Akron daily Democrat. [volume] (Akron, Ohio) 1892-1902, 1902-10-04
NEVER
More Serious Than
Now.
The Race Problem Must
be Met.
Thousands Of Southern Negroes
Drifting North.

Possibly one of the best Informed
men of America on the subject OF
racial conditions In this country Ia
now in Akron in the person of Prof.
y W. Mitchell, the founder and lead
ing spirit of the Loyal Legion OF La
bor movement.
Prof. Mitchell has devoted several
wears TO an earnest study of racial
conditions North and South together
with the causes giving rise to them.
He was seen by Democrat report
er and asked to make statement on
the subject for publigtion. Among
other things Mr.. Mitchell said:
THE condition of affairs between
the races Is more serious today than
at any time since the advent or the
negro into this country as slave.
The question of the negro's future
and destiny as slave pales into in
significance compared with the ques-
ton of his future and destiny as
freeman and an American citizen.
I'm the face of the fact that schools,
colleges and churches have been freely
supported for his benefit for the past
% years, we find him now 3S years
after emancipation being stripped or
his rights, mobbed, lynched and burn
ed at the stake at an alarming rate,
and denied absolutely representation
in the highest law making bodies OF
the nation and in many ways ostra-
cised and excluded from the enjoy
ment of ordinary privileges. We are
forced to acknowledge that something
is woefully wrong. And that the
cause of all our racial ills is not under
stood by the American people is evil
denced by the fact that they persist in
dealing with effects instead of the
cause in their effort to remedy them.
"There is a cause for every evil ef-
feet now apparent in racial life, and
to this cause the negro has contributed
as literally as has any one else Like
causes would produces like effects
with any people under the sun and
/ am convinced that the trouble be-
tween the races today is not the re-
suit of mere color prejudice as is gen.
orally thought.
in this country today there exists
condition on the part of class of
colored people that could not possibly
have existed under the former system
of slavery We have been taught to
look upon slavery as having been one
great gigantic horror--the midnight
of races experience. But to my
satisfaction l am convinced that the
institution of slavery itself possessed
virtues as well as horrors to which
is due more considerable than the
Northern people have been willing to
give. l wish to point out one or two.
In the days of slavery the masses of
the colored people lived in the rural
districts on the farms and plantations.
as a rule they had to get passes from
their masters before they were allow
ed to leave their premises and they
were forced to return at given time.
In this they were prevented from hang
ing around saloons, gambling dens and
places of low resort from week to
week absorbing the evil influences
common to such places. Neither were
they allowed to crowd into contested
centers of population, leaving the
plantations as honest field hands and
becoming worthless hangers-on around
street corners. Upon the removal of
the institution of slavery these re-
straining influences We're removed at
the same time from around the ignor.
ant element of the colored race and
by thousands they were allowed to
leave the fields and flock into the cities
where saloons and questionable
places sprang up by thousands to ac-
commodate them in every form OF
vice and crime. The higher avenues
being closed against them it is but
natural that they would seek the low
er walks. have gone into these vile
dens at all hours of the night and
found former respectable slaves free
ly enjoying the boons of liberty to live
and do as their debased natures might
dictate. In this wholesale licensing
of these weak and ignorant people to
do as they pleased without surround.
ing them with coercion and restraining
influences that would properly guide
them to higher planes in life-in the
face of the fact that their former
training had left them absolutely de-
pendent upon some one to guide them
and point out each step of the way for
them-was a national blunder of the
greatest magnitude AS result to-
day there are fully five hundred thous-
and negroes of the South who have
become so deprayed that they have not
slept in a bed we dare say, for five
years. Their places of rendezvous are