The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1901-12-20
THE NEGRO QUESTION.

Hill Alexander for marked copy Of the
Macon Telegraph. The editorial
marked is indeed an able handling of a
difficult problem, and we reproduce it in
part, as follows:
"ln the midst of an inferior alien race
nearly equal in numbers-a race whose
baser natures are insigated by race
hatred and malign teachings to dehour
the priceless jewel of our homes-the
white men Of the South are charged as
no men have been charged with re-
sponsibility. And they must be about
their business.
Lynch law is not the remedy. If
any thing it intensifes the evil
Education is not the remedy. A little
Knowldge CLEANED from the text books
makes vagabond no less vagabond,
but william more villain. The
Southern white people understand the
situation here better than any other
people. This is the first knowledge that
must be gained. The physician who
knows his case has his patient half
cured Then what of the next step,
and the next?
The Telegraph confesses its in
ability to point with confidence the
way. Here is field for statesman
ship. May God raise the leader But
we may offer some suggestions.
First, the negro is the most happy,
the most useful, the least vicious
when he is engaged day by day at
manual labor. If this is not the key
it will prove an important part of the
combination in the problem. How
to reduce his number among the loafers
on the streets; how to lead him or
drive him away from the dives and
dens of vice; how to persuade him or
force him to leave the towns and cities
and go North or go upon the farms
how TO stop his feed from the back
kitchen door; how to stop the old
clothes deal for little wood chopping
how to make burglar proof the hen
house and the barn door, are problems
within themselves bearing on this first
suggestion.
Second, remove him as far as it is
possible from the political equation by
suffrage restrictions. He must unlearn
the lessons of reconstruction so far as it
can be done. Force it upon his com
prehension that if he wants social re-
cognition, the opportunity to vote and
hold Office, he must migrate North
ward.
Third, every sheriff and every chief
of police should be required by law tc
keep trained tracking dogs.
Fourth, the vagrancy laws ought
to be more rigidly enforced.
Fifth, our courts and juries should
be less lenient in imposing penalties
for petty misdemeanors. The law
should be terror to the evil doer-
even to the purloiner of a hen roost
and the petty thief of the pantry. Oul
Northern brethren are wiser than w,
in this particular. We overlook ant
pardon the lesser crimes, and they grow
to greater ones. The negro race is il
its childhood. It absorbs the vice.
more swiftly than the virtues of civil
zGtion, Like child, it should bt
made to fear the rod of correction
when it cannot be led by higher IN
centives
The Telegraph believes in tn,
greatest personal liberty consisten
with the rights and comforts of others
| But when the vicious go beyond tn,
bounds which compass free men, there
should be severe and never to be- for
gotten check put upon them by thos,
who have in their keeping the admin
istration of the law.
1t may be added here that the meal
averaI2 sight be raised by self-exami
nation on the part Of the whites anG
, the elevation of their own states
{ Higher standards lift the lowel Ones