The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1904-07-16
Moving Northward.

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Moving NortlnWard.
The negro problem seems TO be moving l
North for solution, and going there In a
way that our Northern friends never
dreamed OF in the days that are gone.
Taken in connection with some very
startling news items that have been app,
pearing in newspaper columns for some
time past. the following editorial from
the Philadelphia Public Ledger is en-
Tightening, to say the least of it.:
eve are meeting new conditions in this
part OF the country. and we have laws
made to apply to conditions which no
longer exist. When the Pennsylva nia law
providing a penalty of fifteen years Inn
4prisonment for criminal assault t. and the
New Jersey statute very similar to IT..
were enacted there were tfeWS negroes
In this community, and those here We're
OF different class from many OF those
" no now infest our cities and country
districts They were law-a biding. decent
and respectable in the main, and the
crime Of atrocious assault was rare
Times have changed; scarcely q day
passes but the reader Of the ewspaper IS
shocked TO read of a negroes tial crime
Women are attacked frequently IN the
city or in some. OF the suburban towns.
Thousands of negroes live in y ew. 5Jer-
sey and Pennsylvania, and unfortunately.
as the police and criminal records show,
there are among them avery large num-
Der Of tn ej worst class Of human being
We are now con fronting the terrible prob
lem which the South has long had to deal
with and we have the old Northern laws,
which do not meet the requirements. S
tt,o ~. Tine reforraH tn
by our esteemed contemporary are not
of such long standing as 1t assumes. The
crime is new in the South com paratiyely
new, although it must be admitted that
1T originated in the South. It came,
however, with the llalf-cducated negro
In the old days OF slavery that which is
now known as tho usual crime was
unknown in this part OF the country. 1t
was unknown in the days of the Civil
War, when all the white men had donned
uniforms and shouldered muskets. and
were, FAR away sup pom the fields Of battle
the women and children at home being
to all intents and purposes at the mercy
of the faithful colored people. Even
under these circumstances the crime was
unheard OF, and we repeat that 1t came
only with the days OF reconstructlon. AM
] is a direct result In some way, we hardl!
know how. Of the infamy Of reconstruc,
! ton. ,s,3
4 The Ledger goes on to demand severe
laws in Its own and neighboring State:
of tho North, and adds:
tThe black mans crime Is horrible
i thing; II stirs the bad passions Of al
!, good men, and 1t usually adds to the
crime by Inducing the breakdown O.
4 tho law in a lyDcling. The problem 10
New Jersey and Pennsylvania is e
pass such n law as will be. II not Al
adequate puniShment--that is impossl
ble-at leastaja deterrent to the Grim
and check to lynchIng; and the Legs
slatl,res OF the two States should at thel
next sessions enact law inflicting tn
death penalty for criminal assault !
Will be an indeiblo disgrace TO the Com
monwealtlls IL they are slow to act whe
2 wild men more dangerous than so man.
tigers are permitted to practice thei
barbarous crimes."
It may be interesting In this connectio
q To mention. as a matter Of history tina
s within the present year negro wa
hanged In one OF the cities Of Virginia f
the usual crime" a few hours befol
no went to The gallows, among othc
things. he said with considerable blttel
ness; "I committed the same crime |
Pennsylvania. for which served ter
OF four years in tho penitentiary. 81
In Virginia ! must die for It,"
: We mention this Incident simply Il
4 The information OF our contemplate
and In it there is a lesson. Certainly III
is TO be learned. at least, that had t
y laws of lPe4nsyyania been what Il
% Ledger now wants themto be- the seco
a. crime would never have been commit
e. by The negro who was recently hanged
4 the city OF Roanoke.
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