The Savannah morning news., 1902-05-08
PHASES OF THE RACE QUESTION.

PHASES OF THE RACE QUESTION.
Gov. Davis of Arkansas will proba-
bly, reach the conclusion. when he
studies the matter carefully. that his
act in pardoning a negro, Thompson.
who had been convicted of an assault
with intent to kill. on condition that
he become a citizen of Massachusetts
within thirty days, was not in keeping
with the dignity and Importance of the
high Office which he holds. The
Governors act will not tend
to bring about a better under
standing between the people of
the South and those of New England
in regard to the negro, and it was not
intended to. 1t was intended to indi-
cate that the interference of the peo-
pie of Massachusetts with the race
question in the South was not appre-
ciated. The effect of It will be, in all
probability, TO provoke more irritating
interference from those who make it
their business to NEEDLE in the matter.
1t is we'll known of course that the
people of Massachusetts, have as much
antipathy to the negro as the people
of the South have. Representative
Gillette of that state said as much on
the floor of the House few weeks
ago. If there were as many negroes
in Massachusetts, as there are in Ar
kansas the race problem would be a
more troublesome one there than il is
in Arkansas. The people there would
not be nearly so tolerant of the short
comings of the negro as the people of
Arkansas are. But they like to NEEDLE
in other peoples affairs, and it is safe
statement that they will continue
to bother themselves about the negro
problem in the South as long as there
is such a problem.
1t is worthy of notice that those
Massachusetts people who are always
trying to correct what they consider
other peoples faults rather than look
ing after their own, have been passing
some pretty sharp resolutions in re-
gard to the statement that. Represen-
tative Gillette made on the floor of the
House. OF course they know the state
ment is true, but they don't want the
not one of them, however, that would
not protest against permitting a negro
to take up his residence in his imme-
date neighborhood. There isn't a city
in the country, in Massachusetts or
any other state, in which the
invasion of the white residence
section by negroes is not re-
scented by the whites. Not long
ago, in New York city. a negro pur-
chased a house in one of the best res
idence sections, and the white people
in that immediate section threatened
to change their residences If the negro
was not bought out or driven out In
commotion because negroes have be-
gun to invade the western end of
Druid Hill avenue, and there has been
a distinct depreciation in the price of
property there.
But the Northern people are not
quite so radical on the race question
as they were once. They are being
forced to take a more practical view
of it by the migration of negroes to
the NOIlI III our OlSDdICneS yeSJer-
day there was an account of a crime
committed at Connellsville, Pa, that
will have tendency to make the
Northern people feel that perhaps aft
er all the Southern people are kinder in
their treatment of the negro than they
would be under similar circumstances.
The crime was of the kind that is gen.
orally followed by lynching in the
South. 1t may be followed by
a lynching when the criminals are
caught. AS the negro population at
the North increases crime of that kind
will be more frequent there.
The sentiment in the North in re-
gard to the negro is quite different
now from what it was a quarter of a
century ago-so different that there is
little or no probability that the Crum-
packer or similar resolutions will ever
be passed by Congress.
| ---------S->S-s