Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1897-10-01
The Relation Of the Negro to Them
in the District.
HERDING IN ALLEYS ONE CAUSE
How Changes in His Condition Can
Be Effected.
LICE TICS

10 the Editor of The Evening Star:
| The criminal record Of the negro in
Washington, D. c.. is question demand
| ing very serious consideration. This state
Ement Is lot the product of animus nor
| prejudice, but is an unavoidable conclusion,
| resulting from careful study of startling
facts, as revealed by the metropolitan po-
| lice statistics of this city.
This record surely disproves the f1ippant
epigram that washington is the negro's
| heaven" and establishes it's most undesir-
able antithesis.
The negro has an chronological tendency
toward gregarious habits, which is tragic
ally emphasized in our resident courts and
! alleys The emotional predominates in his
character, and It's worst concomitant re-
suits are developed by this herding pro-
cess
The illiterate negro, living among the
sreen fields, under the blue heavens, be-
comes the peaceful quiet citizen and pa
tient toiler. But transplant him to the
city, with his mind untutored and an in
tellect impoverished to be driven by his
aocial conditions to the cheapest tenements
Of courts and alleys, Where await him a
society grown old in crime and idleness, his
most sensual and brutal instincts are
aroused; he learns to look upon labor as an
oppression to be avoided. He finds COM
partnership with immoral women and joy
IN bucket Of beer: He drifts along with
the tide, satisfied with a two-cent loaf and
hve cents worth of pigs feet for 10
O'Clock breakfast, constantly hoping to ex-
tst without work. His desperate condition,
nnaily driving him to some overt crime,
calls for the Intervention of the law. whose
restraining effect causes him to look upon
organized society organized enemies
The courts and alleys in which the ne
groes herd reek with immortality and So
clal disorders, the entire knowledge of
which never reaches the outer world. Chill
dren OF unknown parentage increase in
rapid ratio and throng those narrow ways,
half clad and half starved, to grow up in
crime and want and add their quota to the
ne gative condition Of life.
That arrests for intoxication were dis
proportionately below more heinous Of
lenses does not detract from the fact that
the-cheap intoxicant, beer, is working sad
havoc with the race. Arrests for this Of
tense were less than one-third of the white
arrests for the same; arrests for disorder
ly conduct, which doubtless included
much drunkenness, exceeded 200 per cent
OF the white arrests. The writer has seen
as many as six young women at one time
a bucket of beer from the corner saloon
while each was wretchedly clad. 1t will
take patient and often heroic measures to
rescue these unfortunates from this worst
slavery-this immoral enthrallment
The reader must not infer that the writer
condemns the entire race. In Washington
the negro has done wonders in the develop
ment of himself. Nowhere in all the world
these peope-noble men and women, who
have reached the highest condition of mod
ern civilization.
There is no fairer judiciary than that
found in the courts of Washington. Before
that bar all racial distinction perishes The
accused is tried for his deeds and not for
his color Yet, it is be regretted we fire.
quentiy find many of these good people as
sembled in Indignation meetings. warning
with this same judiciary.
Let these people hold more meetings to
zeaiousiy discourage concentration of their
kindred in the cities, until conditions de-
mand 1t. Necessity would call them. Let
there he a system of compulsory education
where moral development Is the central
thcugnt, uninclmbered by sectarianism.
1t is better for community to prevent
Let every court and alley home be closed
to human habitation; compel all individ-
nals to live in the open where the passing
world may see them.
HrLefH more negroes become skilled arti
sans, miners, farmers and tradesmen AS
long as there are idle negroes in America
so long should alien labor, such as Poles.
Hungarfans and Italians, find no welcome
here'5events having demonstrated their un-
fitness for American citizenship.
Let more practical common sense be
taught from the pulpits. invoking reason
rather than emotions.
yeti education be polytechnical rather
than classical, producing self-supporting
men and women, who can establish BUSH
ness houses and thus give employment to
their own race.
The polite and good citizen, regardless
or. color, always commands proper respect
and sympathy. Good morals will do much
toward subduing race hatred
Criminal statistics are carefully summar-
lied and compiled by the police depart
ments OF all cities, and are accepted by
the government and criminalogists as the
best authority to determine the moral
status of the people A study of those
submitted by the police department of
washington reveals a terrible state of
negro depravity. Though numbering ONE
third of the city's population of a total of
lO3 charges upon which arrests were made
the negro exceeded the white arrests in 40
charges; equaled them in 6; eouaIed 70
per cent, or over in q, and euualed az II
Fer cent, or over, in T.
Inc police census of the District of CO.
hmbia began April 1. 1897, gives the total
population of whites, 1S9, 457; colored, S.
325. Total, 277.7S2.
This gives fraction over 6S per cent
white and fraction over 81 per cent col
ored population The census of 1895 gave
whites fraction over 81 per cent and
colored over 81 per cent.
The following statistics were obtained
from the annual report of the METROPOLITAN
police department of District of Columbia
for 1897.
Total arrests:
colored ...... Ii SSs
or about 40 per cent white and So per cent
colored.