Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1903-04-09
THE RACE PROBLEM
Is Viewed According to Latitude
Of Observations.


Of Observations.
WASHINGTON Is NEGROES PARADISE
In National Capital One colored Per-
son is Seen to Every Two White
PeopIe-cierk Michaels Says Dewey
Incident is Closed.
Washington, d. c.. April g. - The
race problem" from Caucasian
standpoint is simplified in proportion
to the latitude of observations A resi-
dent of Michigan or Minnesota, for
example might have very different no
lions concerning colored people than
those entertained by jewellers in South
Carolina or Texas In the former case,
/ they are scarcely a factor in public
| life, in the latter they are almost omni,
| present, and SO numerous that under
wise and aggressive leadership, they
could easily push their way to recog
milton as dominant force in many
communities. Your correspondent has
| in mind an Iowa town of 5000 inhabi-
| tants, in which three colored people
| find a home-one in a thousand. They
are modest, retiring family, well re-
| ceived and we'll accredited, socially
and musically, where they live. The
i great question concerning the color
| ed element in our national makeup,
which is agitating the country today,
/ perhaps as never before, does not even
stir rifle of comment in the provin-
cial town mentioned. Like the Indian
problem on the frontiers, years ago,
the interest faded when the dreaded
savage was successfully relegated to
reservations set apart for his perma-
nent home.
Washington is, in a sense, like the
paradise of the colored people, and
they appear to be making steady gains
in their proportion of the city's popu-
lation. At this time for every two
white persons met, one colored inhab-
liant is seen-a lively representation
to say the least. They are in no wise
clannish, and seem to repudiate the
idea of segregation that result in Dub.
Inns, "Spahgettis" and "Chinatowns'
!, in so many of our large cities. 1t suits
!, their notion to meet and mingle in ubi.
, quitous style with their Anglo-Saxon
neighbors, and it is more than comm on
to find on the most arstocratic streets
of this national capital, the humble cot
of the negro and family so near the pa
latial residence of the proudest de
l scendants of some 81. F. "" house
! hold that a breath of air could not cir
culate between. The darkey and his
2 flock like it, and the man of millions
2 can't help it. The former, without en-
Wy, enjoys being close neighbor TIC
luxury and holds on to his primal es
tate with good legal grip, while the
7 latter signs because he cannot repeat
81 the old tragedy of Naboth and his
vineyard. Whatever their philosophy
f may be, the blacks do not appreciate
r the fact that they are an ostracizet
S lot. They elbow their way through
l. street crowds and into public places
y and push into street cars with king
y ly freedom of movement that is en-
u joyed by the visitor and simply enduT
e ed by those whose lot is case in tn,
l colored groove as to environment
d In spite, however, of the genera
= mix-up of races In WASHINGTON, there
| is one realm where the line of separa
l ton is rigidly drawn. The publ,
e school system allows no interminglnl
< of whites and blacks along educationa
IS lines. And there is no shadow of ia
n voritism shown. There are more com
i mon school and high school building
" for whites than for blacks becaus
t. there are twice as many of them, bu
u the appearance and conveniences of tn
CT lc ic hof r01n
N teachers are generally secured for tn
" negro schools, and common justice dc
IN mands the statement that in scholar
ship and government they rank wit
their white co-laborers. The racial e,
ly clusiveness along this line is singular
IN asked an eighth grade white DO
IS what would happen if some mornin
lie a colored boy would come into hi
in study room and take seat, and h
We replied HE would be fired, too quick
n In answer to the query as to whethe
d. that would not be trife rough on tn
Id African, he said, why, no, for whit
re boy would be fired from colore
g. school just as quick; he couldn't sta
it, minute" Making inquiry of one {
he the public school supervisors as to til
" standing of the average high schot
tn colored pupil, he said they would ne
a probably come up to the standard {
lie the white high schools, but would nc
fall very far behind When it is r.
membered that the race is not yet ha
So a Gentry removed from the degrade
Is. lions of slavery, this official statemer
% counts for a good DEAL
,e. A strikingly peculiar about the negl
or is that he does not like to be dom
Mt mated by one of his own race, and CO.
yi- tractors who employ gangs of colore
Ter men soon catch on to this fact R
m Gently a three foot water main tW
miles in length was put in by the cit
under contract. The trench was mir
"a feet deep. tremendous job of di
ng
ill. cbould he tamptad to COW that bo w