The Globe-republican. [volume] (Dodge City, Kan.) 1889-1910, 1893-12-22
The Race Problem.

An duUI css USAiVCICu OCioAO VIC AsCPuOAA-
can Club in this city Thursday evening, De-
cember 18th, 1898. by j. D. Bush.
The race problem is being discussed
by some of the most leaned men of our
time. They are wonderfully puzzled as
to what the outcome of the existence of
the two races III this country will be.
Many ot them are 50 blinded with pref
udice and hatred that they can see moth
ing good in the Negro, but everything
vicious. low and mean, and in order to
enlist the sympathy Of the more conserv-
alive class they have raised the cry of
so-called ..Social Equality" ''Negro
Domination etc. Now. these are only
a hideous nightmare, and appear no.
where except in the minds of these Ne
gro haters.
Social equality is a myth, and Negro
domination can never be, and is not
thought of by the Negroes of this coun-
try. But there is such thing as civil
equality, and we base this conclusion
uDOu lnc Idl DCSldI dliOu va
pendeuce. tO-wit: ave hold these truths
to be self evident: that all men are Gre
ated free and equal; that they are en-
dowed by their Creator by certain inal-
ienable rights, among which are life,
liberty aud the pursuit of happiness
These principles. gentlemen. that were
dyed in blood in the revolution, bap-
TIED in fire in the war of 1912 and rem
dered immortal at AppomattOx in 1865,
are the GOd-given rights upon which we
base our citizenship, and upon this
foundation we will stand until this ma
ton shall crumble into dust. But let us
look at the dark side of this problem for
moment. The great magazines and
daily newspapers are full of articles on
this question, and many of them would
haye you believe that the Negro is not
fit for citizenship; that he is a worthless
proiligate, utterly devoid of the ele-
ments that make good citizen. And
they have gone so far as to suggest his
or deportation.
When the report goes out that negro
has committed a horrible crime, a negro
is promptly lynched, and it does not
make much difference what negro. The
jails and penitentiaries of the south are
full of negro men and women, boys and
girls, sent there for the longest terms on
the most frivolous charges. In some To-
calities the virtue of women and girls is
not respected by white men, and negro
who wowld try to protect the honor of
his home is considered bad man and
dealt with accordingly. Yet these
wouid-bc philanthropis,s would have
yon believe that the Negroes are a dam
gerouS element in the community. try
ing to domineer the whites, aud, there
fore, they must do something to keep
him down.
In Mississippi they have practically
DISTINGUISHED the Negro vote. and in
none of the southern states. excepting
some localities. are their votes counted
as cast.
Another phase of this problem is The
enactment of the Separate Car Law
in most Of the southern states.
Some tell Won that is done because the
two races get along better apart; Others
say that the colored people prefer being
to themselves; others say boldly that
they will not permit cOlored people to
be among them.
Now. according to this testimony, the
thing objected to is the riding together
of white and coiored people. But this
is not true. and none know better that
it is not true than those who pre-
teud to sternly object to it. For when
a white man wants to smoke he goes de-
liberately into the car used for that pnr-
pose by both rolOred and white. When
a white woman has colOred nurse she
insists upon having the nurse ride in the
same car with her, and not one of the
white passengers will raise an objection
to it. They not only insist on taking
their colored servants into the regular
passenger coaches. hat have them in thu
parlor and sleeping cars. And, yet, nc
fault is found with it by their white com
panions.
Now. what is true of the railway cars
is true in other relations where the Ne
gro occupies the position of servant
The fact is. they do not object To thu
color at ail. but il is to the minluod q
womanhood of the Negro. rrnnesse,
attempted. and. think, passed "a lav
that admits colored persons t" ride witt
white people ii they ae there As ser
wants.
There is also another fact about thi
infamous business that | wish to bTin
out. The sheriffs are all white men. an
if such an officer IF rhe law has Negr
prisoner, carrying him from one s,a'i"
to another. he is permitted I" r"ndU,
him into white ear or remain witt. hi'
in 4. c,lnrpl car Hence IL a ,.sl,r,