The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-11-18
EVILS OF NEGRO RULE.
DIR. LEE OF JOHNS HOPKINS DIS
CUssES SOME OF THEM.

1nsOIence on the Streets Became
ntOIerHbIe-SOme of the "Bossesv
Who Led the Element That Gre
Rted Trouble.
From the Baltimore Sun.
Wilmington, N. c., Nov. 14.-My article
under date of Nov. IS traced the history
of the negro in North Carolina from eman-
cipation until the end of 1896. 1 will now
consider the inner history of the move
ments that eliminated in the great regen-
Grafton of this beautiful city of Whining
ton.
On Jan. l, 1897 Gov. Russell. after an
election in which the most outrageous
fraud was practiced by the successful par
ty, took his seat. The ADMINISTRATION that
followed has been marked by the favor
shown to the negro and an utter disregard
for the interests of the white taxpayer.
The first occurrence that led to the pres
ent difficulty was the appointment by Rus
sell, under act of January, 1897. of five
Republican aldermen. three of whom were
negroes, and the consequent election of
a Republican Mayor for the city of viii
five aldermen followed, and two of them
were negroes. Three of the wards were
Democratic and two Republican. The
Democrats resigned. and, therefore, the
entire administration was Republican.
Under this new order of affairs whole
sale removal of whites ensued. Negroes
were put in their places.
ment, as this city has so many and diver
sihed interests, with consequent activities
that places are not so coveted here as in
some other sections. The Democrats were
willing that Republicans should hold tbe
Offices to which they had been elected
and only slight opposition was made
Every one was DESTROYS that the city gov
ernment should be, wei conducted and
awaited the Republican experiment with
interest.
The effect of the change in party upon
the negroes was immediate and marked
The race seemed intoxicated with newly
given power and manifested elation. bv in
creasing insolence to the whites, The rec
ord of insults is large The wives and
daughters of whites were unsafe alone on
the streets after nightfan. Even IN the
day time. the most aggravated forms Of
conduct made White women shun the
| presence of a negro.
me proportion of negro criminals TO
whites increased, and according 20 statis-
ties furnished by the clerk of the Crimi-
nal Court over S. per cent. of the crimi-
nails were negroes. But these. criminals
went UNPUBLISHED. The Republican courts
and negro juries refused to convict negro
unless the punishment was in the discre-
ton of the judge, in which case the SEN
fences were farces
Straw bail was openly and VIGOROUSLY
taken and justice became a travesty
Under the Republican government the
tax rate increased beyond reasonable ex-
PLANTATION, and the business of the city
suffered material damage The inhabi-
tants OF towns formerly tributary to Will
mington began to discontinue coming to
the negro-governed city, as they dsiked
TO do their trading" here.
The negroes began to complain that they
We're not getting their share of the school
fund. This claim was base,ess. Though
the whites paid over IS per cent. Of the
taxes, the negroes received 65 per cent Of
the collections.
The leaders Of the negroes sought to
create friction in the matter of the dis
tribution of funds available for charitable
purposes, claiming that no organized char
lily work was done among them This
claim was disproved by the publication OF
the work of the Coored United Charities
Association, by which it was proven that
although negroes did not contribute to the
fund, the whites contributed over $500
monthly to the society for relief among
the colored people. In addition the indi-
ydual dspensatlon OF charity to colored
persons was very large.
AS the attempts at fermentation on com
plants of inequality in distribution Of
charitable and educational funds had
failed the only remaining ground upon
which the race could be stirred up was
social equality. Despite the proved falsity
of the charges of maladminislratioh the
negroes were not convinced and Their
minds were prepared for the doctrine of
social equality. This was pressed to its
fullest extent by their leaders.
The effect on the negroes was disastrous
Servants became insolent and worthless
Ciyility from negroes to whites became
rarer. Discomfort seethed In the bosom OF
The race. II was daily becoming more APP
parent that the negro proposed to rule
politically, socially, economically.
The state Of affairs existing in the late
summer of 1898 aroused the gravest ap-
preheusions. Thinking people asked them
selves how the matter would end.
The organization Of the negroes was
very complete. As this city is typical an
examination of the negro society is valua-
bic in the study OF the negro race.
At the head OF the race stands the white
boss, a Republican, of course. Then. but
often of coequal rank, come the negro
bosses. The orders Of these leaders are
carried out through a medium unknown to
The whites.
The negro race is given TO society form
ing and the churches encourage the pro-
pensity. In addition TO the Masons, odd
Fellows. Knights Of Pythias and other
well known bodies the negroes have count
less church societies. The officers of these
bodies are Of great use 70 the bosses.
The negro minister is a power with the
race, and it Is much 10 be regretted that
this power Is In very many cases used
for ia. For example. with hardly an ex-
ception the publication Of Manly In his
paper, the Record rejecting on the virtue
of the white women OF the South was
publicly approved by the entire colored
ministry Of this city IN a signed docu-
ment published in the Record.
Again. some Of the negro preachers be-
inc y.f rfr