The Twin-City American., 1899-05-04
Race Problems the mos. Common Phenom-
ena In Social aud Civil ID Development
The White Mans Responsibility for it,
How Il Is to be Solved in the United
States.

1t IS a misfortune to any government
to have problem based upon race; yet.
but few nations Of ancient or modern
times have been without such problem
at some stage OF their history. Such
problem always weakens and brutalizes
both the oppressor and the oppressed.
There is no escape from this iron law.
And yet, out OF the agonies that hedge
about race problems OF whatever sort,
it has often happened that homogene-
Gus and persistent people have been
evolved; perhaps the most notable in
stance OF this in history being the fusion
OF the Angles and Saxons OF England
after long and fierce conflict. Some
times utter annihilation falls to the share
OF one OF the races in conflict; the most
remarkable instance OF which, perhaps,
being that OF the Indian races in the
United States Subjugation, often
more cruel than death, is the hard por
ton OF others. as in the case of the
teeming millions OF the East Indies,
where the heel OF the British conqueror
is studded with spikes. sharp as the edge
OF the Damascus blade
Race problems are the most common
phenomena in social and civil devel-
opment, and few of the three branch
es OF the human family sprung from
Noah bur have at some time served an
apprenticeship in the school OF slavery.
There are lot of people in the United
States who are, or pretend to be, ig-
norant OF this fact, and who entirely ig
more it in their consideration OF the
problem OF which the Airo-American is
the storm center. The Colony OF Vir-
ginia was largely recruited from the
white criminal class of England, bound
to service as effectually as any honest,
black slave kidnapped from Africa.
The prevailing notion that the African
blacks have been ths only slaves has
done us great injury. Slavery has not
been and is not the peculiar heritage OF
any particular race.
The race problem in the United States
to-day is OF more concern to the white
man than to the black man. The white
man made the problem by giving us
special invitation, with free transporta-
ton, to come here, as Booker Washing
ton puts it, but he can't solve the prob
lem, as he has been trying to do Tor
many years, without consulting US or
considering our interests and feelings.
From this point OF view. Rudyard Kip
ling's hypocritical White Mans Bur
den" may be studied to advantage; so
also may be the frantic protestations oil
our own Bishop Henry NJ. Turner that
this is white mans country, in which
a black man has no honorable future,
and from which he should betake him
self as fast as steam and wind can carry
him back to the continent OF Africa.
am very sure that Bishop Turner
will resent my characterizing him as the
Prophet OF Despair; but that is what he
is. No amount OF gesticulation and
ululation. % on his part can break the
force OF this characterization. Bishop
Turner is, personally, one OF the most
amiable and eompanionable men |
know, and / have not thoroughly mas
tered the reason why man OF his force
OF intellect and character. with his un-
doubted prominence and influence Tor
veal or woe. should adopt the gloomy
philosophy OF Poe's -Rayen' in con-
dition OF affairs requiring wise and
courageous and patient optimistic phi
iosophy. have at no time seen the
wisdom OF flying from the ills we know
OF in the United States to ills VIC
know not OF in Africa. A story is told
OF black man who, while blowing a
plccc OF land near ferry somewhere in
the South, was accosted by white
Weary Wagglcs, who asked him TO
give him nickel to pay his-way across
the river The black man eyed him
steadily ior moment, and then said:
NO, sab; ain gwine glib 20 no nickel,
case er w'ite man wat ain got no
nickel IS jes as well Oh on one side de
ribber as on re odder" And tha, IS the
real dimensions OF the matter as il re-
lztes to the race in this country. The
black man who can't get along in the |
United States viii not succeed in Africa. /
Those who are succeeding in the United !
States don't want to and viii not go TO !
Africz or anywhere else
But Prophet Of Despair. like Bishop |
Turner. can do very great deal to-
wards discourzging the unthinking /
masses African repatriation IS a |
dream. pure and simple. simply because
the Airo-American race is not built on
repatriation lines, and because there
IS not any part 81 Africa unsppToprIated
by Enropezn governments which can be 4
-sepazriatcd" Siberia Is there. II Is
true. but even Bishop Tuner mus, ad-
ma that lhr effort 10 -repserizfr~ Il has 4
not been glfsttrsng ~ cess: and. from
eporfs. i s<rns thzf ], wiii Be only /
. question Of fime zen the eounfry viii /
- annexed ~ Gfezl Bnfsin - Ffznee,
both cf which are sfter 4 BIT Eaets ike