The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1901-02-06
CURRENT lOpIrs.


Mr.. Marion L. Dawson, of Richmond,
discusses The South and the Negro in
the February number of the North An1eTi-
can Review. Mr.. Dawson calls attention
to the fact that the South is not respon-
s;bie for the existence of the race pro-
bleln, but that it was thrust upon her,
AID that in her er,deavors to solve IT
she has the benefit of no past experience,
since there IS no Instance recorded IN
history where two alien and dissmilar
races fave existed side by side on plane
of civil ana political equality for any
length of time i'll peace. But to succeed
in her task she must have the symna tiny
and support of ali sections The South
is oftsn denounced for the outbursts OF
mob violence. but the crimes which call
these forth are brutal and repulsive, and
they have been summarly punished IN a
similar way in ali sections of the country.
The negro must be educated, and the
laws must be so ctlanged as to insure
certain and speedy administration OF JUS
tee Mr Dawson thus describes the con-
aat&on of the negroes:
THE South now expends about fort
millions OF dollars annually in 7scnooI
funds. of which sum the negroes contrl-
syute but one-thirtieth, though they have
the opportunity to reap nearly haf the
benefit. In the South all trades are open
to tllsGn, and they receive every encolu-
agement to become proficient in the in
dustrial arts. a large number OF negroes
have eagerly taken advantage of these
opportunities, and have made unprece-
Gentejl progress in bettering their con-
dition in every way. They have amassed
in one State property the assessed value
of which is nearly thirty millions OF DOL
lars, and it is estm1ted that they own.
all told, about three hundred millions OF
dollars worth OF personal and real estata
They. have their own doctors, lawyers
ard preachers; they have been given the
best schools, colleges and universities
and they have their own military COM
pan:es Many of them realize that Their
interests are inseparable from the inter-
.zsts- of tie South. They have found by
experience that the people who give them
employment, who annually pay millions
of dollars that their children may be edu-
Gated. who make it possible for them TO
acquire wealth, who labor side by side
with them in the field and in the factory,
are their best friends
For nGre than one hundred years
after the commencement of Peter the
Greats life work" says the Engineering
MAGAZINE ':tllc waterways were the only
practical means of cheariy transporting
the products of Russian toll and industry
from one part of the vast domain TO
another. No ether country is so prodi-
gally endowed WITH navgable rivers. In
European Russia alone fully 00oO miles
of inland waterway were naviSable TO
the simple barges of those days. The
rivers of Russia have their sources within
n. com1arativcly few miles Of each other,
all of the great streams rising within the
area of the broad plateau Of the north,
50 that it was no difficult feat to con-
meet the headwaters of the numerous
rivers. The construction of less than
1900 miles OF canals and canaliZed rivers.
crf less than 900 miles of actual canals
made it possible to travel by barge from
Archangsl on the Arctic, to Astrakan
on the Caspian, a. distance OF more thSh
3G0O miles, from st. Petersburg to the
foot of the UraIs. and from the Bate
In the Black Sea by three distinct routes,
to say nothing OF Moscow and numerous
other inland cities which were brought
into direct water communication with all
parts Of the empire.