negroes must leave the old
homes, the old farms, the old as¬
sociations and affiliations, and go
elsewhere among strangers.
This dispersion of the negroes
from the old homes was an up¬
heaval, -kardly any tw® families
going to the same place. The ne¬
groes were resolved into units,
and the young negroes, growing
up without the influeuoes of the
old farms and the young negroes,
were fcreened to respect no one.
They bad no props to sustain
them. The old owners could not
uplift or do what they wished in
the faee of these oanditions.
Thus tike white people found their
hands tied.
The organization of toe negroes
into these leagues and the sub¬
sequent-dispersion from the old
homes for political purposes
brought more confesion and
more Joss than the war itself.
We lost ear grip on ’the negro
forever, aad the old landowners,
for police protection, abandoned
the plantations and moved their
families to the towns and villages
— leaving the plantation* to some
manager.
Under s«eb difficulti-ee has the
South struggled, and toe pro¬
gress is wonderful under the ad¬
verse circumstances. A study
of what was -done in the South
the first ten years after tfce war
will reveal to the North such
facts, such history, as will cause
a profound sympathy for the
South and a w-«nder that her con¬
ditions at present are as goad as
are.
Conditions wrought by thepian
of reconstruction prevented
whites from teaching and traan
ing. Negroes would not listen
Tfee ieagues did not permit open
ears to our talk. Had we been
allowed a hearing those days, the
result might have been different
and toe South saved the negro
profile ta of today, the most acute
forsaE-of which makes prisoners
of our white women. No white
wojaaan in the negro beltean trav¬
el ok’ the public highwaysiiim safe¬
ty. ®he farmer’s wife site in her
home-amid fear ar.d trembling.
Suspense, fear, dread are hers.
She sis entitled to freedom at
home sand on the highway*. The
negro, product of reconstruction
and ats leagues, forbid* that
right.
Our hope is that the North will
study rthat period of reconstruc¬
tion and learn what was dome and
how powerless to avert its con*
sequences the Southern people
were. James Callaway,
Macon, Ga.
Gouncil Proceedings.
Camilla, Ga., Feb. 10th 1905.
Mayor and Council met pursuant to
adjournment, and on motion Mayor and
Council accepted J. B. McCrary’s propo¬
sition to build waterworks and move
electric ligfkt plant and complete accord¬
ing to plans and specifications, and con¬
tract was drawn up by C. E. Watt, A.
R. Patrick and M. C. Bennet.
A motion iwas passed to appropriate
arising from liquor license, to
tuids.
A motion was passed for Treasurer to
deposit, when collected, one-half of the
$3,000, liquor license money iu Bauk of
Camilla and one-half in Citizens Bauk
to the credit of watorwork funds.
A motion was passed that J. B. Mc¬
Crary be required to deposit with Mayor,
$500, also bank stock of $500, as a guar¬
antee for faithful performance of his
contract.
No other business council adjourned.
E. S. Perry, Clerk protem.
February 16th, 1905.
Council met, in call meeting.
On motion Mayor, Clerk, Treasurer
and M. C. Bennet were requested to
look after waterwork bond fund carry
out action of council in previous meet¬
ing in regard to same.
No other business council adjourned.
J. L. Cochran, Clerk.
February 24th, 1905.
Council met, in call meeting.
Mayor and full council present.
On motion resolution authorizing May¬
or and Clerk to disburse waterwork
funds was reconsidered and rescinded|as
expressed in four resolutions on page 103
of minutes. Treasurer’s bond was
changed from $3,000 to $26,000.
On motion adjourned.
J. L. Cochran, Clerk.
March 6th, 1905
Council met in regular session.
Present Mayor Palmer, Councilmeu
Perry, Watt, Bush, Cochran, Patrick
and'Bennet.
Minutes of Feb. 6th, read and adopted,
amendment, should read, officers
receive salaries named with no cost.
Also minutes of Feb. 10th, 11th, and
10th, read and adopted.
Street committee made report as to
street running south of oil mill and
On motion same was tabled.
Committee composed of C. E. Watt
#1.00 a Year
and A. R. Patrick made report of their
investigation of the funds collected and
to have collected by city Marshal Hil¬
liard, and on motion -ame committee
continued and given authority to sum¬
mons parties to appear before them to
testify in the further investigation of
their work if they 11 link it necessary.
On motion committee appointed t®
check up Clerk and Treasurer were given
more time.
On motion street running north from
South Broad street by residence of G.
W. Swindle, Sr., to Twitty street, shall
be known as Swindle street.
On motion it was ordered $110 be paid.
Ludwig & Co., for reports, plans and es¬
timates for waterworks and electric
light plant, as i>er agreement of Deo. 2,
1904.
On motion matter of prorato rental oS
side track be referred to committee oom
IHJ-sed of M. C. Bennet and T. S. Perry.
On motion conncil agreed to give' Al¬
len & Roles $5.00 per month for publish¬
ing proceedings of council.
On motion Mayor was requested to no¬
tify chairman of County Commissioners
that council had no .authority to give
permission to anyone to erect woodea
buildings within the fire limits of the
town.
No other business conncil adjourned.
J. L. Cochran, Clerk.
Special Notice.
All parties owing Iviairregs tax
for the year 1905 are hereby no¬
tified to come forward and settle
ceed same immediately or I will pro¬
to issue executions.
This March 7th, 1905.
J. L. Cochran, Clerk.
Camilla Enterprise, $1 a year.f