The people's journal. (Pickens, S.C.) 1891-1903, 1899-05-18
RACE PROBLEM IN THE SOUTH
Northern Preacher Presents StartI-
ing Statistics OF Crime by Ncprors.

N Northern Preacher Presents StartI.
ing Statistics OF Crime by Negroes.
The Race Problem in tho South, !,
was the subject OF II lecture by Rev. Dr..
George ~. Baker, at the ola First
Tres oytcrian Church, in philadclphin
u few evt nings ago. The array OF figures
produced by tov. DR.. Baker, setting
1orth tho crimes cummittccu by col.
orcd men, crca!cd almost u sensation
among tho large audience. Dr.. Baker
said in part
" 1t is both unjust and ungcncrous,
to say that the race problem in the
South is the ncgro's probIcm,' or the
problem Of the Southern people. 1t ia
national problem, aud it is the white
maus problem. Aside from tho fact,
that we arc one nation, so related that
II one member suffer, all the MON bcrs
suffer with it, we arc never TO lose
sight OF the fact that for tho existence
OF this race problem tho North Is as
much responsible rs tho South.
Ihc negro came 10 this country not
OF his own accord he was brought
here against his own will and the first
State In America to iegalizc the slave
trade and slavery by Legislative act,
ana TO send out a. slave ship, was
M Massachusetts. The North has, thcro-
fore no right TO roll on upon tho
South the solution of the race prob
lem.
'" 1t is not to be overlooked that
whilC there have been terrible out
breaks OF crime and inhuman modes OF
punishment in the South thcrc arc
some alarming facts with regard to
these negroes in tho North, which are
not to be ignored.
- In our own State, where the me-
grOCS form only per cent. OF tho DoDu-
lation they furnish Ii per cent. OF nc
male prisoners ana 81 per cent. Of tho
female criminals. In Chicago, while
they form only II per cent. Of tho
population, they furnish 10 per cent Of
tho arrests. The negro population,
constituting about II per cent. OF the
entire population, OF tho nation, fur
nishc5 81 per cent. Of all its murdcrcrs.
and 66 per cent OF It's female homi-
cidcs, and here is Something most ap.
palling.
The rising generation Of negroes
far Outstrips in crimo the generation
that is passing on shc stage Two
thirds Of the homiCidcS arc negroes
| uudcr 20 years OF age. Now, rs /. de-
fenso against this carnival OF crime,
Tyr ching has been rcsOrtru to- to u
surprising cXtrul.
Between lSNG and lN99, there were
1865 lynchinGs, against lOiO legal cx-
ccuLiOns. Most Of these lynchlugs
| were in the South---About 50 per cent,
and undoubtedly this has been due TO
tho peculiarly CNaspCratinE crimes
| against women, committed by negroes
in the SJutA. 1t would seem that this
extent OF crime among the negroes,
especially assault, has largely increns-
cd sii'r3 Lhc abolition oi slavery.
| There are two explanations OF it.
| First, the abrupt Transition from slav-
cry To freedom without any prcDnro-
ton Tor 1t, IncluuIng the gilt OF the
franchise, doubtless gave the negro an
idea oi liberty, which in reality WAS
license. In the second place, since
the npEruca were rWanci pntcd, Shc best
pcop,, Of the South have let thom So
Vcrcly alone, 50 lar as doing anything
for their mornl uplifting was concerned: {:
while the bad people, and especially
the nad politicians, haze cultivated
thUm extensively.