The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1895-11-19

q P4OD4011 AG1o A1AAOW1- a1i0
not understood in the north. In all the
prisons and gangs, state, city and coun-
ty, there are nearly 1000, and nine
tenths Of them colored, and yet merely
moral offenses in the colored are ignored.
They have all the privileges of white
man and a few more. One is to change
wives without being imprisoned for it.
need not philosophiZe, as the case is
plain, at least to this extent: The col
Ored people have been put under the re-
quirements of high civilization before
they could develop up to it. They are
perfectly free agents and exposed to
thousand temptations, while their moral
strength is still much as it was in slavery
and barbarism. All we can do is to
make allowances, educate and trust to
time and experience.
Governor Atkinson looks every inch
a governor, with his tall and graceful
form, clear complexion, expressive eyes
and half Greek, half aquiline profile,
and one would never suspect that he
but recently left his bed after one of the
most trying operations in surgery. Con-
sulting a document to which he referred
me, found the figures even more star
Ting than he had intimated. According
to the official statement for October Of
Principal Keeper Turney Of the peniten-
tiary, convicts increased AZ per cent in
$4,000, while population increased but
10 per cent. Crime among the colored
has increased almost in the exact ratio
that illiteracy has decreased, the white
convicts are less than 10 per cent of the
whole-that is, there is one convict in
each 388 cOlored and but one i'll Ash
withstand of the colored 1853 were
sentenced when under the age of 81 and
156 under the age of II! To call such
figures appalling and stop there would
be criminal moderation. They certainly
demand the attention of students of
crime.
Negro Responsibility.
A recent occurrence illustrates the
general thought of the whites on negro
responsibility. A negro hired to drive
coal cart was trusted to come and so
without close scrutiny, and, when occa-
sion served, hauled few Jumps to his
own house. His employer was very in
dignant on discovering the theft-he
had not lived long in the southland
prosecuted with vigor. The proof was
direct and abundant, and no defense
could be made, yet. to the employ er's
disgust and amaZement, the jury acquit-
ted. One of them, when asked the rea-
son, broke forth somewhat Indignantly:
"What Send a good niger like that to
the chain gang for six months for
stealth a dollars worth Of coal?
'Twould be zidiculousl The man know
ed he was a niger and oughtn' t to have
Il usted him that way. In fact, the man
To ho CHI n 1,5r 60
the temptation. Suppose we sent our
cooks to Jail for takin coffee and sugar
and SO on from our kitchens-why. they
ain t jails enough! idiculous-perfect-
ly ridiculousl''
Per contra be it noted that in 1879,
when first separately assessed, the ne
groes of this state owned property valued
at So, 1872, 398; while in 1890 it was
$12, 322, 0O3 and in 1898 $14, 960, 675.
But this year it is only $12, 941, $50.
The whites show an equal loss, and all
that and much more is on the farms, for
city property has increased in value.
Country editors attending the exposition
complain bitterly that the farmers have
no money. How can they have money
in country which averages but 20
bushels of corn and nine of wheat per
acre, and other food crops in proportion,
when cotton is but half crop and the
grass burned up by drought so that
| sIockmen had to buy feed early in Sep
| TENDER?
Samson was strong and Solomon was
wise. but neither could draw blood out
| of turnip or pay the printer under such
| circumstances. By the way, it may in
| terest some people to know that Georgia
| pensions INDECENT Confederate soldiers
| and the widows of such, and the amount
paid the last year was $3.50, 600 to vet
Grams, 1886, 900 to widows, the average
being $50 per year each. And as this is
! my last letter from Atlanta I present
my conclusions on the exposition, the
state and the south.
A Review.
The first is a grand success as an ez-
hibit and an average success as to at
| tendance, but there are some sad disap-
| point1nents. Of the concessionnaires all
but three or four will lose money; too
many concessions were granted for the
| biggest crowd possible in times like
these With the sole exception of the
Egyptian theater (tcoochee coochee,
"danse du ventre" and that sort of
thing) and the shooting the chute, -
every show on the Midway was losing
money down to the first of this month.
There are twice as many as there should
be. The support of an exposition neces-
sarily comes chiefly from region with
in 200 mile circuit, and to the south
ern farmer this year silver quarter
looks as big as a cart wheel. Otherwise
the affair is brilliant success, especial
| ly the Negro building, the fireworks,