The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1903-08-02

than issthe South. This is a new nbe-
nomenon. The Northern man has al.
ways posed as the friend and defender
OF mis- colored brother. Why does he
turn against him now"
nave no use at all for the niggers
tnat are growing up now" volunteered
postmaster Jenkins. They're too
fresh and impudent and lazy and indie
pendent. They're noisy and no good
one OF the old-time darkies that set
ueo mere at the close of the war is
worth dozen Of them. Just have no
use at all for a fresh niger, and most
OF the new lot are fresh"
Ihere is no doubt that the Northern
negro OF to-day is less popular than
ever before" said Col. Monroe. "This
Is especially true of those who are
crowded into the cities. Year by wear
the colored man is losing occupations
whlen once were open to him, He is no
longer a waiter in first class hotels or
restaurants. He has almost disappear
ed as a coachman, and the same is true
OF many, other positions he once filled
~ Is PROFESSIONALLY true that a large
sna<~ Of our citizens share more or
less the opinion expressed by the. post
master"
Don't you think that the negro has
1880 SACaA ptOHTcSS SlHCe given MS
freedom questioned Judge Sawyer. 8
No man lives long enough to oh
serve unmarked improvement in a race
or human beings" responded the colo
mel. THAT is the work of centuries
and no one can predict what the future
has In store for the American Ethio-
! ptan. My observation leads me to be-
lieve that a small percentage of them
has made wonderful progress, that a
larger section has made slight Improve
ment. and that another large and
steadily increasing section has retro
graded and degenerated. This latter
class is found in certain sections of all
of our large cities, and is represented
In many smaller towns and communi-
ties. 1t Is this class which precipitates
the race issue in the North. am firm
ly convinced that this Is only a trans
lent matter. 1t will soon disappear. 4"
Il recognize your class lines read
lily enough" observed Judge Sawyer,
but l see no indications which lead
me to believe that the degeneracy of
the city negro of the slums is a tran
silent matter. as you term it.. When
and why will it disappear"
1T will disappear because of the
rapid and certain extinction of this
class of our colored population on ac-
count of an increased death rate and
a decreased birth rate" responded Col.
Monroe. mo phenomena is more clear
ly indicated by statistics than this
one. The negro can neither live nor
reproduce his race in our Northern
cities. He is as fond of city life as
an Indian Is of whisky, and the en-
vironnent of a metropolis Is as fatal
to one as the fumes of fire water are
to the other. 1t has taken the Cau-
casian thirty centuries to train his
| stomach to tolerate intoxicating liquors,
| and the average one rebels even now.
1t has taken the Caucasian the same
| length of time to become accustomed
| to the artificial life of cities. The In
| dian shocks his astounded organs with
| whisky and dies. The negro embraces
all of the worst of city life, saturates
| himself with it's evils and excuses, and
the mortuary and criminal records tell
! the story of the inevitable result. Look
| at the new generation of city born
/ negroes. AS a rule they are stunted
| physically, mentally and morally. They
| have violated every tradition and GUS
tom of their African ancestors, and
nature exacts t e certain penalty. Put
corset on colored woman and you
J have sentenced her and her children
| to. speedy death. The male negro who
! attempts to initiate the fashions and
vices of the cosmopolite takes his life
In his hands. The negro is as out OF
F.; place in New York or Chicago as is
dude on an arctic ice foe"
What you say is doubtless true,
J remarked Judge Sawyer, but it does
not account for the apparent unpop-