Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1902-12-22
GOLONIzING
THE NEGRO
BEGUN
coLORED MEN WHO ARE DIS
, CHARGED FROM THE ARMY
ARE NOW PHILIPPINE COLO
NISTS.

discussed BY southern congressman. who.
Of course. are vitality interested In the ne
gro question. but northern senators and
representatives and the leading newspa-
.pers In the east have taken the Alabama
senator's plan up and are discussing II
with considerable vigor.
There Is opposition to the colonization
scheme Among the opponents already on
record are Senator Pettus. OF Alabama;
Senator Tillman. OF South Carolina, and
Senator Money. OF Mississippi. The views
OF the opposition indicate that their dis
Ike arises from the cost Of such plan
70 the government or 20 the large number
OF ships II would require TO transport the
negroes These views were related 10 SEN
,ator Morgan today and he answered them
BY pointing out that his plan contemplated
no cost 10 the government and he believed
the negroes themselves would build ships
enough 20 accommodate the gradual emf
grafton. which he believed would soon
begin
As a matter OF fact, the criticism Of the
plan is somewhat belated- The COLOMBIA
ton scheme is already well under way. It
Is believed Senator Morgan got IL started
in a small way over year ago. He wrote,
az that time, letters TO the war department
asking that the negro regiments serving
IN the United States army In the Philip
pine islands be discharged over there. with
communication ratfons issued to them so
that they might stay there or come home
as they pleased. This was done. IL Is said.
with number OF negro companies. and
many OF the negroes stayed in the Phil
ippine islands. II is a fact. therefore. that
American negroes are now in the islands.
and IL Is believed that one of the missions
7 Thomas Fortune Is expected to per
form is an investigation Of these colonists
!, and q report to the war department on
their progress and general condition. It
I'LL
be devised BY the war department by
which the colonists' wives and families
will be sent over 20 them
Senator Morgan Is not worried by the
comments OF his critics. he says he Is
confident the emigration Of the negro TO
the Philippine islands is bound to come
because the situation demands IL. There
are two powers. he says. which urge the
negro to take the step. One is the at
traction offered in the shape Of home
IN the Philippines under the American
flag and the other is the pressure which
IS being brought 70 bear on him at home
70 force him to seek other habitations. He
has lost his vote in many OF the. south
ern states and Is generally distked be-
cause he is increasing. in such numbers
that every community in this country
where. he abounds looks upon him with
fear and as an element of danger, socially
and politically. The negro population.
Senator Morgan points out, is increasing
more rapidly in this country, according to
the census. than the white population. In
Philadelphia, for instance. the negro pop
rlation viii double itself in a year Bunch
frr these observa tfons Senator Morgan
aays emigration IS absolutely necessary
for the overlooking negro population and
the Philippine islands afford the logical
mecca Senator Morgan Is so confident
that the emigration OF the negro Is al
ready impending that he win postpone at
fempts al legislation on the subject.
Says Journal Started IT,
The discussion started by the publica-
ton Of the colonization plan IN The Jour-
raj IS all that Is necessary TO start the
whole matter going" he said 70 me today.
.sThe vigOr with which Il Is being dis
cussed is sufficient TO show the deep in
terest everybody feels in the subject II
viii work out itself without any legisla-
tion now. Il Is already started and IL VIII
80 on
Il have no ambition 70 pose as the
leader OF the movement. merely wanted
70 get the idea cut and Il Is oud Legis-
Iati0n would facilitate the movement. Of
course We ought 20 pass a bill through
congress Incorporating the negro trans
portaton companies and let the negroes
orranize the companies and build their
ships. We ought 10 offer them land in the
large and fertile islands. where they viii
be welcomed by the natives because ne
grOes are already over there and they
are used 10 them. This IS all that would
be necessary. I don't want TO push the
LEGISLATION until the southern people feel
that they can get along without the ne
gro's labor The emigration win be grad
ual. though. and by the time Il sets IN
good the south viii see that II can get
along just as well White people VIII
come In as the negro moves out"
n ~ IN Zen
eral Davis WHO was then in the islands,
asking for an opinion on the colonization
scheme and General Davis replied that
the negro would not get along there be
cause he would have no one over him 70
make him work To this Senator Morgan
replied that the negro needed no one 70
make aim work on his own interest.
Booker Washington has not been con-
suited Fby the Alabama senator on the
colonization plan, nor viii he be consult
ed. The senator says Booker has his own
ideas about the negro and he does not
care 70 discuss other ideas with him.
The opponents Of the Philippine coloniz-
alton plan are not mincing words when
they crfticise Senator Norgan's idea
TiIIman Knocks Scheme.
Senator TiIiman says:
None Of these plans VIII ever succeed,
that is from the humanitarian point OF
view. and the American people viii insist
upon that being taken under considsra.
ton Now. say that the negroes are taker
10 the Philippines. There win be the cost
Of transportation TO the Pacific ocean
OF the ocean voyage. OF the preparation
Of some temporary habitation until they
are able TO provide for themselves, and
feeding them until they raise, harvest and
market their first crop.
IF this e all the government intends
10 do for them. why the item OF expenss
would be something enormous. II would
be necessary 20 tax the people to tbs
point OF oppression No. sir; all sucl
plans are chimerical dreams OF the wild
est character.
ats too much like the forty-acre and
mule scheme that was suggested at tn
close Of the war. Most Of the plans an
suggested. / believe. as the result o.
speeches by negroes who have acquires
some education and the gift OF CAB. lik'
Thomas Fortune. for instance. a blow
hard who goes around lecturing in
high-falutin way Why he has even made
talks advising the negroes to arm ant
assert themselves"
tuAATER ARrAEr