The Savannah morning news., 1903-09-29
A VAIN SCHEME.

Bishop Turner is one of the leading
thinkers of his race and makes good
argument in defense of whatever posi-
ton he assumes. That he has the best
interests of his people at heart can
not be doubted in the face of his many |
years of sincere labor among them. for
their material and moral upbunding
Yet after reading his latest speech,
we remain of the conviction that
the Bishops emigration scheme for
the settlement of the race question is
impracticahle. In time to come it Is
possible that the scheme may be feast 4
BILE, but that time is not yet in sight,
and it may not be within the current
century. Incidentally it should be
mentioned that this segregation solu-
ton of the race problem has been
preached for a number of years by
Bishop Turner Whether or not it
originated with him we do not know,
but we do know that he had been adj
vocating the project for a long time
before the idea was taken up by some
of the politicians and publicists who
are now writing and lecturing so elo-
| quently upon 1t.
In the course of an address delivered
/ in Atlanta Sunday evening, which we
printed yesterday, Bishop Turner de-
clared his belief that 100000 negroes
1 of the United States would leave this
country and return to the homes of
their ancestors in Africa, if they were
| provided with the means of direct
| transportation at reasona BILE cost. That
would take practically half of the col
ored population out of the country.
| If there are that many negroes here
who desire to emigrate, why do they
not provide the transportation them
selves? Why do they wait for some
body else to provide it?
The negroes are not a propertyless
race. Government and state statistics
show that they have progressed in
wealth in a most gratifying manner
during the past ten or a dozen years
And 100000 of them could quickly
raise the money to build ships to take
them to Africa if they really wished
to go. While the government cannot
order their deportation it cannot hold
them in the country against their will
They are free to go If they want to-
Why is 1t these 4.OeA9o0 negroes do
not raise a fund of twenty-five
cents per capita and establish a mil
lion-dollar line to Africa? Is it not be-
cause they lack the continuity of pur-
pose. the constructive faculty, to en-
able them TO accomplish the feat? And
If, through this failing they cannot
build a steamship line, how is 1t to be
expected that they would be able to
organize and operate free govern
ment?
The Pilgrim Fathers, to whom the
Bishop referred did not wait for the
English government to establish a sub
sidized line of ships to take them to
the new world: they hustled for them
| selves and came over in craft of their
own providing. They were of a ma
ton building race, which. as we said
some weeks ago, the blacks are not.
II was because of this racial differ
ence that the Pilgrim Fathers emf
grated to escape oppression, whereas
the blacks remain. and win continue
for years 10 remain, under what they
claim TO be oppression. But are they
oppressed. rather than repressed, In
the better meaning OF the latter term?
We do not think the history OF the
world viii show a race that enjoyed
81 many rights and privileges 50 short
~ after emerging from the darkness
Of savagery into the light Of civillza-
ton as the negro race Is enjoying n
the United states.
Segregation would settle the race