The Atlanta constitution. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1885-19??, 1903-08-24
Editor Burnett's Crusade.

Every reSpecl3Dle NEGRO anu V'ois
genuine friend of the negro race
should applaud the action OF Editor
| Burnett, of The Atlanta New Era, in
inaugurating crusade against the
worthless and criminal Of his race.
If he shall succeed in awakening any
number of the respectable, intelligent
negro citizens to a realization of the
duty they owe to themselves and to
society by inducing them to join in
the prosecution of the vicious and
worthless. he will earn for himself an
honored place upon the roll OF real
leaders of his people.
The action of Editor Burnett in
causing the arrest of a woman who
was acting IN 4 disorderly and unlaw-
full manner upon the street, and in
appearing as prosecutor against her,
deserves the highest commentator.
There is nothing truer than that one
of the heaviest handicaps from which
the good negroes of the south have
suffered-perhaps the heaviest handi-
cap of all-has been the practice OF
the race, taken as a whole, in assum-
ing responsibility for the acts Of the
criminal by furnishing them shelter
and protection in their efforts to es-
cape from the officers cf the law.
While there have of course, been
isolated instances to the contrary, the
rule has been that negroes have
Joined to protect any negro charged
with crime and to prevent his cap
ture and prosecution rather than to
aid. as the white man does, the au-
thorities in their efforts to see that
the ends of justice are met. IN al
most every instance, the so-called
race wars have been directly due to
peaceable and naturally peace-lOving
negroes allowing themselves to be
used by bad negroes who, to protect
themselves from the consequences Of
their crimes, have appealed to racial
prejudices.
The thinking men Of the negro race
have long seen that this failure of the
negroes themselves TO differentiate
between the good and the bad among
them is at the bottom of most ii not
all. of thei, troubles. The good ne
groes, and the race taken as a whole,
have suffered greatly. There can be
no uplifting of the race, no real de-
yelopment of good citizenship, until
the substantial and God-fearing join
in not only drawing the line sharply
against the worthless and the vicious,
but in giving tie authorities every
possible aid in bringing the criminal
to Justice. Negro preachers and ne
gro teacher have seen this and talk
ed il. but there has been too little
action. Editor Burnett comes to the
front as one who believes in showing
his faith by his works; and now that
he has lead the way, it is sincerely
10 be hoped he will lave the hearty
cooperation of al. good negroes.
:. he time for action upon these
lines is particularly opportune. The
enactment of the new vagrancy law
by the general assembly furnishes the
means by which worthless vagabonds,
as we'll as criminals, can be reached.
These Vagabonds are parasites living
upon the industrious of their race even
when they are not open law-breakers,
and their presence is an incubus from
which the race mas suffered in the
past, and is suffering, greatly Under
the operations of this law. those who
will not work can be made to work
either for themselves or on the
chaingangs Th south furnishes the
opportunity for honest labor to every
man, and those who will not take ad-
vantage of such opportunities, be
they white or black, should be made
to work by the process of law, and
the new vagabond act affords the
method by which it can be done.
The white men of Georgia are go
ing to see tnat this law is strictly
enforced against the worthless on
their side of the color line; the good
negroes-a and they are certainly in
the maiority-can do no better work
for their race than in following up
the work started by Editor Burnett
by prosecuting, not only the criminal
among them, but the worthless yaga-
bonds who are constantly bringing
disgrace upon their race.