The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1903-08-20

the Races, tie Thinks-The Negroes
Themselves Their Own Worst Enc
mics Because They OIorify Crime
Education Does Not Lessen Crime.
News and Obse, ver
''The race question, said Congress
man Edward W. Pou, the other day
while in Raleigh, ''is fast becoming a
national issue. Within the past
month two lynchings have occurred
in the North equal, if not surprising
in horror, anything which has ever
taken place in the South.
"Iou talk about the settlement of
the race question. There can be but
one settlement which will be salts
| factory to both races, and that is
their complete and final separation.
How this can be accomplished is a
question too great for me. This
government still owns millions of
acres of good land and territory
might be provided for the exclusive
occupancy of the negro race, just as
certain territory is now set apart
for the exclusive occupancy of the
Indians.
"The negro has been in the South
so long that some of our people re-
gard him as an essential in the de-
velopment of our section. | believe
the race has become to be in the
South an element of poverty and not
OF wealth. In sections where negroes
live in large numbers lands are cheap.
| In sections where the white race does
its own works lands are high There
are less than forty negro voters in
Elevation township in my own
county. The township does not
touch a railroad and there is not a
village in it, and yet farm hands can
hardly be bought at any price. Dur
ing the ten years | was solicitor
there were not half a dozen criminal
eases from that township. During
that time think ninety per cent. of
the criminals tried in the courts of
my district were negroes, and when
you remember that it costs $50 per
hour to run a criminal court you
begin to comprehend what l mean
when | say the negro is an clement of
poverty and not of wealth.
''The negro is rapidly leaving the
farm anyway and migrating TO the
town, and every year becoming more
worthless as a farm hand. | feel
nothing but pity for the unfortunate
race, and | am considering their wei
fare as well as that of my own race
when l say that complete separation
is the only real solution of the race
question. The craftsmanship of the
country may we'll turn it's attention
to a most serious consideration of
this question. Just think of it! Last
Saturday two communities in our
State were shocked by the commits
sion of the nalneless crime upon de-
fenceless white women. Here in the
twentieth century in our Oldest COM
munities, yes, within the very shadow
of the capitol of the State, our wives
and daughters are just as fearful to
walk alone along the public highway
as they would be in the iungles of
Africa. Yes, more SO, for the lion
ard the tiger are less to be feared
than the brutal negro criminal.
Death soon ends the sufferiDgs of the
victims of the former OF course,
men will lynch these criminals as long
as the world stands where they com
nit this offense and are caught, but
lynching does not stop the commits
sion of the crime. | may be mistaken
but it appears to be on the increase.
Nearly every newspaper contains an
account OF new crime. Five millions
of dollars spent in this State on
negro education has not made the
crime less frequent. Burning and
torture do not deter. 1t only de-
grades our own race and fills the
old world with wonder and amaze
ment. SO far the attempt to educate
the negro has been failure
The negro race can do much to
improve conditions. Their are thous-
4 eauds of faithful, law-abding negro
citizens, but they are at fault in this.
When ! was solicitor and a white
man who had stolen something and
escaped Imprisonment on account OF
some technicality, walked out of the
court room, he usually went alone
and only received frOwns and looks
OF contempt from those of his own
race. But when n negro thief was
smart enough to evade the law the
reception accorded him by his race
and their eXclamatiOns of delight
were sometimes SO great as to almost
stop the business of the court. II he
was convicted they crowded around
him hid ht,., 1- ,ffn.t m .rnnp
bye when he left for the penitentiary,
and when he returned he was receiv-
ed like hero. Law-abiding negroes
should absolutely ostracise the negro
criminal. He ought not to be allow
ed TO enter the home of the decent
negro, any more than the white thief
is allowed to enter the home Of the
respectable white man.
"For one ! deeply deplore this in
crease in crime The better class of
negroes are so kind and gentle in
their natures, so helpful and so use
ful, it would be better for the South
ii this class could remain with us and
thereby protect our section against
the influx OF the foreigner. But one
thing is certain, present cof,sitions
will not be permitted to endure al
ways"
/ The Charlotte Observer in com
menting on above article says:
!. Representative Pou, OF the fourth
. district, says in a newspaper inter
view that negro education has been
a failure, that the negro criminals are
increasing in number, that the name
; less crime is more frequent now than
, ever before, and that he sees no rem.
. edy except in the absolute separation
Df tho ssuou fl;c oon ha