The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1903-06-14
The south Accurately Pictured.


The South Accurately Pictured.
The series of dispatches from The
SUNS staff correspondent, together with
the carefully prepared contributions
from men conspicuous in business and
in the liberal professions in the South
ern States, which have appeared IN the
columns vt this paper during the past
few months, have presented the negro
problem from many interesting points
of view The dispatches faithfully de-
scribed conditions as they were found;
the contributions have reflected the
opinions of men representing the best
informed and most conservative South
ern thought. Governors OF States, Su-
preme Court Judges, clergymen and
LAWYERS of highest repute in their re-
spective communities, as well as edit
Gators and newspaper edltors-all these
have written frankly and freely for The
sun the conclusions they have reached
regarding the negro after careful study
at short range of subject concerning
which, unhappily, there has been
superabundance Of discussion based too
much on sentiment and inaccurate in
formation and too little on the uncom-
promising realities.
From time to time during tho appear
ance Of these documents in its columns,
The SUN has taken occasion to invite the
attention OF its readers to them, and
now that the series is completed We
believe we are justified in saying that,
regarded as a whole. the descriptive des-
patches and the argumentative dis
o,issions by eminent Southern men
have formed an addition to recent
literature on the questions raised by
the negro that is OF substantial value TO
Investigators who wish TO reach an I'M
prejudiced judgment on this important
subject.
The negro problem is a progressive
one. To see clear daylight ahead Is not
for this hour. or perhaps for this genera
ton. The best that can be hoped Is to
solve the Immediately pressing ques-
lions as they arise, and to avoid such
ideas as are obstructive or as will lead
US along paths that must be painfully
retraced to the point where we went
astrny. Never was there q question
which demanded moro imperativsly Of
the American people great patience and
minds unclouded by irritation. Its rami-
hcations go back into tho furious whirl-
wind Of the civil war passion, and tho
almost equal bitterness Of RECONSTRUCT
ton days. 1t bristles all over with
sensitive points which call for the high
est order OF tact in the handling. The
instant penalty of laundering spplioa-
ton Of theories remote from the fact
and based on loose information always
has been and always will be reaction
and a putting back of the clock by just
that much.
Throughout the communications from
thoughtful Southern men and the des-
patches descriptive Of present Southern
conditions there is abundant material
for the plain inference that the recent
course of the Administration with refer
ence TO the negroes has to a certain
extent at least produced the unfort-
innate result just mentioned. Indeed,
tho policy and attitude OF the President
are described by both contributors and
correspondent as principal factors Of
the problem at this moment. 1t is
dificult to read the dispatches and the
contributions without deriving the i'm
preston that the condition of tho negro
in his relations with the whites in the
South to-day is less favorable than it
was when President ROOSEVELT took
I'D the work where President MCKINLEY
laid it down.
Yet, with all that. the general tone Of
the documents is hopeful. The dis
oussion caused by the Presidents course
has revealed the fact that people at a
distance from the States where the
negro question presses acutely are less
confident of their wisdom on the subject
than they were few months ago; that
they are willing to admit that grave
errors have been committed in the past,
and to confess at last that those who are
best qualified to speak with most au-
thority and to act with best judgment
on the negro question are the intelligent,
conscientious people OF the South. For
them the problems best solution is a
matter of vital Importance. They
are able to approach its study with
more intimate knowledge of the South
ern negro himself, and with more of
tolerance and patience with him in his
weaknesses and his limitations, than
those whose lives have been passed
remote from contact with the actual
conditions.
While the Administration negro pol
icy probably did not bring about this
change in Northern sentiment, it re-
vealed the fact that such change has
taken place. This in itself is a great
gain. One handicap has been removed
from the shoulders now bearing the
white mans burden in the South
The Taft.Davis Bill