The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1903-08-07
THE RACE QUESTION
A NATIONAL ISSUE
The Negro an EIementof Pow
erty to the South.
VIEWS Of HON. {. w. POU
Must be Complete AID Final Separation Of the
Races The Negro Race Itself its Own
Enemy Bec'use it Glorifss
Crime.

"The race question:" said Congressman
Edward w. Pod, the other day while in
Raleigh, "is fast becoming national ls-
sue Within the past month two lynch
ings have occurred in the North equal, if
not surprising in horror Gnything which
has ever taken place in the South.
you talk about the settlement of the
race question. There can be but one set
tlement which viii be satisfactory to both
races, and that is their complete and final
separation. How this can be accomplish
ed is a question too great for me- This
government still owns millions OF acres OF
good land and a territory might be pro-
vided for the exclusive occupancy of the
negro race just as certain territory is now
set apart for the exclusive occupancy OF
the Indians.
"The negro has been in the South 80
long that some of our people regard him
as an essential in the development of our
section. | believe the race has become 20
be in the South an element of poverty and
not of wealth. In sections where negroes
live ini large numbers lands are cheap. In
sections where the white race does its
than forty negro voters in Elevation town
ship in my own county. The township
does not touch a railroad and there is not
a village in it, and yet farm lands can
hardly be bought at any price During
the ten years l was Solicitor there were
not half dozen criminal cases from
that township. During that time ] think
ninety per cent of the criminals tried IN
the courts of my district were negroes.
and when you remember that il costs $50
per hour to run criminal court you be-
gin to comprehend what / mean when |
say the negro is an element OF poverty and
not of wealth."
''The negro is rapidly leaving the farm
anyway and migrating to the town, and
every year becoming more worthless as a
! farm hand ! feel nothing but pity for the
unfortunate race, and l am considering
his welfare as well as that of my own race
when l say that complete separation is
the only real solution OF the race ques-
ton. The craftsmanship of the country
may well turn its attention to most
serious consideration of this question. Just
think of it, Last Saturday two communi-
ties in our State were shocked by the
commission of the nameless crime upon de-
fenseless white women. Here in the twen-
tieth century in our Oldest communities
yes, within the very shadow OF the capital
of the State, our wives and daughters are
just as fearful to walk alone along tie
public highways as they would be in the
! jungles of Africa. Yes more SO, for the
lion and the tiger are less to be feared
than the drunken negro criminal. Death
soon ends the suffering of the victims Of
the former. Of course men will lynch thes.
criminals as long as the world stands
where they commit this offense and are
caught, but lynching does not stop the
commission of the crime. l may be mis-
taken, but it appears to be on the in
crease. Nearly every newspaper contains
an account of new crime. Five millions
of dollars spent in this State on negro
education has not made the crime less
frequent. Burning and torture do not de-
ter. 1t only degrades our own race and
fills the old world with wonder and amaze
ment. So far the attempt to educate the
negro has been a failure.
"The negro race can do much to inl-
prove conditions. There are thousands of
faithful, law-abding negro citizens, but
they are at fault in this. When / was So
ictor and white man who had stolen
something and escaped Imprisonment on
| account OF some IecHnlcdHby, Wdlhcu Oub
of the court room, he usually went alone
and only received frowns and looks Of
contempt from those of his own race. But
when a negro thief was smart enough TO
evade the law the reception accorded him
| by his race and their exclamations of de-
! light We're sometimes so great as to al
most stop the business of the court. If
he was convicted they crowded around him
to bid him an affectionate goodbye when
he left for the renitentiary, and when
he returned he was received like hero.
Baw-abiding negroes should absolutely Or
tracise the negro criminal. He ought not
to be allowed to enter the home of the
decent negro, any more than the white
| thief is allowed to enter the home of tie
respectable white man.
For one l deeply deplore this increase
in crime The better class of negroes IRE
50 kindly and gentle in their natures. SO
helpful and so useful, it would be better
for the South if this class could remain
with us and thereby protect our section
against the influx of the foreigner. But
one thing is certain, present conditions will
not be permitted to endure always"
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