The Birmingham age-herald., 1903-07-26

l be so thoroughly in harmony with his white neighbors and establish the char acter for honesty and friendliness among them, so that, they will at all times be willing to stand sponsor for his reetitude.
 Negro Criminals.
 T think there is another and brighter side to the subject of criminality among negroes The criminal element in the ne- gro race is not so large as many biased and uniformed people claim. Since the war three millions of negroes out Of the seven millions have learned to read and write. The whole number of negro crlm- inals in the United States is only twenty four thousand, and about eleven thousand of these can read or write. How remark able In the three million who can raad and write, there are only eleven tasu- sand criminals. In the South. we have more than twenty millions of people, end if you will take time to inform yourself, you will find that not exceeding one in ten thousand clash, The other ninety nino thousand, nine hundred and ninety-nine rub against one another in all the walks of life, pursuing their work of mutual usefulness and good in peace and happi- ness. The mistake is that bad men take this one sinner in every ten thousand and hold him up as an example and never see the nine thousand, nine hundred and nlnety-nine industrious, law abiding God fearing men, who are forcing their way into recognition in spite of misrepresenta- tion
 There is good negro element, and this element should be studied If men go around looking for bad negroes they will find them; If they look for good ne- groes, they will find them. It depends upon what man wants to see. It is fn taIr ment in the race as representing the whole race. What honorable man would thing of judging the French peo- pie, the British nation the Italian na- ton, or the German by the small crlm- inal element among those people, or judge the virtue and honor of the Amer ican people by defaulting bankers, ab- sconding state treasurers. Now these people are judged by their possible at tainments in truth and honor, as repre- sented by their highest class. The negro asks this and nothing more.
 The Negro Brute.
 The negro brute, for whose atrocious crimes every honest negro hangs his head in shame, and whose punishment is never too severe, is not the product of the negro. He is not found in our homes, our schools. our churches, and none of
 
 reach him. Our black arms are too short. The long Anglo-saxon arms only can reach him. We make no laws, we ccnstrue no laws, and we execute no laws. No board of aldermen, no judge or jury would establish saloons on the recommendation of negroes. This negro brute is product of the white mans gambling hells, low dives, and saloons, where he Is dehumanized, brutalized and licensed to go through the land a de- mented brute. to commit outrage upon fair women. Give us a wisely construct ed, impartially administered vagrant law, with a mounted constabulary, and in five years every one of these Goddess creatures will be driven from the land at less cost in dollars and shame, than the cost of mobs in one week.
 Mission of the Negro Race.
 T thank God my people are kind and obedient They give the best to the white man and to every other man who seek shelter in their humble cabins, or wherever they meet them. My race Is not a bloody race and if 1t remains true to Its own nature, It will teach the races of the world, that only spiritual forces conquer. This Is a high mission. Let others be superior to us in the slaughter of human beings, but let no race be su- perior to ours in the service and salva- ton of the human family. Guns and swords conquer nothing. Can a shot gun restore lost virtue? Can a sword wipe out stains upon character? I want my race to endure In patience, work hard, and triumph by the sword of the spirit, which Is the only true conquest Carry the pick-ax in one hand and the olive branch of peace in the other hand and they will solve all problems in a way that will reflect glory and honor upon us when we stand before the judg- ment bar of the future intelligence of mankind"