New-York tribune., 1890-06-06
NORTHERN RACE FEELING.
TIE PREJUDICE AGAINST THE NEGRO NOT
CONFINED TO THE SOUTH.


QUESTION FOR THE CONFERENCE AT
LAKE MoHoNK-LACK Or TRUE HOME
LIFE IL THE CROWDED CABINS
OF THE BLACK. BELT.
ny TELEGRAPH HE TEIBrNL-1
Lake Mohonk y. Y. June 5.-Lyman Abbott doubt
less expressed the general feeling when. in the course
Of his address before the Negro Conference this morn
ing. he observed
Il went TO bed last night wondering II, after
all, there was any negro problem
The optimism which characterized the expressions OF
tho conference Yesterday well calculated TO inspire
uch rose tinted wonder The result of the speeches
was substantially this Educate the negro. and the
negro question will settle itself and disappear. In
the meantime, the situation is by no means
50 bad as to warrant encouragement, the
tendencies which make for progress overwhelming
those which make for rctrogresson. but there are
members OF the conference who feel constrained to
take a less cheerful view Of the situation. Con
spicuous among these is Judge Tourgcc whose paper
The Negro Problem from the Negro SIDE" which is to
be read 10 morrow is awaited with great interest Prcsi
dent McGi of swarthmorc College. threw out sug
ge>tion last evening which seemed TO command the
general approya!. lie thought the conference would
do well 10 consider how the prejudice which now
exists at the North against the Northern negro can
be lcsscncd In Philadelphia negro l. allowed
10 carry mortar mp ladder but is not allowed to
ay bricks; while If he should undertake to drive a
ho.sc-car he would be mobbed
Judge Tour-ec seconded President McGls sug-
ccStion'. Northern people did not realize that they
owed an industrial example 10 the south. Young
colorcd man who had gcnu, for mechanics once
came 70 him from Tn. south. and he cndcavored IN
vain to get him place In machine sLop, either IN
Pennsylvania Massachusetts The negro In question
is now living I'm France and not unnaturay hates thr
United states rs the devil hates holy water. The
people % the North and particularly the Church
Of the North docs not give the negro fair show.
At ne morning session today letters Of regret
were read from q large number Of DISTINGUISHED mon
Of the North and the SOUTH expressing a lively inter
ct In the conference Among The writers were Vice
President Morton. senator Dawes, Mr.. Johnston.
son Of the Rebel General Johnston. and
II. G. Parsons. Of Natural Bridge Va
The opening address was made by Miss D. r..
Emerson. -ccrctry Of tho Bureau of Woman's
Wor,, Of the American Missionary Association. who
has spent many years at the south ln>tructing tie
ooorcd people going into the Black Belt in 1rGo. ~
fr-t she it hopeless. soon she realized thai She
could do nothing unless she came 10 understand tho
oaclfe ~ thc negro. 80 she visited the cabins. find
nc only squald poverty and tho beginning of her
reform work haG for rs object the improvement of
the home. To make the home better IS to ad
vance tho woman for woman means the home lifc
what did the negroes among whom she then llhorcf
I,ck! They lacled nca'ness. They were disorderly.
Their scn,ibiltc, were hlunicd. They wcre ignorant
f, help them the missionary had 10 try to be 10 them
what be would have them be. and the rcformatory
re- ul's which bad been accomplished were marvellous
Tlc rcrroc. had many admirahlr traits and char1c
tc-tstic, Th"g loved music. They had a good c}e
for the beautiful They were kind. sympathetic and
for-ivug. Much had been done. bat much remained
10 be done Many nccrucs Wcrc still living IN the
BLACK BELT In 70 state of anmalsm They never sat
~ tabic. or slept In bod or used knife ana YORK
President Wo1dworth. Of TonGaloo Mss University
NJ Mississippi. -t-l the Institution with "h'h "e
,ro. c,orc,toI va, I'm Central Africa. In the four
nearest countries there 100000 n":roe' {" 'oVV
whitc,: while wi'h.n rldiu, of sc.outyhve miles
there we're $4,000 blacks. lie ar,ci With Ms
Emerson A. - tie vial need ot improving the conai
ton ~ the home u the nc.To. one ~ the young men
Al the university lad aid 70 him: very ic" ne
r,yc, know vha' happy home l'.' Inc i"''
I- their homo. are SIMPLY miserable novels, one goom
cabin, containing population OF dozen of ''''
- both sexes hudGled together DAY ana hlE'''
lie believed that the one room cabin WAS the great
,,.,.c ~ tie rls.R Bclt today. II could readily
De- understood that was fruitful source Of immoral
if, and dcgradqtl1n. Tie best way 81 help Tie reI!"
VAS II, stimulate in the breast II the youth Il thr
f,,e an intense dissatisfaction with the exist
inc home conditions. Teach the bows 10 put Hp
partition n room, or I" maze
chair Teach the girl- 10 sow ana COON t'I' H'"" -
accomplished. Another great cur~e Of the negro
+, the credit system. u tends TO make him "a spend
thrift and 50 i- an enemy Of the home. In ~
,pon-c to a question. President Nood~or;h expH'Sed
the opinion that IN, influence OF the uneiucatci negro
prca,kcr at the -outh wholly bad. and that tie
ncsroc- were acquiring homes Of their own faster
perhap- than the poor whites
General Armstrong. who followed, also DECLARED
against tn credit system. asserting ha n VA, the most
serious menace 10 tho ncyros prosperity. The
great mas, ot the negroes mus, necessarily De farmers
Hence. whatever cocs 20 improve their agriculture
Ge.erycs 10 be- generously fo,tcrcd. The Industrial
institution, which are 10 BE- found here and thcTe n
the south are doing very much TO advance the black
man {, render him cncicut and 10 impant character
m him. In conclusion. referring TO q remark Of an
other speaker faNoring postal savings bank system
,ne General said that he had been crank ON
mat .ubicct for YEAR. President WoodWorth wa
ttcu asked II the relation existing bowen u'
white employer and the negro crppyc WA,
fair He replied chat IL WIS rca asonably ihr "n'h INC
negro wa, ont ~ the grip OF the credit sysiem. . ,
Dr. Fl.ngSood Of the Board of Foreign MISSIONS
- tho Pre-hytcrian Church, suggested thai i'Se ui
fcreut schools I'm tho south might do some so o hSso
rIation work 1t was an age oi association II tNc.S
direction school instead Of being an OASIS ought ~
be a centre OF influence.