The Savannah morning news., 1903-09-15
TOO Much TALK OF THE NEGRO.

TOO MUCH TALK OF THE NEGRO.
Richard H. Edmonds of the Manu-
facturers' Record answers John Tenn
pie Graves statement that the negro
halts the South's progress by pointing
to the amazing progress which the
South has made within the last ten
years. He takes the position that
there is too much agitation of the ne
gro question for the South's good. In
his opinion the Chicago address of Mr..
Graves, in which the foregoing state
ment about the negro hating the
South's progress was made will be
used extensively by Western railroad
agents to prevent white people from
seeking homes in the South.
There is probably much truth in
what Mr., Edmonds says. Mr.. Graves
was trying to show that there ought
to be a separation of the races, that
the negroes ought to be induced to
migrate TO Africa or the Philippines.
Only a day or two after Mr.. Graves
delivered his address Senator Hoar of
sachusetts made the statement that
groes in this country was an imprac-
ticable one, that the negro was here
to stay and that the wise thing to do
was to try and solve the race problem
with the understanding that the ne
gro is to remain where he is. 1t
seems to US that Senator Hoar is
right. The negro has no intention of
leaving and to deport him is out of
the question.
There is no doubt that the continual
agitation of the negro question does
have the effect of keeping home seek
ers and investors away from the
South. They get the idea from what
they see in the public prints that the
entire laboring population of the
South is composed of negroes. OF
course such isn't the fact
And it doesn't seem as if the agita-
zion is accomplishing anything to-
wards solving the race problem. Per-
haps the solution would come quicker
if wouldbe settlers were not alarmed
by what they see in the public prints.
1t is a fact that there is a very large
foreign element in Texas 1t is found
on the farms. And it is steadily in
creasing. If we are rightly informed
the negro population is not able to
compete with it because it is more
thrifty.
We have no doubt if white foreign
immigrants were to come to this state
with the view of making farms out of
the cheap lands they would soon be
followed by others of their national
ity, and in the course of few years
they would not only be prosperous, but
there would be few if any negroes in
their vicinity. That is what has hap
pened in Texas.
But if this agitation of the negro
question is kept continually before the
public it will be long time before
white European immigrants will seek
this section of the South. AS Mr.. Ed
monds says, the agents Of the Western
railroads seize upon such addresses as
that of Mr.. Graves and scatter them
among immigrants that arrive at our
ports, and send them for distribution
to the countries from which immi-
grants come.
And does not this continual agita-
ton of the negro question create dis
satisfaction among the white native
population of the South? That is a
question that is well worth thinking
about. If it were possible to see good
results from it there would be no
ground for questioning the advisable
ity of it, but as vet the good results
have not been apparent.