The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1900-05-16
THE FACE PROBLEM
IN THE SOUTH.
CONFERENCE Ar MONTGOMERY

ne conference IOt inc ulsIuSSiOn OI |
the race problem in the south assem-
bled in Montgomery, Ala, ON the 9Th ,
inst, ana at the opening session thero /
Was one OF the largest sud most repre- |
sentative gatherings ever seen IN That |
city. This conference is held undor |
the auspices OF the Southern Society |
for the promotion OF the study OF the /
race conditions and problems in the /
South. Governor Johnston made Az al !
dress OF welcome on behalf OF the !
State and gave interesting facts and
figures. In Alabama considerable pro
gress has been made IN the line o. ldu.
eating tho negro. pne school fund Is
paid almost entirely by the whites aud
distributed impartiaily 80 children OF
both races.
Convict records show a steadily in
creasiGg numbc" ut negro cOnvlctG.
The record shows 50 per cent OF con
victs are negroes thCrC oclng now in
the penitentlury 253 whites aud 2,llI
negroes. OF tho total Of 2,l41 colored
conyictS 925 arc confined for serious
crimes. On October |, 1878, there were
654 State cUnVCtS against |, i6O now.
" We have now one negro IL the penn
tentiary for each 3lT Of population,
and one white for each >, 20" said IhG
Governor. Tho negro who aCcumu
lates property becomes IL conservatives
citizen, ceases TO listen TO pGiiVlcai
agitatOrs and desires no return Of ir-
responsible and cCrrupt Legislation.
The more he aCcumuiatG5 the greater
his interest in the reign OF law and
the preservation OF pCgCe."
Hon. John 3. CASTOR OF MontEOme y,
as temporary chairman, Introduced
Hon. Hilary A. Herbert cxsccrctery
OF the navy, who made the ntCoduC.
tory speech 10 the able discussions
which followed, in which he contend
ed that the two races must abide To-
gether in the Southern States, and
that we must work out the problem al
best VIC can in the providence OF God.
lie began ny thanking the ocIcty
for the honor conferred, aud said the
negro question had been atweys with
the people of the South and wUu Il
abide with them, in one phase or
another. The present Is happily 2u
era Of good feeling between the sec.
tlUns, moro complete and perfect tnam
any that has ever existed. Tho force
bill has been dropped. tbc negro was
not in tho Presidential campaign OF
1896; the new cons.ttutton Of Missls-
sippi has been decided by the suurGmc
court Of the United States 80 be- vaNc,
and we havo the sympathy o! thOug IT
ful men in the North TO Nh extent that
never before existed.
SOcioiugists ia thai section Arc
studying Cur situation. No pa per
could portray more clearly the grAv. ty
Of the problems now before the South
than an address by Prot WilicOH, chicf
Ytatlstician Of the CcnsU9, on negro
crimi uolCgy, delivered at Saratoga
last summer. Let un 80 use this up
portunity that 81! OF Onr fellow citizens
who may follow these proceedings
shall see that VIC arc mere 10 scc what
can be- done towards the puriTiGatiCG
OF the ballot box, the prot ction Of our
women aud the 80 juuGmcnt O! the ru-
laLionJ between the two races ia such
IL spirit OF moderation, charity and
justice as shall strengthen anew the
foundations Of government ana pcr-
petuate its blessings TO our chilIrcn.
Tho two races arc here ana must
abide together. The dcpOrtaliUn Of
eight or ten millions Of blacks IL sn
impossioility. Prof. Cope, the dis
tiDguished naturalist OF the University
OF PenrsylV&nia, a fow years Ggn after
a disp2ssiOuate study OF the differences
between the white man and The negro,
in which he clearly pointed Gu: the in
ferority OF the negro, recommended
that the negro, at whatevGr cost should
be depOrtcd. His fear was that the
outcome III the South was tn he ANAL
gamation and the consequent dastruc.
tion OF large portion Of the finest race
upon earth.
Necessity haS compelled lis To- resort
To election methods which we desire
80 abandon. The results OF the eXoel-
diture OF millions on negro education
has been so unsatisia factory that some
good people are advocating the aban
dOnment OF tho system. The cost OF
trying negroes for crime is ont OF al
proportion to the cost Of trying white
men: and assaults by negroes upon
white women have brought us 10 lynch
Law. These questions w. are here 30
discuss. Idleness among negroes IS
undoubtedly growing and crime in.
creasicg. Prof. Wilcox states facts
showing idlenes5 to n degree that is
startling, and be gives census figures
10 show us that in the South the crimes
OF negroes, compared according 20
population with whites we're, in 1890
as a little less than 20 |, and in Inc
North considerably over 5 to |. Govern.
ment statistics show that for 70 years,
beginning with 1879, of births among
the negroes Of the District OF Columbia
1876 per cent. were illcg!timate, and
that for the next period OF III years,
ending with 1899, the percentage OF
illegitimate births was 269 Crimes,
however, in the district by the figures
appear to be only u little over , TO /,
according TO population--which is de.
cidedly in favor of the district
The situation becomes grayer still
when we consider the assault by
negro upon q white woman. Such an
alarming feature Of the present situa-
tiOn was unknown when the negroes
were slaves, aud remained unknown
until new genera tion Of negroes born
In freedom, mad grown into MANHOOD;
and this after all our efforts to ole
Vate the negro by education What
does this mean? Two answers have
been suggested; one, that these crimes
proceed irOma spirit Of revenge. Prof
Wilcox, who suggests this, says that
such crimes frequently resulted during
tho middle ages from hatred OF the
church. Tho other theory ia, that
these crimes indicate q tendency among
theso people, whose ancestors some Of
them 4 few generations RGO were saw
ages, TO relapse into bRrDarism.
He hoped public opinion would settle
down on the idea that we cannot stop
crimes against womc0 by ccasing to
educate the negro. II the crime comes
from the instincts OF the barbarian, We
cannot prevent it by cea8jnp to cdu.
cate; If 1t Is prompted by revenge, we
cannot cure the bituAtion by ccaslDg TO
educate. But while continuing to urge
education, | would not have you under
stimate the task that is before ns.
IL. T.