The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-08-18
The yellow Peril in America.

It is not Of the yellow peril to the
world that looms up in the Far East, but
our own yellow peril of which We would
speak The race question, which might be
possibly soluble without great trouble were
all negroes all negro, become : sociological
problem of awful possibility when We con-
slider that miscegenation has made. and is
making inroads into the Caucasian race in
this country to an extent little realized by
the masses of the people
The commonest instinct of 5elf-preser-
walton warns the white race &c keep its
blood pure from mixture with that of At
RIGA We do not say from contamination.
because we are thinking and writing from
the scientific viewpoint and not from that
of the sentimentalist The intelligent Afro
American viii heartily agree with US that
the greatest boon to the negro would be
protection from mongrelisnl. and a fair
chance, as a negro, to demonst ratc what
be can attain to under conditions which
would give him opportunities such as are
enjoyed on even the lowest plane of Cau-
casian society.
The riots in New Orleans. the negro
hunting mob in New York, the brutal hor-
rors OF dozen negro Iynchings in the
South OF late. all warn us that we have
an imminent race question to consider,
and il we can, to settle. Like the ques-
ticn OF slavery, it win never be settled to
the honor, the dignity. or the benefit OF
the dominant race by methods of OPP
preston or brutality. That proposition
H-
burning issue, which is. that If We are to
preserve free institutions. South, North
or anywhere, the suffrage must not BE-
dominated by Ignorance. nor aust ignor-
anee hold the balance of political pol-er.
which at times amounts to domination
We speak of the white mans burden"
In this country We are confronted by a
necessity to shoulder a burden which sole
~ is neither the white mans nor the black
mans burden. but the burden of both.
Nor one nor other of the races in the
present generation is respor ats!3 for ex-
listing conditions. Each is VI lmized by
the foolishness. the selishness, and the
ignorance Of sociological laws which
marked Anglo-Saxon. Latin. and all other
civilizations in medieval time.
1t Is a self-evident proposition that the
race which has shown itself the master in
developing the high conditions Of our cur
rent civilization should preserve its in
tegr!ty against the blood inroads of an
other race which. whatever may be
claimed for II In respect of inherent ca
pacity, has not yet developed its ability
20 advance the standard OF humanity. We
might cheerfully admit for example. that
the negro is possessed Of qualities that
tend to encourage q hope that, in the flu
ture. his may become one of the races
contributing to the progress of civilization.
As a race. the negroes have not attained
10 that position as yet II is only Just and
rnerciful to them that they be permitted
to work out what is best in them, with
out prejudice CT passion on the part of
their white competitors.
But how is this to be done? We do not
think that they are Handicapped in the
South, in New York, Boston, or any other
American section or locality. as much by
political as by social considerations. In
the South they represent mass OF ig-
noranee in spite of the accomplishments
tor which negroes Individually and In
groups or special localities are TO be cred
iisd. They are not Justly to be blamed
or punished politically for ignorance in
AIRY sense that their white neighbors aye
not to be. As long as the Constitutions of
the Uni;ed States stands as It does. we do
i rot justify the Acknowledgement of ne
gro who cannot read and write. unless his