The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-07-10
SOME PHASES OF THE RACE
QUESTION.

1t is somewhat remarkable that the Amer
lean people, who are essentially compOs-
lite people. made up of all races, should sud-
denly have discovered that "the race ques-
ton is burning issue. Is 1t really so, or
is the assertion simply convenient phrase
to cover up lawlessness and anarchism? OF
course, the Journal understands very we'll
that the phrase relates to the whites and
the negroes. and that the object in harping
on ii is TO create the impression that there
is irrepressible conflict between them.
and that they cannot live together perma-
nently in peace. This is absurd on its face,
because If they could live together in COM
parative peace for three-quarters of a GEN.
fury with one race holding the other as
slaves they certainly can do so with both
races free. Those who talk about the race
question forget that, leaving the negroes
out of the question, the American people are
The most mixed race in the world. In 1900
the total population of the United States was
rs. 994.575. of whom IS. 65s. 299 We're native and
10,34l,276 were foreign-born. The foreign
born citizens are nearly all white, and rep
resent every nationality in the world. OF
a total colored population of s,S33, 1874 all were
native-born except 20,336. OF the white pop
ulation OF the country IS per cent. is native
and Is per cent. is foreign-born, while of the
colored population S90S per cent. are native
and only ninety-two- hundredths of 1 per
cent. are foreign-b0rn. In respect of native
American birth the negroes are much the
purest race in the country. AS an ethno-
logical fact this cannot be disputed. AS far
as nativity is concerned the colored people
represent a purer type of Americanism than
the whites do. The foreign-born population
of 10, .276 includes 1868 AIS natives of Ger
many. 1.615. 459 natives of Ireland. S40,513 ma
tives of England. 572.0l4 natives of Sweden,
423.726 natives of Russia, 4Si.O27 natives of
Italy 3S3, 407 natives of Poland, 275,9O7 natives
of Austria. 363sS natives of Norway, and
If there is an irrepressible conflict of
races In the country, who is making it? Not
the negroes, for they want to live in peace
in the land of their birth; not the better
class of native Americans. for they recog-
nize the fact that the negroes have as much
right here as they have not the better class
of foreign-born citizens, for they are too
busy trying TO better their own condition
to engage in making war on any other ma
tionality. None of these are troubling them
selves about the race question, or if they
give it any thought at all it is to deprecate
trouble and to demand the enforcement of
law and equal rights for all. Who is il,
then, that is stirring up race trouble talk
ing about an irrepressible conflict declaring
that this is a white mans country. that the
''niggers" must go, ETC.? 1t is the rabble,
the riff-raff OF all the white races-social-
lists. loafers, bungaloo bands lawbreakers,
criminals, ruffians, roustabouts and social
degenerates who seek to prove the super
iority of the white race by making war on
colored people. These are the classes who
are promulgating the idea that this is
white mans country. and who, many of
the task of reforming and purifying the pop
ulation of the United States by killing of
or driving out nearly nine millions OF native
colored Americans: There is no such thing
as q race war. 1t is nothing but an out
break of lawlessness among classes who
have nothing 10 lose and everything to gain
by any sort of social convulsion or revolu-
ton. II these meters Of crime and pro-
motors of anarchism are suppressed the So
called race question will settle ITSELF