The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-07-07
nITLER AND TmE NEGRO PRoRLEM

AAl4h AND y III NEArhO IlhOhatE4hA
Ex-senator N. c. Butler of South Caro-
lima. in a speech delivered at Ganney IN
that STATE on Wednesday last discussed.
among other things, The race problem. lie
said that it was impossible for TWO races
one superior TO the other, and he races
having equal civil and political rights, 70
live together in peace and harmony under
the same government This IS the
position which the Morning News has oc-
cupled FOR cong time. If it is the correct
one then the negro must either emigrate
or give up some OF his civil and political
privileges.
The prejudice against the negro does not
decrease with time. On the contrary. j,
appears to grow stronger. Ii Is not very
apparent where the negroes do not crowd
the whites, bur even there fl is apparent
among he laboring class. In the North the
negroes are shut out of the labor unions
But the pressure of the negroes there for
room is not felt like it is in the South. In
this city, for instance, the negroes have
crowded the whites off the Wharves and
they are doing the same Thing in New or
leans. We mention only these two in
stances. but the same thing is taking place
in many places in the South. And as they
crowd the whites the prejudice against
them becomes stronger
1t is true they make very good laborers
but as they increase in numbers their de
mand for a larger share in public affairs
viii become more imperative. Then the
trouble between the races will become more
serious.
An article on the negro question that is
attracting some attention is published in
the current number of the Forum. The
author of it is w. II. CounciI president
Of an Alabama college for negroes. His po-
stion Is that the negroes must leave this
country. He Is satisfied that the race pre-
judice can never be overcome here, and
ne expresses the opinion that they must
go 60 Africa, where there is a chance for
their Intellectual development and their
material advancement. This solution of the
race problem has been advanced frequent
~ by Bishop Turner of the African Meth
odist Church He gives some very strong
reasons in support of it.
Prof. Council thinks that the negro race
wall be developed Intellectually in the
struggle to redeem Africa from the dark
ness in which it is now cropping. He doesn't
seem to take into account the fact that the
white race is at present engaged in civliz-
ing Africa, and that the prospect is that
it Will have pretty nearly accomplished
the task before the negroes of this coun-
try get ready to move 10 that far away
land And, if at some future time they
should decide to go there, would they not
likely find the country about as completely
occupied by the white race as this coun-
try is? From all accounts there are about
as many negroes there now as there is
any room for
If the negroes are 10 emigrate at all is
there not better opening for them in the
Philippines than in Africa? 1t was sug-
gested sometime ago that a movement of
negroes in that direction be started, but
the suggestion attracted very little atten-
ton.
Clearly our statesmen ought to be giving
some attention to this race problem which
ex-senator Butler says is the greatest dan
ser which now confronts US. If the ne
groes are to remain In this country, and
it is highly probable that they are, some
thing ought to be done to lessen the stead
ily Increasing friction between them and
the white people.