Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1902-03-24

|stead of an increase of literacy since
war times there has been an increase
in the opposite direction. Directly af-
| ter the civil war the per cent of Tilt
eracy was, according to the Mr.. Laws
report 611s per cent Since then there
has been, according to the same report,
/ a steady increase until at present more
than 60 out of each 100 of the rural
negroes of southern Louisiana can
neither read or write. Wives and even
children are traded from one negro to
domestic animals are traded in farm
/ ing communities. There is no desire
or effort to accumulate property or
own their own homes They live in
Villages of huts similar to the Quart
ers" of slavery days. Their condition
morally and physically is no better I'M
der their new condition than previous
to their Acknowledgement. and is grow
| ing worse If Mr.. Laws report is to
|
government inspector demands, the
negro of the sugar districts of Louisi-
ana is rapidly relapsing into state of
more than semi barbarism.
1t would appear from this that we
are paying too much attention to the
natives of "Barrioboola Cha" and
II
heather within our own gates. IT, at
ter 800 years of association with the
white race the negro is to be found In
the condition noted by Mr.. Law, the
blame lies at the door of the superior
and dominant race, and there seems
more need of missionary work of the
true sort in Louisiana than in China
or Timbuctoo. These negroes have
what they term churches. They are
Baptists, Methodists or whatever de-
nomination they may fancy at one
time or another. They have been de-
nominationized What is now need
ed is an organized and effective effort
to Christianize and educate them. II
this comes, it must come from the
north. The political aspect of the
negro problem is sufficient to hold the
south aloof from any plan that has for
it's aim the elevation of the negro to
equality of any sort with a white man.
Whatever may be the outcome of such
an effort it should nevertheless be
made. Conditions such as Mr.. Law
describes are at once disgraceful and
of the southern. race question is bad
at it's best. 1t will not be made bet
ter by recrudescence of barbarism
among the negroes.
In concluding this report Mr.. Law
says: After what has been said it
will be seen in what terrible state
the plantation negroes are and what a
problem they present for this country
to deal with, for the conditions have
improved but little, IL any, since free
dom was given them. The light
hearted hopefluness or the absence of
care which so agreeably characterized
the race a couple of generations ago
seems to be disappearing. The strug-
gle for existence in the midst of eco
nomically competitive and socially an
tagonistic surroundings has had its
saddening- it's hardening
effct upon these people. The younger
generations are not on as good terms
with the whites as their elders, and
they know it and show it. Very few
of them appear capable of deep emo
ton; sorrow over the dead dies with
the sun; resentment passes with the
night; of gratitude and local attach
ment they know nothing. Yet they are
often faithful servants, and in advanc-
ing years seemingly much attached to
those whom they have served. This
may be from long habit and may be
more apparent than real. The young
children seem bright, but progress
ceases at an early age. They appear
to have little intellectual and little
moral capacity. Few ever care to ask
the real reasons for things. Supersti-
ton answers most questions to their
satisfaction Their notions of the
marriage relations are too vague to
have much influence on the conduct OF
either sex"