The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1892-01-29
The Meyer Murder.

Editor Morning NelCs: Nothing in
life stands alone-no thought, no truth, no
principal or action stands alone, There
mus be correlative or concurrent rels-
tIonshiD somewhere. Many times it may
be hidden, and then so apparent, that cause
and effect can De Traced without an effort
propose to throw out few thoughts for
legislators, whether municipal or state.
We hear about new south; - that belongs
to younger brains who knew nothing about
the "Old soutA,n a south with the best
labor in the world. and the best of workers
In corn, cotton, rice, cane and tobacco
fields. We have new south in free labor
and ignorant citizenship. speak in gem
south.
Race distinctions are positive, aud there
can be no harmony, affinity, conReniality or
sociability Of feeling in race types. The
laws or nature are positive aad legislative
enactment 20 violate them only produces
discord, 1arring aud fatal results. But
nothing can reach hearts steeled with preiu-
dice, hate and bitterness; fauaticfsm never
reasons and theorists are hopeful dreamers.
We of the south have a mighty problem 10
solve; it belongs alone TO US as il is with us.
We do not need or ask the advice of those
who are not OF US. II let alone the south
can adjust herself quickly and easily to her
free labor system and new citizenship. Ali
outside Interference bu5 hurts and Injuries
all interested
have been led TO the above remarks by
the murder of DIR. Meyer. The mere mur-
der is nothing, as compared TO the cause
which led to 1t. 1t is more far-reaching in
its effects. He is not the first man in Sa-
vannah who has been murdered in cold blood
for money. and as TO robberies they have
been many. All over Georgia and the
south there have been many such murders,
and lynch law to some of the murderers
have been prompt and terrible. There must
be cause for such things, a significant
cause, and one that is putting the white
people OF the south to most serious thinking.
Our lails and penitenharies are crowded
with negro murderers and thieves.
Why f! That is the great cues
ton. 1t can be answered in
few words. It ls the want of character IN
the negro, not education, but Character
Every race has what we call certain char.
acter, but not the character born of enlight-
eminent, civilization and Christianity. The
Indian has peculiar character, and so of
every savage race. With us the negro has
not that character which assimilates him
with the white race, BY character, l mean
that racial popularity and distinctive trait
or decided mental qualities.
The negroes we have among US are de-
scendants of Koromantlus, known for their
stubbornness unruly and combative char
acter The Whidahs were noted for their
thievish qualities; the Eboes and Congoes
were timid and easily controlled, and
on the arrival of slaYeship certain tribes
brought more money than others The
atavism of the greatgrandchildren of those
African tribes are marked to-day in the
negroes of this generation. peculiarly so
since freedom gives them license to act
out their true natures.
TheSegislator must look to such inher-
itance and natural influences on the negro
mind. The murder Of Mr.. Meyer was Tor
money, and by those negroes who had never
been slaves, never felt the hand of authori-
ty over them. Their british nature aud
low character were the melting cause Of
| all the crimes that have been committed BY
negroes within the past five and ten years.
| nine-tenths have been done by negroes who
never knew a masters governing hand.
The effects OF freedom are seen and felt all
over the south. It is not education the ne
| gro wants. but character, and by character
l mean that nice sense of right and wrong
nice feelings, nice impressions. l would
not be understood as saying that there are
no negroes Of fine character; for there are
many; but l am writing from q race view
standpoint. Every reader sees the point
| without elaboration, who was born south
or lived here many years.
In Savannah to-day. there are no less
than 1000 negroes who have not done a
days work since Jan l. You cannot get
them TO go into the country and work. l
have tried the experiment with them time
and again. They will starve IN citv
rather than go in the country and be well
fed. No one feels safe at night when alone,
and as to our yards they are visited time
and again.
The question arises, what would you do?
Enforce the vagrant law with an energy that
will mean something. Have quick and
| speedy trials for all crimes; hunt down vio-
lators with such determination as to strike
first in the heart. Enforce the law at every
point, and let self-protection be the great
leading idea. A criminal court should be
organized in every city of over 20 900 in
habitants to try criminals alone. We waut
less ouibbling, caviling and evasions by
lawyers. We want less sentiment about
| hanging and thus less mob or lynch law. The
rising generation of negroes without home
training, want Of character, idleness. va
grancy and lowness OF morals, gives to the
white people a serious problem TO work on
But it can be, and will be, done in the next
ten years. for the question is alone for the
south, and if we fail it will be our fault or
folly. r. MO.