Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-12-16

state of morality or practical Christianity
could you expect where as many as six
eight or even ten cook, eat, sleep, get slcr
and die in one room? 1t is often CHARGE
that black man has rather loose ideas of
property rights as regards the white man
But take a look at former conditions. While
we were in slavery our people reasoned
thus: MY body belongs to my master, and
, taking masters chickens to feed mas er $
body is not stealing Indeed, one old co.
ored man who was discovered IN Such
theft by his master. said:
Now. massa, it's true you's got few
less chickens, but, nlttssa, don't you see.
you'S got good deal more Niger.
Some of people reason that the
wealth of the whites came from the work
of the blacks, and therefore this properly
eaui9ably belongs to them. or course me
better educated Of our people have no sucii
ideas, but YOU can see how among the
ignorant such thoughts might affect their
ideas of mine and yours
Word About Lynching.
At this point asked Mr. Washington
whether he thought the negro had justice
in the south. He replied: Not always
but / consider that matters are growing
better in this direction. While he does not
always get justice in the south it Is to pc
borne in mind that in many cases in the
north he does not gee justice; especially IS
this true in regard to securing employment.
The negro has a far better opportunity IN
the south to earn a living than ne mas IN
the north. The trades unions are not there
to bar him out of employment in the same
degree that is true of the north. While
there are many things that are not yet as
they should be. il is an encouraging sign
to note that many of the most intelligent
and prominent southern white people are
beginning to take hold with a view of i'm
proving the negro's condition.
Mr. Washington then went on to speak
of lynchngs, which have been so common
during the Ia st few SAID ne. Inc
entire people of the south have felt keenly
the injury that has been done to it by rea-
there is now a general effort being put
forth to blot out lynchingS. This is espe-
cially true in the state of Georgia. which
has had more lynchings recently than
any other state. Governor Gambler dc
serves a great deal of credit for his re-
cent efforts in stopping lynchings and in
his public expressions of condemnation.
Many of the best white people feel that
these fynchings are not only hurting US in
the eyes of the world. but in our moral and
material growth. \ snort time ago / spoke
plainly through the southern white papers
On this subject. ard ] surprised to
note the friendly manner in which the
southern press commented cditorially upon
what | bad to say
What effect does lyrching have upon
crime
II doubt whether it materially restraints
it. There is no evidence that it does. 1t
certainly hurts the ncighhorhood in which
the lynching is done. 1t drives the negroes
to other sections Of the country. Many of
them leave the farming districts. where
they are really needed. and move into the
cities | think the remedy for crime lies in
education and the enforcement of the law
If the laws are not sufficient to properly
punish crime they should be changed. But
punishment should be by law and not by
individuals The history of the world shows
that where the laws are most enforced
there is the Least crime, and also that
where the people take the law into their
hands there is the most crime.
Educntion in the south.
Crime also decreases with the education
of the people We need mOfe schools in
the south Eighty-tive per cent of the col
ored people of the gulf states are on the
plantations and in small towns. where IL
majority of them are in ignorance. Many
of them. | am sorry 70 say, are still in
debt and mortgage their crops for food
paying or attempting to pay interest rates
that are outrageous. In most cases on
these plantations the coiored people live
in one-room cabins on rented land, and
their schools rarely last more than four
months. | wonder if you have any idea of
the amount of money that is spent in the
education of our people in some OF the
southern states? The average per colOred
scholar in some of the counties of the south
is not more than 81 cents annually,
while each child in Massachusetts has
spent upon him annually between SIS
and $50. The Massachusetts child has all
the surroundings of libraries and of an
advanced civilization. The colOred child
is in the hackwoods so far as many of the
modern facilities are concerned Alabama
has recently extended its school system by
appropriation of more money, and Georgia
has done the same thing. | think that
both the government and the church should
give more attention to the education of the
negro. The negroes must be educated in
head, hand and heart before they can be-
no he he ri of n
citizens.
ION the whole / am most hopeful in re-
gard to our race in the south. l do not
think We have any reason to despair We
must not spend our time in complaining,
but In hard work and an earnest effort to
bring about friendly relations between the
black man and the white man"
FRANK G. CARPENTER