Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1888-12-27
THURSDAY. DECEMBER q, 1ss;
40 I,renrosslble Conllct.

II IL easy 20 rise above The preiudices Of
RAGS II you live in . community where there
nre few or no negroes or Chinese, Just rs
Il il said 10 be easy 20 bear the pain o;
boil on another mans leg. But whenever
Caucasian Is brought face to face With TIE
negro problem a. this presents itself TO the
whites OF The southern States Of this Union.
bis Caucasian blood shows itself, and he
becomes "a slcAlcr for the rights OF The
people Of lis own race aud firm believer
I'm their superiority TO the people OF ali
other races. We defy any Caucasian not
lunaiic nor On idiot. nor crank, to rcsidr
in the black bclt Of Virginia for twelve
months without becoming thorough CONVEX
10 the belief that lhe negroes are not Gt'o boz
intrusted with fheright Of suffrage. We d.
not mean % .1y that such person would
favor proposition 10 deny the right TO vote
q negroes. 10 is TOO late and present condi-
tons are too complicated o. undertake now
70 correct that uu.p,akablc wrong. II NAV
Ne That as correction is impossible. We are
inclined 90 the opinion that 1t is IN other
words. g. would boz better for ne 10 bear The
ill. we have than ly To others that we know
Tot o. Cetainly no moro hazardous ex.
pertinent vas ever tried than that OF making
voters OF hundreds 81 thousands OF igno-
rant negroes; and IL might be argued thai
no change from The present condition 81
filings could result in worse condition OF
thinc1 Hui We must not follow O bad OK
nup'e. Hlying an olephsnt on our hands,
Jet us not trade 20 on for Two elephants.
These Thought, were suggested to us by a
consideration Of th. following paragraph
taken from the Philadelphia Press-a lead
ing organ oi the Republican party. We
quote:
"Csmdcu has probably read with horror
~ the wholesale slaughter 81 negroes IN
Kpmper county; bot the residents on Wal
nut street. in Camden, are showing the same
spirit and displgyng the same temper over
tho purchase o. home on the treet by 3
coored family which leads, farther South,
60 murder and massacre. Race prejudice is
the same az bottom WhcrevcrIt Is shown, and
n 10 does NOT lend 10 the same sad work as al
Tie South, t is became the law 10 stronger,
not because The motives Hre different. The
TespOusihiiity Of the North for these muir
dors IS heavier aud more direct thsn we
Often imagine. for " no color prejudice
existed hero, color oppression would the
sooner and swiiter disappear In the SOUTH
just SO. There is world Of suggestion
in that paragraph. The Press, it's evident,
did not speak as plainly as 10 desired to speak.
IL WAS handicapped by the circumstances Of
the Camden outrage, and by the apprehsn-
sion that southern Journals would comment
upon ITS utteranccs. But the facts can be
read between The lines. They are first. that
the presidents on Walnut street." Camden,
are no, willing TO allow negroes TO live on
that street and second, that they showed
their teeth when nero or negroes sins
ply proposed TO buy property there.
The northern Republican papers have
called attention. not once but Often,
20 the fact Chat the Democratic papers Of this
section leave the negroes out altogether
when they speak OF what "the people of
tho south ~ propose, or oppose, or desire.
SO the Press assumes the same tone aud
speaks as Il all the residents OF Walnut
street were opposed O. allowing negroes to
live upon that street. II IL q sort OF reversal
Of phrases, but the outcome is the same IN
both eases; and tbs outcome Is that the
whites are the only people 10 be consulted
when questions arise which involve what is
called the negro problem.
TIE Press tells the simple truth when it
says that race prejudice Is the same wherever
shown. 1t is, however, not because the law
l. strongcrin Camden than in Mississippi that
the negro is not treated in Camden Just as he
would be in Mississippi under the same cir
cumsiances, but because what the negroes
propose TO do IN Camden does not mortally
offend a majority OF the whites in that city
but only small number OF them. and there.
fore does not excite race prejudlces to such
degree az 10 render mot Law admissible or
even possible la = word, the whites o.
Camden are in no way different from the
whites 81 hemper county, Mississippi.
Whenever, as TO the negro problem. toe
same conditions shall exist In both those
communities, both will resort to the same
desperate measures.