Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1900-05-11
THE RACE PROBLEM.

The race conference at Montgomery,
Ala, yesterday discussed the negro in
relation TO religion and the lynchiDg
evil.
Bishop Penick. OF Baltimore, declared
that from 5 to negroes in the North,
under northern conditions, committed
crimes to one in the South.
Prof. W. T. Wilcox, statisician 10
the Census Bureau, declared that the
ultimate determination of the black
race was inevitable. "There will be a
rapid decrease OF the birth rate and h
slow increase of the death rate until the
negro race will stand as the American
Iodian stands today" said Professor
Wilcox.
Mr.. Alex. G King, of Atlanta, spoke
on 1.-THE Punishment of Grimes Against
Women. Existing Legal Remedies and
Their Sufficiency."
Mr.. King said ii was 10 those commu-
mites where the dominance OF the white
race was the least secure, and the men,
ace OF the black criminal the greatest,
hat lynch law is most likely to prevail.
He called attention to the fact that with
the passage OF time since the abolition OF
slavery the crime seems to grow in i'm
portance. He also noted the apparent.
y inherent prejudice existing between
the lower class of white people and the
oegro, who, in being educated and ny
imitation, was menacing the social
status OF this class Of white people. He
said that this prejudice is resented by
tae negro, and produces strong racial
snimosity. He gave two reasons why
extra ud cisl means are resorted TO,
namely: The delay Of legal punish
ment and the protection OF the victim
OF the assault from the ordeal OF the
witness chair. Mr.. King closed with
plea for the domination Of law.
He YVES followed by Hon. Clifton r
Breckenridge. OF Arkansas, who dis
cussed the advisability Of lynching.
Hon. Bourke Cochran, of New York,
boldly advocated the repeal Of the If
tenth amendment to the federal con.
stitutioD. He argued that 1t was bad
limb on the tree; that it had been
nuliied by the States and had been
lyncbed, so to speak, by the people of
the South. He declared that the rec
oscillation OF the theoretical status OF
the negro under the constitution should
be reconciliation with his actual status
in the public opinion of the country.
He maintained that this repeal was best
for the negro as we'll 80 for the white
man, since both races had to live to-
gether. to prosper together, or 90 down
together. Every source of Irritation
between the two should be removed,
and the fifteenth amendment was the
greatest.
Mr.. Cochran asserted that the path
Of the negro to political and social
rights lay through the development of
the unit, the individual, and that the
only means was by Industrial education.
He Landed the generosity Of the South
for spending In thirty five years after
its devastation and out of its poverty
over one hundred millions of dollars
for negro educs ion, and pointed ont
that 1t was the duty OF the federal
government to assist In preparing ito
wards for the duties OF citizenship.
He said 1t would be far more defeusi-
BILE for the country to spend ten or
twenty millions year in helping to
upliit the black men of the South, in
stead of one hundred millions in put
ting down the brown men Of the East.