The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-06-01
CRIME AND COLOR.

CRIME AND COLOR.
The Atlanta Constitution speaks in terms
of warm approval of an editorial in the
last issue of the Freeman, a paper pub
lished in this city for colored people and
edited by Bishop Turner, of Atlanta. The
article was probably written by Bishop
Turner. 1t treated of the recent conflict
between negroes and whites at Pittsburg,
a suburb of Atlanta, in which several per-
sons were killed, including whites and
negroes. The trouble originated in a muir
derors attack by a negro on an ex-police-
man, and when an attempt was made to
arrest the aggressor he made resistance
that led to a bloody fight. The negro was
known as a bad man, and probably had
reason to expect that If he were captured
alive he would be summarily dealt with.
That, Of course, had nothing to do with his
original attack, nor did it justify his re-
sisting arrest when he deserved to be ar
rested His subsequent treatment was a
matter Of conjecture. The article in the
Freeman was rather notable for the fair
ness with which it discussed an incident
was that negroes should not attempt to
shield or defend criminal members of their
own race, that lawlessness by white men
did not justify lawlessness by negroes, and
that the best interests Of both races and
peace between them demanded that the
good men in both should unite in de-
nouncing crime and bringing criminals to
punishment. After admitting that the
bloody conflict in this case was brought on
by negroes, the Freeman said:
We take no pleasure in blaming colored
men for creating disturbances, nor white
men Tor that matter, but the fact OF the
matter Is that some of the race, some of
those in front must stand as ready To cen
sure those in the wrong as to applaud
those in the right. We admit the painful
fact that we are not quite prepared TO re-
ceive rebuke, no matter as To the extent
of the wrong. The spirit of clannishness is
displayed in the wrong direction. We stand
charged with screening criminals of our
own kind, except when we wish to crimi-
nalize. The assertions are not altogether
fanciful. We. from this distance,
viewing the situation, believe that had the
colored men acted more discreetly there
would not be now six or eight men dead,
including officers of the law, men both
black and white. That the black men
came off so well will not tend 10 lessen the
racial friction nor ought it magnify our
SeIl-cSIGeIu. 4 nat we must so OFTEN De the
center of such spectacular tragedies is not
conducive to the welfare of our racial life
in America. Danish the day that holds in
store for us or future generations those
baleful influences that seek to counterfeit,
to neutralize the good by the worthy thou
sands who have nothing in common with
the many more thousands who wear the
world as one long holiday.
This shows entire freedom from race
prejudice, and goes as far as paper pub
i
/ to go in rebuking them for their tendency
toward "clannishness in the wrong drec-
| ton" No doubt there is much provoca-
tion and excuse for this spirit in the South,
and a certain class of whites seem to be
| doing all in their power to develop it by
4 their brutality toward negroes. There are
/ bad men in all races and in all parts Of the
! country, but social conditions in the South
/ are such as to make the race question
prominent factor in the question of crime
and its punishment 1t is probably true
! that at present each race is exercising a
bad influence on the other, the net result
being steady growth of distrust and in
crease of crime. The remedy will come
in the assertion of their influence by the
better class in both races. It's coming will
be retarded on the one hand by the denial
of justice to the negroes and by the prac-
tice of illegal methods Of punishment, and
on the other by colored people defending
or shielding criminals simply because they
are colored. Laws are made for all alike
and colored men as well as white men
should enjoy their equal projection as long
as they deserve it, and even-handed jus
tice and punishment when they deserve
that
The Atlanta Constitution thinks the habit
of the colored people of sympathizing with
criminals of their own race is a serious
drawback 10 the establishment of more
friendly relations with the whites in the
South. It says:
When a negro commits a crime against a
negro he IS set upon with hot denuncia-
ton, but If his crime is against society,
| or a white individual, he Immediately be-
comes, in the eyes of his Ice generally, a
! prosecuted and outraged victim of white
| pretudices and unjust laws made for his
oppression. Among white people in the
South, as almost everywhere else, the law
| abiding element is always ready to CO.
operate in the detection and punishment Of
| the criminal element But among the ne
| groes, unfortunately the criminal expects
| to receive sympathy and protection from
| the law-abiding element of his race solely
because he is a negro. There are many
good people among the negroes-people who
/ respect the laws, who are honest them
| selves and who are inoffensive in behavior.
Yet when they are brought into the emer-
| gencies of a criminals case, and the GRIM
/ inal is a negro. they seem TO lose the cour-
I age of their convictions, yield 10 intimida-
/ ton by the prevailing sentiment in favor of
/ the culprit and so aid the lawless where
/ they should stand by the law and its en-
/ forcement impartially upon offenders of
| any color.
The Journal is not in a position to say
whether this is a correct statement of the
case or not, but If it is it points to a need
ed reform among the colored people. The
article in the Freeman, which the Con-
stitution prints in full and approves edi-
torially. seems to hint at the same condi-
ton. II II exists the better class OF col
ored people should set about the work of
correcting IL. Perhaps II they would or
ganize in favor OF the legal punishment
OF colored criminals and against the habit
of sympathizing with them simply because
they are colored-a habit which the Free
man characterizes as ''clannishness in the
wrong direction''-the better class of whites
! would be moved to organize In favor OF tine