The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1900-10-13

negro in North Carolina Is
l. undoubtedly unconstitution-
AL as well-known jurists
have contended, because it disfran-
chises only the descendants of par
tlcular race. But it will probably
stand in that state as 1t has In South
Carolina and in Mississippi, because 1t
has active support OF the dominant
race in those states and is regarded
with apparent Indifference throughout
the country. The outrage to civil
rights of these new constitutions and
the acts of fraud and violence on the,
negro as a citizen that preceded them
do not kindle the fiery indignation
which finally burned up slavery. That
was too sore and inevitable an Oppres-
sion to be left to it's own punishment
by the moral law of society, though
the dominant race bore and is still
bearing that punishment in the taint of
brutality and terror it fixed on society
where it existed; in the coarsening of
the dominant race through its relations
with an inferior held in subsection, and
the sickening dread of servile outbreak
which always underlay the superficial
grace and glitter of southern society.
The same penalty of>society's moral
law is following this latter violation of
the negros civil rights and equality
under. the law. 1t is coming through
constant degradation of the race de-
MED the right to natural and healthy
civil development, and the constant in
crease of the danger to society which
comes from relapse of part of 1t to
savagery and bestiality. That is COM
ing to North Carolina which came to
the gulf states with extreme oppres-
sion Of the negroes there. and made the
white race pay for political domination
the price of social insecurity and econ
omic dislocation An exodus of negroes
from the state has begun already.
North Carolina newspapers say that
farmers cannot get laborers to harvest
their crops. and the Star of Zion. an
official organ of the African Methodist
church, says that a definite and deter
mined migratory movement has begun,
which will take the most energetic and
industrious of the negroes out of the
state.
An exodus like this occurred in the
states of the lower Mississippi some
years ago. provoked more by physical
violence than by denial of civil rights.
1t transferred the best negro popula-
tion of those states to Indian Terri
tory, Western Kansas and Nebraska,
where they have prospered industrially
in an atmosphere of political equality.
1t left the remaining negro population
more bestial and degraded, and in
creased the frequency of horrid lawless
acts and lawless punishments. The
Southern people explain the increase
of lynching among them by the degen-
Grafton of the negro race since IT es-
capped the restraints of slavery. How
far is this due to the fact that the
restraints OF slavery prevented escape
of the better part, leaving constantly
lower dregs of humanity to be bur-
den and menace? 1t Is only In COM
munities where the negro Is treated as
brute that we hear of his reversion
to bestiality. Here there has been con-
stanp sitting out of the better sort for
migration North and West, leaving
dangerous criminals.
In view of the spectacle presented by
these states that are cursed with a
sodden mass of humanity continually
sinking lower under the oppression
that has driven out their more intelli-
gent associates. 1t seems surprising
that even political hatred for the col
ored voter could prompt another state