Missouri Valley times. [volume] (Missouri Valley, Iowa) 1874-1931, 1903-09-03
WATERLOO WOULD
Be A WHITE TOWN
Negro Population is Not En-
couraged in Iowa Town
on the Cedar.
IoLoRED POPLE WARNED
Given to Understand That Their Room
Would Be Preferable to the Show
ing They Would Make in the
Census Reports.

Waterloo, Ia. Sept. 2.-An CAN
White city" i. the motto adopted for
Waterloo, and the citizens are bend
motto is lived up to-
This means not only that negroes are
no: wanted as residents, but that they
Wil not be tolerated here. The reform
began but u few weeks ago. but so
sigorously has it been carried forward
that TODAY one can search the city over
and IN all it's borders he will not be able
to find a man. woman or child with Il
black skin Those who We're here, num-
boring i dozen families or so. We're
quietly notified that their presence was
no longer desired. No violence was re-
sorted To and none was threatened but
the colored people knew what the
warning meant and in less than week
after the cdict had gone forth there was
an exodus Of the black folks. which has
been continued until they have all de-
parted
Growth of Negro Population.
Waterloo has never afforded shelter
for many OF the colcred race. Up to
two wears ago not more than two or
thlec families made their homes here,
but during the past year friends of
these negroes have been attracted to
the city and these In turn induced their
fliort!s to come. Teh result was u set
tiaAiant of the co!ored people.
Conservative citizens do not approve
Of negro influence ON n community be-
came alarmed at the increase In popu-
latian represented by the negroes, but
no positive move was made to rid the
city OF them.
The matter was recently brought to
d Climax. however, when two negro
bass BAN teams were brought to the
city Waterloo has baseball nine of
white PLAYERS aud in order to attract
players worthy To contest the sport
ith them, the negroes. who had proven
ts.e; jpt'"We.ss ut other places, were IN
liied for Il series of games.
Baseball Started the Trub!e.o
Then the trouble began. These dusky
players because they We're associated
-iti, white nien I'm the sport. assumed
"a aii Of equality with their compet-
ass They were really good players,
ID their work on the diamond made
zen heroes in tho eyes of many sus-
4 eftbie people especially young white
IRIS They were not slow to take what
}
~ parents of several of the girls were
lelicaly aroused To the condition of
ffairs.
No open action was taken then. and
10 demonstration was made against
II pla yers, but after the coored ball
saas had Departed it soon became UNI
ierstood that a second invitation for
iem to visit Waterloo would be re-
enteA.
,ri,e,he Started
The matter took on such a serious.
| nm that one of the daily papers of
ne city began n crusade against the
egro and freely advised those In the
lity that their presence would not be
longer tolerated, that Waterloo was to
h. Il white mans town, and that a
uiet departure would save the adop-
lion of harsh measures for their re-
|iaoMal In speaking of the matter. n
Meli known and prominent citizen said:
I'VE are in earnest. We do not In
tend To persccute the negro, but they
arc given 10 understand they arc not
wanted here. That is all there is To
1T. We believe the city will prosper
more and its people Will be better off
without them. Up to recent months
our colored peopl. being few. have been
S desirable Il class of citizens as peo-
ne of this race can we'll be- but if their
increase in the makeup Of the popu-
satiol of the city is allowed to con-
linie in the proportion seen at Des
Moines and Marshalltown. IT would
certainly be a detriment to the city.
With the better class of negroes would
come the laWless type, and there Is no
md of trouble where the negroes and
whites mix. For these reasons Water.
loo doesn't want them"