The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1903-04-19
THIRD SECTION.
NEGRO QUESTION BROADENED.
vrW PHASES BROUGHT ABOUT
ny PROGRESS IN THE SOUTH.

m. Industrial Development Of the Region
Opposed the Eyes Of Northern
Men VINO went Observation-Disclosures
More Intoierant Of the Negro Than
seutherners-They Have Driven Him
out Of Several Louisiana Parishes.
BIroS RoUov. La. April ie.-Thoae who
nave kept measurably abreast Of the
wifi march Of events In the South, and
have followed the marvellous industrial
uic,nnsrcial development Of the South
am States for the past Eve or Elk years,
AVE or sped the fact that forces are at
sors here which are pregnant with pcs
dbiIues Of strange social and political
.h,nges Those forces already have woven
curious complications In. through and
,round the already sufficiently complicated
,egro question.
The negro problem has been broadened
and deepened. and elements which Gcyen
orffteen years ago were unknown have been
hie.ted into it. In the language OF diplo-
macy. it is no longer a parochial question.
f. neverw,s. for tn I MISTER: for, OF course,
shst are.ts one part OF the country for
veal or wee Affects now and always has
knecteu tHc Cpuiittt 40 WuDio. Dut WIN
many people In tho North this was q mere
abstract proposition when It came to dis
cissing what was best to be dc ne In q COM
munity burdened with an immense negro
population only lately liberated from gen.
erations OF slavery and OF an ignorance past
belief They had broad general theories
covering condition of this kind. or
course, in the application Of theee theories,
there might be some hardship and affection
% the immediate community.
But the theories were based on bcnevo-
lent humanita rianism and the universal
brotherhood Of man. Therefore they were
sound
n Affections came to the people OF the
South. both white and black. they were
borne with fortitude by the theorists. whom
they did not reach. At all events. the negro
question was a Southern question and
Southern people must work II out as best
they could, always under the supervising
guidance Of people from afar who had q
theory based on premises which were false
and applied to an ideal negro. who did not
exist.
n II were an accepted theory that the
proper way to equip a Pluto Indian for
the responsibilities OF American citizen
ship was to all him up with forty rod whiskey
and turn him loose In the streets with a
rife and brace OF six-shooters, II il very
likely that the community to which this
theory was applied might suffer. and in
the end the suffering might reach the
Indian himself In the same way, II il
were Q theory that the proper way to ele-
vate an ignorant, emotional negro. fresh
from slavery and not remote from semi
barbarian. TO the responsibilities OF the
electorate, was to oil his head with the
vicious want and demagogy Of con-
scienceless political adventurers and then
turn him bose With the ballot. that. too,
might maiss trouble for his immediate
ueishborheod md eventually for the TN.
fortunate negro himself. But the people
who evolved the theory and applied Il from
sfar would IN neither case suffer. There
would be no oy0umsNtum dd hominem to
convince them that their theory was wrong.
Now II u precisely this arpwmsxtxm ad
Aominem In the negro question which the
recsnt march Of events In the South has
applied and 10 every day apply ing with
greater force and In . widsr Geld among
people who held opinions on that prob
lem which were either rooted In error or
fanaticism, or, what was oftener the case,
took In Il only . casual. academic in
terest a. somsthing that they knew Moth
ing about, save vaguely as q perennial
bother and nuisance. The negro question
along tho nerve lines OF vested interests
has gone out a vital issue to people who q
few Year, ago were beyond the zone OF
its personal influence. In addition to that,
thousands OF Northsrn m,n have CONS
bodily in contact with It right on It's own
ground hero In the South
From this fact conditions have arisen
cunously at variance with many former
theories II has long been . matter Of
fundamental faith With many worthy people
Of the North that the Southern white man
b the bitter enemy Of the negro, lying awake
nights TO plan an excuse for lynohing him.
The advent OF the Northern settler In the
South has demonstrated the fact that Il
b the Northern man and not the Southern
man from whom the negro must expect
Intolerance and lack Of sympathy with
him in his weaknesses and his limitations.
It Is from communities Of Northern men
settled In the South that the negro Ia driven
out to seek shelter and . livelihood among
Southern white men. who know him best
and have patience with him. and q kindly
tolerance for his foibles.
Mr.. Wstterson In his recent speech st the
HsmDton Club banquet In Chicag 60 said:
Remove every white Democrat to-day
living in the South and replace him with
Northern Republican and In twelve
months the conditions viii be the san,e,
M ybe worse. for the Northern Republican
would not be likely TO have either the pa
tieuce or the persons sympathy and knovi-
edge possessed by the native Southerner.
The existing facts hcre in Louisiana are
. pm ctiol demonstrati ton OF the absolute
accuracy Of Mr.. Wsttersons statement.
louisa ma Is m pidly filing up with Northern
men. In the rice-growing country re-
Gently developed. In the Southwestern part
Of the St te. the population u largely North
EN-. 1t is the "a me In the lumber produc-
ing ~ rishes, above the rice district and
along the Tex border. In all this country
the regro is no little tolerated that he prac-
to- lly hrs been driven out. In Pollock
ward township It would be called In any
other State than Louistana) he has been
Msu lv driven out. Notices were lacked
on trees. fences and building posted
openly and without attempt to make this
form Of ku-kiuxing Notwithstanding
ntRroes 10 loa x. ~ thav kpew That vaa