The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1898-01-07
A MOST IMPORTANT MATTER FOR
THE SOUTH

a copy of a newspaper containing an
address delivered lately by President
Winston of the University of Texas
late of North Carolina 1t was deliver
ed before the National Prison Congress.
1t contained some figures andr reflections
as to the excessive criminal record of
the negroes of the United States, and
also dwelt upon the statistical showing
Of crimes perpetrated by the foreign
born population. The extreme crimi-
nality Of the negroes is no new thing
to the southern people. The better
class of negroes know it as well as the
whites knaw it. The negroes and
foreigners constitute about one-fourth
Of h total population. This fourth
furnishes more than one half of the
criminals. That is to say that native
whites although constituting three
fourths of the population really fur
nish no more criminals, if so much,
han the one-fourth furnishes. Is not
that a most unfortunate and fearful
record for the fourth to make? 1t bodies
no good to the safety and interests Of
the great class that are not criminals,
and threatens to subvert free institu-
tions and to destroy the good name of
our country, for this criminal class are
the most plant and useful instruments
in the hands of demagogues. DR.. Win
ton of the records that half the for
eign criminals are unnaturalized, and II
per cent. of them neither read nor
write. With the colored criminal it is
different. While 81 per cent. of the
whole body of negroes are illiterate,
only "a per cent Of the negro criminals
are illiterate. This would appear to
show that as the negro advances in ed
ucation he advances in criminality.
We have mentioned in these columns
that some years ago a son of the FAM
Gus abolitionist Bowen, who edited The
Independent, SO long, we think, visited
Wilmington and called to see us. He
told us he was visiting every peniten-
tiary III the south. A year after he
was again here and called upon us. He
1l - l1Io ~ "oo iioHC oI
what he saw. He visited every south
ern state and all their prisons. In not
one did he find any variation from the
rule; that nea rs per cent of colOred
criminals were young negroes-those
which had come UP to manhood since
gaining their freedom or were born free.
Alarge population could read, but we do
not recall the precise per centage. 1t
has grown worse possibly with them.
The Philadelphia Record, considering
the criminalty Of the negro as shown
in DR.. Winston's address, is led to say
this:
THE fact hat the colored popula-
ton was a third more criminal in 1890
than in 1880 seems to give a further
proof that the magnificent attempt
made in this country to c~ivilize, edu-
cate and assimilate the negro element
has not yet vindicated the humane eff
fort of the nation.
president Winston shows that the
ratio of negro paupers and criminals in
the northern states is much higher than
in the southern states. The negro is
three times as criminal in the North At
1antic states as in the South Atlantic
states; twice as criminal in the North
Central as in the South Central, n
three and a half times as criminal in
the Western states as in the South
Atlantic states"
These are the creatures who were
given the elective franchise and raised
to full citizenship without a solitary
qualification. These are the kind of
| voters who were put over the educated
and partly disfranchised white men at
ter the war, at a time Of great calamity
and peril. when the coolest heads, the
highest principles, the. noblest self
| sacrifice were demanded. The Messen-
ger has often denounced this silly,
blundering, th~oughtless. wrongful act
the most criminal possible to any peo-
| pie pretending to intelligence and virtue
and wisdom and -benevolence and the
ordinary feelings Of humanity. Plac-
ing freshly liberated helots in charge
Of twelve states Immediately after a
most disastrous war and the most por-
tentous upheaval of the social order
and free institutions. 1t vas the deed
| Of blinded fanaticism and spiteful retail
iation.
How long before the better classes in
h north, the more educated and nom
orable. will open their eyes to the true
| condition of the ballot as now bestow-
| ed. and awaken to a better understand
ing OF the very serious problem the