The Washington bee., 1899-05-20

field for effort and infuence2
AtITTLE RECENT IMPROVEMENT
IN SOME STATES.
The State of Mississi pi, Arkansas,
and the Carolinas, all need great re-
forms in this matter; out especially
Florida and Georgia. Their forest
terpentine works and their phosphate
mines are often awfIl spots. morally
and physically. louisiana is making
some special efforts at improvement.
Alabama and Texas are perhaps bet
ter than formerly. Yet prison chap
lain i'll Texas writes to Howard ASSo-
citation l18oS.l ,"Practically there has
been no advance in the lease system
of our convicts. II can only be an
evil"
GENERAL OPPRESSION OF
THE COLoRED RACE.
The Howard Association has also
received, in connection with these sad
accounts of southern camps and chain
gangs, much Information showing that
they form but one portion or still a
vaster system OF oppreS ION OF the
coiored race generally in the South
ern States. The p0fce Of Missions,
Atlanta, December, 1898 contains a
long and terrible indictment of the
white race for the treatment of the
colored people since 1865.
/. SAYS: 1.-The Cuban War and its
results and the American maSsacres
are nothing when compared with the
the thirty years of 'whitecapping,
chasing by blooohounds, numbering,
burning at the stake, lynching, flaying
swindIing, robbIng, defamation of
character, injustice, false imprlson-
ment and oppression, which the color:
ed people of America have passed
through, and are still undergoing. I"
"This year 900 have been lynChed and
murdered by our white Christian
friends and no voice but our own weak
cry has been raised in protest. "
MANY negroes were shot by the white
democrats in North and South Car
olina during the November elections OF
1898 Rel emily also, many unottendlng
colored people have been driven away
from their homes and farms in the
South by violent and covetous white
neighborS.
The same journal complains of the
silence of the pulpit, both North and
South, respecting these evils, and re-
I marked that even the United >tates
Supreme Court al Washington has
ALWAYS turned scale against the color.
ed race. Also that several of the
Southern States have disfranchiseo
the negroes by wholesale, In violation
of the Federal Constitution, whilst re-
turning them all as voters for the
purpose of their own proportlonate
representation in Congress. 1t Is
known that some prominent politician
and legislators at Washington have
made large fortunes as convict con
tractors,
THE LYNCHINGS.
In the Richmond Planet, July 23ro
1903, a bishop is quoted as saying
Enough colored men have beer
llvnched to death to reach mile high
Iif laid one upon another-and nearly a.
m any women and children 10 make
similar pile
These lynchings ale defended b,
many persons on the ground OF thei
necessity of protecting white wome'
from negro assaults. No doubt, occa
sionatlv such crimes of this kind hav'
been committed by them, but the,
have been immensely out numbered
by similar outrages by whites upol
the females of the weaker race.
The colored people have need t.
, clear themselves from completely witt
such crimes, and also to cultivat
more honesty and truthfuln SIS. No
can they expect to be much respected
. until they manifest more self-respec
and become less characterized, as
people, by their everlasting grin an
giggle. Lord Chesterfield said
never knew 'MerryAndrew' a re
spected man" But the co!ored pee
: pie are too often such fools, and unit
as a race, they manage TO make them
selves both respected and feared
they are not likely to get the Justicc
which IS due 10 them. Butfoons WI
be deSpiSed.