Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1899-05-13
THE RACE PROBLEM.

The Race Problem in the South"
was the subject OF q lecture by Rev. DR..
George D. Baker, at the Old First Pres.
byterisn Church, South Wsshiug' IN
square last evening. The array of fig.
ures produced by Rsv. DR.. Baker. SET
ting forth the crimes committed by COL
ored men, created almost q sensation
among the large audience. Rev. DR..
Baker said in part:
Il. is both unjust and ungenerous to
say that the race problem in the South is
tie negro's problem, or the problem Of
the southern p pie. 1t is national
problem, and il is the white mans prol :
iem Aside from the fact that We are
one ustion, so related that if one mem
Ger suffers all the members suffer w th
il, We are never to lose sight of the fact
tcat for the existence OF this race prob
lem the North is as much responsible
as the South.
The negro came to this country not
# MS own accord; he was brought here
against his own will, and the first State
in America to legalize the slave rade
and slavery by legislative act, and to
nd cut slave snip, was Massachu
setls the North has therefore no right
to roll oil upon the South the solution Of
t1e race problem.
1T is aot to be overlooked that while
,uere has been terrible outbreaks OF
crime and inhuman modes Of punish
,uent IN the South, there are some
alarmjDg facts with regard 10 these ne
groes in the North which are not to be
ignored.
IN our own State, where the De-
gvots form only two per cent. of the
population, tbey .urulsh sixteen per
cent. of the maze prisoners, and thirty
four per cant. OF the female criminals.
II Cnicago, whiie they form only one
and . bali per cent. of the population
furnish teu per cent. of arr. sis. Tne
negro population, constituting about
eleven per cent OF entire population OF
the uati0n, furnishes thirty-seven per
ceut. Of all lis murderers, AMI sixty six
per cent. of lis female homicdes, and
mere is something most appalling.
1.-The rising generation Of negroes far
outstriD in crime the generation that is
passing oH the stage. Two.thirds OF
the horniciders are negroes under TWEEN
" years of age. Now, as defense
against this carnival Of crime, lynching
nas been restored to a surprising ex-
tect
Between 1856 and 1895 there were
l $50 lynchings, against l,040 legal ex-
ecuuons. Most OF the lynchings were
II the South-about eighty per cent,
and undoubtedly this has been due TO
the peculiarly exasperatiDg crimes
against women, committed by negroes
in the South. Il would seem that this
extent OF crime among the negroes, es
Decially il the matter of murder and
criminal assault, mas largely increased
since the abolition Of slavery.
"There are two explanations OF it.
First, the abrupt transition from slave
ry to ifeedom without any preparation
for it, including the gift OF the franchise,
4oubt ess gave the negroes an idea OF
liberty. which in reality was license.
Ia the second place, since the negroes
we're emeucipated the best people OF
tbe South have left them severely
aIope. so far as doing anything for their
moral uplifting was concerned; while
,6e bad people, and especially the bad
noliticiang, have cultivated them ex-
tensivo.v. -IPbl adelphia Press.