Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-07-06
Judge Rogers Says a Clash Of the
Races in the South is Sure to
Come in the Near Future.
EMIGRATION TIE ONLY SOLUTION.
Crime is Constantly Increasing and Educa-
tion of the COlOred People Seems
to be q Failure,
OBJECTS OF THE FARMERS ALLIANCE.
The Federal Election Bill is Offensive Because Born
in Partisanshp
rcoRHrsr oxpENcE OF THE prsrArcH.,


in one of his campaign speeches said, that
if the negro question had not been settled
when it was by the civil war, it would have
have been settled before great while by the
rapid increase in mulattoes and the decrease
of ''coal black" negroes. 1.-THE blacks" said
he, "would soon have become so white that
you could not have detected the difference. "
"But mulattoes are getting scarcer and
scarcer in our state, said Judge o. II.
Rogers, solicitor general OF the middle cir
cult Of Georgia, who recently paid flying
visit to New York. "And this is an indi-
cation OF the growing enmity between the
two races, which in my opinion is destined
to cause, at no very distant day, serious
trouble unless something is done, and
quickly, to avert it. !"
This statement, coming from one who is
known to be extremely conservative, is en-
titled to weight.
'The public men," he continued, "to
whom the people must look for a solution of
this question, attempt to make themselves
believe that trouble is remote, because they
know that the present prosperity OF the
South and the success of many Southern
enterprises largely depends upon the labor
of the negro, and they realize that to break
up this system will temporarily, at least, be
q detriment to Southern industries. Not
withstanding this attitude, however, they
recognize that the races cannot dwell to-
gether harmoniOusly much longer"
STATISTICS ON CRIME.
Asked as to the symptoms of race difficult
ty he stated that in his own county of w ash
ington there were Il indictments pending
against negroes for murder, some of whom
had never been apprehended.
"AIl that negro has to do to conceal his
identity from an officer of the law and
thereby escape the penalty for his crime is
to place quarter of a mile between himself
and the scene of its enactment, turn his coat
wrong side out and take to the woods until
an adjoining county or settlement is reached.
Here be may remain indefinitely without
being molested. We have no effective de-
tective system, and the expense OF maintain
ing one would be great and of doubtful
utility"
''But are not the increasing number of
free schools and the improvement of educa-
tional facilities in the South bettering the
status OF the negro, and will they not ulti-
mately quality him for useful citizenship"
Our experience thus far, on the contrary,
seems to disprove it. The negroes who have
grown up since the war dislike farm work,
and 60 to the towns to avoid honest labor.
Once there, many of them live BY thieving
and petty rascalIties."
us there is not deep-seated prejudice |
against the negroes on the part OF the |
whites?"
TIE WHITES LOSING CONFIDENCE.
SSAo. there is no prejudice against them
because they are negroes. The sentiment of
hatred that once existed because they were
the primary cause of the strife between the |
North and the South has long since died |
out There cen be no question, however,
that thieving and more revolving crimes bv |
negroes are becoming alarmingly frequent, |
and the white people are rapidly losing con-
hdence in them class"
''But are not negroes subject to legal pun |
ishment for their crimes?''
Eyes, of course; but the difficulty of pun |
ishing them, as l have already stated, |
stands in the way. Negroes never inform |
on each other, and it is practically impossi- |
bic to convict them where the evidence OF |
negroes is the sole reliance As an instance. |
take a case in my own county. A negro des- |
perado killed a peaceable colored man by |
carving him up with a knife. He then /
made his escape. Some time afterward, upon /
learning that he was In South Carolina and |
irving to arrange to get periured testimony |
50 that he could return and stand his trial, |
sent for the wife of the murdered man and |
endesvored to get her assistance in locating |
him. This 1 could not get She stated, /
though am satisfied falsely, that she could |
not find out anything as to his whereabouts. |
This" said Judge Rogers, illustrates the
entire situation"
"Are the negroes as a class more lawless
than they used to be-"
81 can best answer that question BY say
ing that many OF our people are losing their |
patience. The older and conservative ele- |
rboh hoO lrr-ox IL
peace now shake their heads in times of !
excitement and no longer do so. Finding
the instrumentaIity provided by the law in
adequate for the protection of their families
and homes, it is not surprising that they
often feel like taking the law into their own
hands"
THE SOLUTION is EMIGRATION.
"What is the solution of the race prob
lem?"
Emigration is the only solution that
seems to me practicable. The General Gov
can and ought to provide a home
and years support for such negroes as will
emigrate to some congenial and mild coun-
try that may be selected. Thousands and
OF negroes would voluntarily take
advantage of the offer, and little persua-
sion by the whites, who realize the gravity
Of the situation, would. beyond doubt, make
Lhe effort successful"
"Will not their emigration cause stapna-
ion in the productive machinery, depreciate
.he value Of property in the South and give
It another setback?"
Inevitably, it Will have that effect. tenn
porarily at least; but this would be far pref
erable to such a setback as a race war
would give it. The thinking people realize
that the only permanent basis of prosperity
for them is a solid and safe foundation, and
this they understand they can never have SO
long as the negro is the principal reliance
Tor farm and other labor"
ORGANIZATION OF THEFARMERs.
What, In your opinion, is the Farmers
Alliance going to do, if anything, for the
South?"
''The Farmers Alliance, as understand
. though its workings are secret, is an
organization that aims 10 protect the farmer. |
The great mass of farmers have long since
appreciated the fact that others we're reaping
90 much OF the fruits of their labor. This
las caused and justly so, great discomfort,
IND the alliance intends to bring about a
Of things whereby the farmer
eallzes properly ior his farm products.
There is nothing in my judgment, that will
o much improve the condition of the whole
ountry as the prosperity of that class I
ation's wealth." .
"What will be the effect of the Congress ,
ional electoral bill just passed BY )
congress |;
II can only speak to that in very general '
ray, not being familiar with the letter nj
be bill. The fact that its chief nromotors
re bitter against the South, leads the .
outhern people at the outset to believe If is =
measure aimed specially at them. The :
i'll is an insult to the State, for thew have +
OF asked for it, and is in line I
18th the traditional policy of the
,spublicsn party toward a centralized gov
rnmspt Il takes the power from the States 7