Clarke courier. [volume] (Berryville, Va.) 1869-1997, 1899-07-12
CLARKECOURIER
WEDNESDAY,, JULY 12, 1899.
The Race Problem.

The "Rsce Problem in the South"
was the subject of lecture by Rev,
DIR. George ID. Baker, at the Old
First Presbyterian Church, South
Washington Square IN Philadelphia,
recently. The array of figures pro-
duced by Rev. DR.. Baker. setting
forth the crimes committed by COL
ored men, created almost . sensation
among the large audience. Rey. DIR.
Baker said in part;
at ia both unjust snd ungenerous
to say that the race problem in the
South is the negro's problem, or the
problem of the Southern people. 1t
is national problem, and it is the
white mans problem. Aside from
the fact that we are one nation, so
related that if one member suffers all
the members suffer with it, we are
never to lose sight of the fact that
for the existence of this race problem
the North is as much responsible as
the South.
"The negro came to this country
not of his own accord; he was brought
here against his own will, and the
first State in America to legalize the
slave trade and slavery by legislative
act, and to send out a slave ship. was
Massachusetts. The North has
therefore no right to roll off upon
the South the solution of the race
problem.
at is not t. be overlooked that
while there has been terrible out
breaks of crime and inhuman modes
of punishment in the South, there
are some alarming facts with regard
to these negroes in the North which
are not to be ignored.
"In our own State, where the ne
groes form only two per cent. of the
population, they furnish sixteen per
cent. of the male prisoners, and thir-
ty-four per cent. of the female Grim
inals. In Chicago, while they form
only one and half per cent. of the
population furnish ten cent. of ar
rests. The negro population, con-
shutting about eleven per cent. of
entire population of the nation, fur
nishes thirty-seven per cent. of all its
murderers, and sixty-six per cent. of
its female homicides, and here is
something most appalling.
"The rising generation of negroes
far outstrip IN crime the generation
that is passing of the stage. Two
thirds Of the homiciders are negroes
under twenty years of age. Now, as
q defense against this carnival of
crime, lynching has been restored to
a surprising extent.
Between 1886 and 1895 there
were 1866 lynchings, against 1,O4O
legal executions. Most of the lynch
ings were In the South-about eigh-
ty per cent, and undoubtedly this
has been due to the peculiarly exas-
perating crimes against women, COM
mitted by negroes in the South II
would seem that this extent of crime
among the negroes, especially in the
matter of murder and criminal as
sault, has largely increased since the
abolition of slavery.
"There are two explanations of it.
First, the abrupt transition from
slavery to freedom without any prep
aration for it, including the gift of
the franchise, doubtless gave the ne
groes an idea of liberty, which in
reality was license, In the second
place, since the negroes were eman-
cipated the best people of the South
have left them severely alone, so far
as doing anything for their moral
uplifting was concerned; while the
bad people, and especially the bad
politicians, have cultivated them ex-
tensively. "-Philadelphia Press.