The Pascagoula democrat-star. (Pascagoula, Miss.) 1878-1920, 1902-01-10
NEGRO PROBLEM
IN AMERICA.

a. IN AMERlCA.
London Spectator,
We greatly honor President RoOse-
welt for asking Mr.. Booker Washing
ton, the negro philanthropist to din.
ner, and yet we wish it had not oc.
Cured to him to do it. He was, of
course, entirely within his right, both
as gentleman and as president in
giving the invitation, which seems to
have been unprecedented. and, in.
deed accidental, he wishing to CON.
tinue a conversation which the an
nOuncement of dinner broke off, The
President of the United States is the
agent of the people, not their slave;
and the claim Of the public" to in.
terfere in his private life. a claim,
which Of late years has been pushed
to preposterous lengths required
sharp rehuke. The public might as
well settle the dishes he should eat as
the guests whom he should receive
Mr.. Roosevelt, moreover. as having
been elected by events rather than by
any party, claims tn be in special
degree the representative Of the en-.
tire people; and the eight millions of
negroes in the United States count at
elections as well as on the census
rolls. He was entirely within his
right. whatever his motive; and II
his motive was to weaken predju.
dice by defying it, and he expected
the consequent outburst Of irritation
and was unmOved by the expectation
he did "A very noble act. 1t is quite
time that an American president en-
.deavored to lead the people instead of
always listening with his ear to the
ground to receive their whispered
commands Nevertheless, we wish
that the president had not been
moved to give the invitation, because
we do not believe that the recognition
of n non-existert equality between the
races is the way IT, kill out the white
prejudice against the black one.
There is no equality. AS they all
interbreed. it may be taken as certain
that in that far past. which 1t has
been the will of Providence to hide
so completely from US, that all the
families Of man sprang from one COM
mon stock; but it is equally certain
that they have developed uneQually,
and that the negro stands at the
present moment behind both the
white man and the brown. Individ-
uals are advanced TO a high level, but
the race. besides apparent deficiency
in accumulating power. retains In
Africa, in Haiti and in the Southern
States deep traces Of savagery es'
pecially as regards the relation of the
sexes, which it will need generations
to work out During the process the
hatred Of the white race for the black
when brought in to immediate con-
tact rather increases than diminishes
every step farther taken by the atte
deepening at once the Jealousy ant
dlstaste 10 the former, just as tht
squire Of high degree almost loves hi
grooms, hut has neither affection mol
respect for wealthy tradesme n
Emancipation which, as we hold wa
IA pure act Of justice, essential to an.
Christian civilization, the refusal o
wages being continuous r0bber.
killed the kindliness Of feeling instea,
Of developing IL in the superior breed
That colossal, though noble blundel
the concession of the vote made then
bitterlyEhpstile, So hostile that the
|often prevent It's use under penalty Il
death;a and the demand for socls
equality, which naturally supervene
on the vote drives them perfectl
frantic. They feel the demand as a
insult to each individual white mar
and when white women are concerne
this temper rises to a fury that ca
be assuaged only by blood. They pas
social rules stronger than any iwhic'
in the middle ages divided the caste
Of Europe; stronger, indeed, tha
those antique aud immovablc rules
which 10 India rail OF the caste
: trbm each other. The whites OF tn
Southern States not only gsfuse' :
lntermarry with the lblacks--whic
was once the test'l'ne between ,ps
trician and gutter blood--or 70 -
with them--wliich " the indian tee
lInc-but to live Ia the same liote
I with them, orgoin the same O.
With them, or even. which ~ remark
,|,sble, because IL II sdnLtteds 70 be
Alhrooeh Of religious teaoolo0 - T.