The Indianapolis journal., 1903-09-27

The article begins by quoting from a re-
cent address by Booker T. Washington
to the effect that one of the most pressing
problems of the times is that Of employ
ment for colored people. especially in
Northern cities" Mr.. Washington did not
mention Chesterton, but the editor of the
Tribune gives his remark local applica-
ton and says:
The question has arisen, ''Shall the North
absorb the negro of the South and attempt
to digest him?' The question is up for
settlement. The negro is coming right
here to Porter county to be digested into
our lives IL we will let him
AS evidence that there is a plot to colonize
negroes in Porter county the editor states
that within the last two months two
strange negroes have visited Valparaiso
and as they had no ostensible business it
is believed they came to look the ground
over" 1t is mentioned a suspicious fact
that one of the strange negroes was we'll
dressed. The article continues:
The Tribune has been taking a poll of the
negro population of the county and finds
that the one taken a few weeks ago needs
revision to-day. great many people have
been curious to know the exact situation
here and we publish below the list of the
negroes living in Valparaiso, together with
their occupations and who employ them.
In this way it can be known who are
standing by the negro in the county:
i. Martin, no employment given.
William Henry Harris. mows lawns.
Charles Hopkins, runs restaurant
John Wilson, in Jail.
Mrs. Shaw, works for DR.. J. A. Ryan.
Mr.. Shaw, works for William Alpen,
barber husband of Mrs. Shawl
Mrs. Belle Carey, hair dresser.
Miles Effridge. cook. works for C. r.
Barnhart, Central House.
Will Shirk, porter, works for c. r. Barn
hart. Central House.
The editor leaves it to be inferred that all
Of these negroes except the one in jail are
agents of the plot to colonize the county.
He then proceeds to give a sketch of the
early history OF Porter county. of the char
acter of its people, its public schools, re-
sources. prosperity, etc. and says all these
advantages are due to the superiority of
the white race and that they will all be
endangered or lost if the county becomes
overrun with negroes. place the negro
| in numbers in Porter county," says the
| able editor. "and he will crowd our great
army of honest workers out of the field of
| common labor He will do this work in his
lazy. shiftless manner, and none but the
| very lowest whites would remain in the
| field once invaded by the negro"
The article concludes:
| The question to he decided now, and by
| the people of Porter county, is ''Will tie
| negro be permitted 70 locate here? lie is
rse up DoM snd ss m me ps
| I'm numbers. The only way TO stop him
| is for every man in The county to say, II
will not sell the negro single foot of Por-
! ter county soil; will not give a negro a
days work here; / will not rent him a
place to lay his head" That is all that
| needs be done. He will not stay
! But If you decide to have him come then
remember this: The negro that will come
| to Porter county will not be the intelligent
| honest worker you hear so much about.
| He will be the scum of the South. The
| kind that even the plantation owners don't
| want. The South wants all its good mig
| gers. and it will keep them. And when
| fear enters the home of every farmer in
| the county, and when property values go
| tumbling down. and when hundreds of your
! best citizens begin to move away from the
county, and the spirit of thrift deserts us,
| then you will begin to realize what an ap-
| palling price you have paid for the expert
| ment. .
| All this is very funny. and indicates that
the editor of the Tribune possesses more
imagination than he can find legitimate use
for. Perhaps the funniest feature OF the
| case is the report of the poll which the edi-
tor took of the negro population of the
county, showing the alarming number of
| nine-viz-. eight at large and one in Jail.
That his poll was fairly accurate is shown
by the last United States census report.
which gives the total negro population of
the county as eleven. Singularly enough,
the census OF 1890 reported precisely the
same number--eleven. showing that there
| was no increase of the negro population
during ten years. But stranger still, the
census report of 1850 reported thirty-three
negroes In the county. showing decrease
OF twenty-five from 1850 to 1900. In view
of these facts, 1t Is to be hoped the good
peoDle Of Porter county VIII not abandon