New Iberia enterprise and independent observer. (New Iberia, La.) 1902-1944, 1903-09-12
THE RACE PR0RlEM

sound and impartial article Oh TIL
race problem from the pen of Hon
William Jennings Bryan:
On another page will be found a let
ter recently written by Presiden
Roosevelt to Governor Durbin on tn,
suject of lynching. Forgetting for th'
present the failure of the president tt
enforce the law against the trust mag
mates and Governor Durbin 5 refusa
to deliver to Kentucky authorities {
republican ex-governor charged will
murder let us consider the subject o.
mob law as it is related to the raot
| question The president is right il
protesting against mob law-it cannon
| be defended. 1t is a reflection on the
people if legal means iof punishment
are adequate and effective and it is &
reflection on the government sif the
people have reason to distrust its abil
! it to enforce the law All will agree
with the president that punishment
should not only be sure, but should
be as swift as a due regard to the
rights Of the accused will permit.
Whatever punishments are sanctioned
by public opinion shouldbe embodied il
the law and in the case of crimes
against women the laws should be
such-even though a constituationa]
amendment We're necessary to secure
it that the victim of the outrage
will be protected from the humilia-
tion of having to give testimony be-
fore crowd Of curios, but disnterest-
ed persons. The president is also
to be commended for having coupled
denunciation of rape with a condem-
alton of lynching. Too many cry
out against the lawless punishment
without saying anything against the
horrible crime which arouses the an
ger of the, people. If some of the en-
ahusiasm that is spent in spassing res
olutions denouncing mob law was EN-
ployed in condemning the unspeakable
beastiality, that provokes summary
punishment there would be fewer i'll
stances of mob alw.
The fact that the president did not
specifically mention southern lynch
ings and burnings i'll northern states
have convinced him that race preju-
dice is as strong in Illinois, Indiana,
Delaware and Kansas as in Mississip-
pi, Georgia, Alabama, or Texas.
1t may be we'll in this connection
to conisder race prejudice for a mo-
ment in connection with mob law.
That there is such thing must be
admitted. 1t is written on every page
of history and is not likely to disap-
pear soon. 1t must be remembered
too, that the negro has as much pref
udice aainst the white man as the
white man has against the negro, and
if the negro was in "a position to rule
the white man there is no reason to
doubt that the white man would have
reason to complain. This was appar-
ent in the carpet bag days and is ap-
parent to day wherever it can find ex-
preston. A sense of justice, however
restrains this prejudice and it is not
often that either the white man OF
the negro says anything in the pres.
ence of the other that is calculated to
offend. Color is not matter of choice
neither can it be changed by will OF
by law. 1t is, therefore, as unkind tc
taunt man with being black as it il
unreasonable for a black man to be
angered by such taunt.
A man is to be praised or blamed &C.
cording to the use he makes of his tai.
ents or opportunities, not by his in
herited advantages. The fact that a
nergo is lynched by mob because OF
an outrage upon woman ought not
increase the race prejudice that exists.
White men are lynched for the same
feelings toward the negro be judged
by his conduct when under great ex-
citement Man mad is an entirely
different creature from man deliber.
ate. Men i'll anger have killed faith.
ers, wives, brothers, sons and friends
they have broken every tie OF love
and kinship.
Suffrage qualifications cannot be at
tributed entirely to race prejudice fol-
suffrage qualifications are to be fonud
i'll nearly all countries and have beer
employed i'll many of our own states.
They have been employed by white
men against members of the white
race and by people of every colo1
against people of their own color.
Woman suffragists complain that wo
man race disfranchised and such dis
franchisement cannot be explained OIL
the ground of race prejudice either,
| for husband and wife, mother and
son, are not only of the same race,
but are linked together by the strong
est bonds known.
The suffrage amendments in the
south, SO much complained Of by re-
publican politicians, are not nearly 81
severe as the republican colonial pol
icy III the Philippines.
First In every southern state
some of the negroes can now, and al
others can qualify themselves for suf
rage; in the Philippines the inhabit.
ants are permanently disqualified.
Second The negroes in the south
even then they cannot vote, have thu
protection of federal and state consti
tntions; the Filipino has no constitu
tional protection whatever.
Third The negroes in the soutI
live under the laws that the white
man makes for himself; the Filipino
lives under that we make for him and
would not live under ourselves.
While the brown man of the Orienl
/ is faring worse than the black man il
the south, the republican leaders arr
stirring up race antagonism in thii
Icpunfry in order to keen the cOlorc(