The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1903-09-06
TIMELY advice TO HIS RACE

In this day when many men of both
races lose their judgment when they dis
cuss the race question, it is pleasant to
find a Southern colored man who gives
of them who are honestly seeking to
lead their race into paths of usefulness
and virtue. They deserve and they en-
joy the confidence and assistance of all
good men. Such man is Prof. John w.
Byrd, principal of the Smithfield Pre-
paratory School In the last issue of the
Southern Weekly he writes a long article
containing Timely Advice to Colored
People North and South
Prof. Byrd begins his article by regret
ting the british and inhuman crime of
rape, which he says is "deplored by the
good, thoughtful and intelligent people of
both races" He points out that ''the
prime cause of these heinous crimes are:
LIST, ignorance; End, improper training;
3rd, too much freedom" From his long
letter these extracts are made:
Freedom to many negroes means moth
ing but loafing; they think of nothing
that adds beauty, attraction and promin-
ence to the race. 1t does not mean sit
down and rest, but it means an opportu-
nifty to work for yourself, to accumulate
something, to get something, to have
something and to control something; if
it is nothing but to properly control your
SELF
Until the negro conceives firmly in his
mind this important truth that freedom
does not mean license to grow worse and
commit crime, to debase and demoralze
himself, to debauch and keep himself in
filth and dirt and in the ditch of degra-
dation; and to loaf, to run from county
to county and from State to State, the
prospects for negro thrift, material prom
inence and race distinction will never be
any brighter than they are today.
when he learns the lesson of self-re-
spect, of decency and all that go to make
him an agreeable citizen, stop committing
assaults upon and outraging helpless
girls and women, lynchings and mob law
will cease in the South, and it will be as
good home for the negro, yes, the best,
he can find anywhere.
ION the account of race conflict in the
South, the constitutional amendment and
lynchings, Northern negroes occasionally
hold indignation meetings, make hot and
lnflammatory speeches and hurl firebrands
into the camp of the white people of the
South and say they are going to take all
the negroes North We think this all
foolish and full of insignificance. These
meetings and speeches from these hot
headed fellows accomplish no good for the
negro in the South. They are just heap
ing fuel which may kindle into a flame
are now going on in both North and
South. The culprit commits his crime. is
sentenced from Judge Lynch's Court and
dealt with after the manner of the SEN
tence.> And our so-called leading men, we
presume, are holding indignation meetings
IN the North, denouncing the methods of
execution and heaping vituperation upon
the heads of the executionists. Don't un-
derstand us to favor lynching nor to speak
IN It's favor; far from it. But we do
say, as you censure the actors in the
tragedy, you should censure in your in.
dignation meetings the brute who caused
the tragedy No; we don't believe in
! lynch law, neither do we believe in com
hitting the crimes that render such an
unrighteous method of punishment nos.