The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1900-05-15
THE MONTGOMERY CONFERENCE
The Negro I'm Relation to Crime and
Religion Discussed.

montgomery, Ala, May 10.-At the
discussion chiefly was of the negro in
relation to religion.
1t was opened by Professor John
Roach Straton. of Mercer university.
Macon, Ga He discussed the rela-
tons of the races, the superiority and
inferiority of the whites and blacks
respectively and dwelt at length upon
the effect Of an inferior race on a
superior race.
Rev. D. Clay Lilley, of Tuscaloosa,
Secretary of the Southern Presbyterian
board of negro evangeliZation, spoke
specifically on the wiser form of reli-
gious work among the negro, the
question being whether the white agen-
cies or colored agencies are the better.
w. A. Query, chaplain of the Uni
versity of the South, also discussed
this question, and took the position
that negro teachers could best deal
with the colored race.
The religious conditions of the negro
today, as compared with those of slav-
cry days. were discussed by Rev. c. c.
Brown, Of Clinton, S.. c., and the Ver
Rev. j. r. Slattery, of Baltimore, suoke
for the ~advisability of raising tn
standard of ordination.
One of the most sensational speeches
was made by Bishop Rennick, of Bal
timore, who declared that from fl
to eight negroes in the north, under
northern conditions, committed crimes
to one in the south.
Professor w. F. Wilcox, a chief stat
istician of the United States census, a
New Yorker by birth and ancestry,
made a speech declaring that the ulti-
mate determination of the black race
was inevitable. There will be a rapid
decrease of the birth rate and a slow
increase of the death rate until the
negro race will stand as the American
Indian stands today" said Professor
Wilcox.
Professor Wilcox was followed by
Secretary Herbert WEIGH, of the Indian
Rights Association.
At the afternoon session Hon. Alex.
King, OF Atlanta opened the discussion
of the lynch question. He spoke on
the Punishment of Grimes Against
Women-EXisting Legal Remedies and
Their Su~fficiency." His address treated
almost exclusively of the crime OF
criminal assault and of lynch-law.
Mr.. King said it vas in those com
munities where the dominance of the
white race was the least secure and
the of the black criminal the
greatest that lynch-law is most likely
to prevail. He called attention to the
LoSI lila L IIC passage III LII
since the abolition of slavery the crime
seems to grow in Importance. He also
noted the apparently inherent preju-
dice existing between the lower class
of white people and the negro who in
being educated and by imitation is
m~enacing the social status of this class
of white people. He said hat this
prejudice is resented by the negro and
produces strong racial animosity.
Mr.. King held that race animosity
was created by the tendency of the he
groes to conceal the crimes of members
of their own race, which made the
question of assault and lynching pre-.
eminently al inter-social one. He SAID
that for fair discussion on the question
of lynching it was necessary to con-
slider the crime and conditions. He
closed with a plea for the domination
of law.
Mr.. King was followed by Hon. Cliff
ton r. Breckenridge, of Arkansas, wht
discussed the a~dvisability Of lynching