The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1900-05-09
Welcome Of State Extended by Gov.
Johnston.
Ex- Naval Secretary Her.
bert a Speaker.
"PrOblems That Present Them
selves" His Subject.

Montsom cry. Ala, May s.-The con-
ference for the discussion Of the race prof.
lem In the south was opened here today.
There was large attendance. The
welcome Of the state wss extended BY
Gov. Johnston and Mayor Josephs ten
dered the freedom of Montgomery.
Hon. John b. Gsst,n Of Montgomery,
temporary chairman, spoke on "The
Idea and History OF the Conference"
Ex-Ssorstafy Of the Navy Herbert was
this next speaker, his subjsot being
"Protl,ms That Present Themselves"
HON. HILARY A. HERBERT's-AD-
DRESS.
The Hon. Hilary A. Herbert delivered
an address on "The Problems That Pre-
sent Themselves"
he began BY thanking the Society for
honor the conferred. and said the negro
question had been always with the people
of the south and would abide with them,
in one phase or another. The present Ia
happily an era Of good feeling betw en-
the sections, more complete and perfect
than any that has ever existed. The
foros bill has been dropped, the negro
was not In the presidential campaign OF
1895; tie new constitution OF Mississippi
has teen decided. BY the Supreme Court
Of the United States, TO be valid, and
we have now the sympathy OF thought
full men In the North to an extent which
nevsr before existed.
Sociolopists in that section are study
ing our situation. Ma paper could por-
tray more clearly the gravity OF the prob
lem now before the South than an ad-
dress by Prof. Wilcox, Chief Statistician
Of the Census, on Negro Criminology
delivered at Saratoga last summer. Let
us so use this opportunity ttat ell Of
our fellow -citizens who may follow these
proceedings aha II see that we are here to
see what can Re done towards the puri-
ncation Of the ballot boa. the protecticn
Of our women and the adjustment Of the
relations between the two races In such
spirit Of moderation. charity and justice
az shall strengthen anew tie fouudstioDs
of government and perpetuste It's bless-
tngs to our children.
The two races are here and must abide
together. The deportation OF eight or
ten millions Of blacks Is an impossible
Prof. Cope, the distinguished naturalist
of the University q Pennsylvania, few
years ago, after q dispaGsionate study OF
the differences between ths white man
aud ths negro, In which he clearly point
cd out the inferiority OF the negro, recon-
IL ended that the Doegro, at whatever cost
should he deported. HE fear was that
the OF tcome In the South YVES to be
amalgsmation. and the consequent de-
strue tion OF large portion OF the finest
race upon earth.
election methods which we desire 60
abandon. 1he results of the expenditure
OF millions on negro education has been
so unsatisfactory that some good people
are advocating the abandonment OF the
system. linen the cost of trying negroes
for CRIME Is out Of all proportion to the
cost Of trying white men; and assaults
By negroes upon white women have
brought US to lynch-law. The questions
We are here to discuss. Iclenees among
negroes Is undoubtedly growing and
crime Increasing. Prof. Wilcox states
Is startling: and ne gives census figures
to show us that In the South the crime
of negroes. compared according to popu-
Iaion, with whites were, In 1870. as ~
little less than five to one, and In the
North considerably over i've to one. Gov
ernent statistics show that for ten years,
beginning with 1879. Of births among the
negroes Of the District of Columbia 1875
percent ware iilegitimate, and that for
the net period Of eleven years, ending
with 1859, the percentage or illegietmate
births was 1853. Crimes, however, In the
District by the figures appear to be only
a little over Two to one, according TO
population, -wil1Dh Is decidedly in favor
of the District.
The situation becomes gravar still when
We consider that assault BY negro upon
a white woman, such an alarming feature
Of the present situation, was unknown
when the negroes were slaves, and ra-
manned unknown until generation Of
negroes born In freedom, and grown to
manhood, and this after all our efforts TO
elevate the negro by education. What
does this nlsanf Two answers have been
suggested; one, that these Grimes proceed
from a spirit Of revenge. Prof. Wilcox,
who suggests this, nays that such crimes
frequently resulted during the Middle
Ages from hatred Of the Church. The
other theory is, that base crimes indicate
a tendency among thess peorls, whose
ancestors some Of them q few generations
ago were sasages. to relapse into barbAr.
ism.
He hoped public opinion would settle
down on the idea that we cannot stop
crimes agaist women by ceasing to edr-
cate the negro. II the crime comes from
the Instincts Of the barbarism, We cannot
prevent 1t by ceasing to educate; II 1t IL
prompted by revenge, We cannot cure the