The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1903-06-07
THE N0RTH'S NEGRO PROBLEM
SOUTHERN VIEW or CERTAIN
RECENT OCCURRENCES.
Indiana Way Of Avengtns Grimes Against
white NOmrn-The Same Matter IN
Ohio-C onditiOns in the sOuth That
Cause People 10 Resort TO Lynch Law.

Ohio--C onditions In the Houth That
Cause People 10 Resort to Lynch Law.
MACON, Ga, June 8.-The agitation OF
the negro question in the North Ia watched
with much interest and not wholly without
amusement by the people in the Southern
States.
or course, such dcmonst ratione of whole
sale hatred Of negroes in general and threats
of something like a war Of negro exterm-
nation as have come to the front recently IN
Dearborn county, Ind, are greatly deploreo
by all respectable people in the sou,h'
To be sure Southern people, unfortunately
are in a position to appreciate the fury
provoked necessarily by the unspeaksble
negro crime which aroused the citizens OF
Indiana to such blind rage. Yet, even with
all due allowance for that wrath. 1t is con-
trary to Southern practica and Southern
principles to visit upon an entire negro
community the punishment due to one
individual,
Chasing away all the negroes OF neigh
borhood, as has been threatened in the
Indiana county mentioned, lust because
one particular negro committed shocking
crime, is not regarded here as in any way
defensble. 1t is looked upon as another
OF the frequent manifestations OF utter
intolerance Of the negro which invariably
breaks out in communities OF Northern
people whether they be in the North or the
South, whenever the negro problem in any
OF it's worst aspects is suddenly brought
home to them.
Out of the New South there has grown
the new negro, and with the new negro
has come a new negro crime the crime
against white women which with a certain
type Of negroes has become a sort OF obses-
sion and which before the days of recon-
struction, to say nothing Of the days before
the civil war, was unknown in the Southern
States. Northern clergyman few
weeks ago denied that that crime exists
among the negroes OF the South.
Il WISH" said Northern man, who is
Republican, who served in the Union Army
all through the war and who now lives in
Louisiana, Il WISH" said he, that that
Northern preacher would come down here
with his family and live for a while. He
would change his mind.
Il lived for time in the country. The
post Office was two miles away. When l
went to get my mail / almost invariably
took nv wife with me, and when by any
chance I could not, closed every window
and shutter in my house, locked and bo!ted
her in the upper rooms and locked and bolted
every door.
Even then I never came back to my
house without fear and trembling. /
would not again 60 through such months
OF dread as went through then for all the
wealth OF the country.
Il live Ave miles out in the country,
said Hooper Alexander. one OF the leaders
of the Atlanta bar, land within short dis
lance OF my home two white girls, mere
babies, have been murdered by negro
ravshers. There is a grove a little way
back OF my house and ! would no more let
nv little child enter it alone than / would
let her enter jungle filed with tigers"
In view Of the record in this form Of CRIME
made by the new negro in the South, 1t is
not to be wondered at that Southern people.
many Of whom have been driven to abandon
their country homes by sheer dread OF
these rowing wild beasts, are indignant
when such a man as the Northern clergy
man in question. speaking out OF the ful-
ness Of his ignorance, makes the assertion
that the crime referred to does not exist
among the negroes OF the South.
disheartening facts which those who feel
most kindly toward the negro have to en-
counter is a proposition which no man,
unless one whose ignorance OF the subject
was strongly involved and intricate would
ever for moment think OF disputing
As long as negroes perpet rate this crime
lust so long will negroes by lynched. They
are lynched for it in Ohio and other North
ern States where the excuse or an over
whelming, semi -barbarous negro popula-
ton does not exist In certain parts or the
South where white people live al wide dis,
| tances apart and where they are surrounded
on all sides by a dense negro population,
conditions have come to pass, with the
evolution Of the new negro. which. in way.
are analogous to frontier conditions where
stray settlers were surrounded by Indians.
Methods in both cases are resorted TO
which are beyond the pale Of the orderly
proceedings Of the law While those con-
ditions exist and while the negroes persist
to blind fury Of wrath, and until there
| il a radical change in the whole compost
| ton Of human nature. lynchngs, so far as
! man can see are inevitable and beyond
repression. =;
sition TO understand the feelings Of the
| citizens OF Indiana. They can understand
and condone the hendlong wrath which
moved them to hunt for the negro who
committed the characteristic negro crime
to hunt for him for the purpose OF hanging
! him whenever and wherever he chanced
| to be caught, .
In the came way Southern men are able
to understand why crowds Of influential
citizens of the vicinity OF 81, Clairg vile,
Ohio, few days ago tried to find and lynch
two negroes who attacked a white woman
there. Yet. with all that. the spirit which
leads the Indianans to wreak their ven
geanca upon an entire negro population
is greatly deplored.
This il form OF negro agitation in the
North that Ia regretted here. Already
negroes in the South are suffering from
this same sweeping Northern intolerance
wherever in Southern States there are
enough residents from the North to have
| weight in the community.
Az for some Of the other forms which the
negro agitation in the North is taking
| the debate, for instance, prccipitated re-
| Gently by the Rev. Dr. Parkhurst, az 10
whether the proper designation OF colored
person lie "nigger" or negro: the ambi-
! ton expressed few days ago by another
well-known preacher to off'ciate as cham,
| bermai -in-waiting 10 a distinguished
Ethiopian--all these and similar ramica- :
tions OF the debate are afording little
| innocent amusement in connection with
| subject which. for Southern people. un-
happily is, in it's general aspects, only too
| grave and sombre.
| Mechanics Liens.