New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1900-04-08
THE RACE pRoBLEM AND>rHE SOUTH.


One of the great Southern newspapers not a
long while ago resented an. appeal to the white
people of the South to stop the lynching evil for
the sake of general civilization, asserting that
the race problem was the Negroes problem. and
1t was duty Of the Southern white man to
solve it. That spirit happily is fast going out
of date. The educated Southern white man
more and more realizes that whosesoever else
the race problem may be, Ii Is emphatcally his
problem The Nation as a whole may have and
must have an interest In IT, for the civilization
of the whole is no greater than the sum OF the
civilization of the parts The North has an in
terest for its policy created some of the con-
dtions compiicatng il. The negro has an in
terest for his future happiness depends an
adjustment of present difficulties But above all
the Southern white man has an interest. AS
member of the dominant race where the prob
lem exists he has moral duty to better c0ndi-
tons about him. As the old master profiting
from slavery and responsible for the negro's
presence in the community and his backward
state he must share in fitting him for present
conditions instead of complaining that the negro
was not left in dependepce. AS the person with
the greatest stake in the prosperity and civ
iiZatOn of the South he can least afford, what
ever his provocaton, either To keep the negro
TO give loose rein to the barbarian instincts
lurking in the white race. Either means the de-
generation Of the civilization of his interest and
his pride.
Neither the Northern observer nor the South
ern politician can settle the question 1t
must be done by the sober. intelligent Southern
people who wish to use neither the negro nor
the prejudice against the negro for Interior pur
poses. but who desire simply an adjustment of
difficulties in the common interest of both races.
1t is a recognition of this fact that has led to
the organization of The Southern Society for
1.-The Promotion of the Study of Race Problems
land Conditions in the South" which Is to hold
its first conference at Montgomery. Ala. begin
ming on May s. 1t is a comprehensive associa-
ton of men of various views. and it plans TO
consider all phases of the question. social po-
htcal. industrial and religious. Doubtless many
opinions will be presented which would seem
strange to a Northerner. The merits of differ
ent plans for DISTINGUISHING the negro are To be
discussed. and A. c. King. of Georgia is going
to defend the wisdom of lynchng But eX
Minister Clifton K. Breckenridge is going to
oppose resort to lynching. and other speakers
will urge that whatever restriction be- placed on
the ballot it bear equally on both races. SO a
fair and openminded hearing will be given to
all sides. and whatever may think of some
doctrines sure 10 be advocated it is to he re-
membered that the primary requisite to any
real advance by the South in this line Is that
the South take up the question absolutely from
its own point of view and thresh out its con-
ceptons and find out where ii IL wrong. With
the best Southern people once honestly inter
ested in the problem and anxious for solution.
inst TO black as we'll rs white. they will GER
tainly overcome the mob which has been per-
mitted TO misrepresent them. find what is right
and he able to do it.
That right may not be what outsiders have
thought was right. The problem is too complex
for that For instance, when education is
spoken of here it suggests negro education.
But the Southern white man says the poor
white boy of the South excites his pity. and he
honestly thinks that while Northern charity is
doing so much for technical education of the
negro he may be pardOned il he concentrates
his limited home school fund to save the poor
white boys from growing up in ignorance aud
hopelessness more dangerous to the community
than that of the negro. At the same time the
need of the blacks. particularly In the line of
industrial training is generally recognized, and
Dr. Frssell, of Hampton Institute, is to be one
of the principal speakers at the conference.
This meeting is entitled to the sympathetic in
terest of everybody. North and South. who
realizes how much verybOdy'S problem this
adjustment of the races Is. but how ii can only
no solved on the ground where 1t exists