The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1904-09-25
TAR GREATEST NEGRO CENTRE
TT rs IN W4SHINGTON, AND NOT
IN THE SOUTH.
More Negroes There Than In Any southern
CI,-l'scs They Have Made OF Their
opportunities at the National Capital
How the whites Regard Them.

How the whites Regard Them.
W,sulNeroN, Sept. 24.-There are more
E, regroes in the city OF Washington than
n any other city of the Union. According
70 the census of 1900 the District of Column
Via coextensive with the city of Wash
ing,on. then contained more negroes than
NV county in the United States. Since
then one county has probably passed Wash
tnoton, but Washington still leads among
the cities
In Washing on the negroes comprise how
sver, less than one-third of the total popula-
lon while in fifty-fve Southern counties
and one Southern city they form at least
tbree.fourths of the total population The
o,cess of negroes over whites is greatest
IN Issaouena county. Miss, with more
than fifteen negroes to each white person.
But in Issaluena county there were in
,aoo only 9,77l negroes while in the Dis
,r;ct of Columbia there were more than
5000.
There is no prospect that the census
1cures of 1910 will cause Washington to
Ike its position as the city having the
largest negro population. In every other
CITY whose negro population is anywhere
near that of the capital the rate Of increase
among those of African descent is higher
than it is in Washington, but even.in these
circumstances there can hardly be change
m the relative position OF this city.
Baltimore, the most populous Southern
city. with sos 957 inhabitants, nearly double
the population Of Washington, contained
7a25s negroes in 1900. while Washington,
with ?7s23i inhabitants, contained S8,702
negroes. Thus Baltimore was second.
The third city on the list is New Orleans,
with MA negroes out Of total popula-
tion of ?S7 .lOi. This is a surprising show
ing. for New Orleans is in the region gen.
orally designated as the black belt, while
Washington is several hundred miles north
OF it,
The city Of Memphis. Tenn, contained
in 1900 only 40 $40 negroes, but as Wash
ipgton. Baltimore and New Orleans en-
brace the entire counties in which they
are situated another comparison between
them and Memphis may be given by con-
siderng the figures for Shelby county,
of which Memphis is the county seat. The
total population of Shelby county in 1900
was 1851, and the negroes numbered
s4773 This comparison places Shelby
county second on the list with 800 fewer
negroes than the District of Columbia.
In Memphis city the white population
outnumbered the negro by 2,47o, but in
Shell county, including Memphis, the
negroes outnumbered the whites by l5,9sS.
In percentages Of the races Memphis stands
first among large American cities as hav-
Ing the greatest proportionate negro popu-
laton, with 4S.S per cent. OF residents OF
black blood; Washington being second
.,,l Of
with 27I per cent; Louisville fourth, with
1911 per cent, and Baltimore MIN, WIN
only 1919 per cent.
While Washington will almost certainly
contain more negroes than any other city
when the thirteenth census Is taken, six
wears hence, the District OF Columbia,
considered as a county, will take second
place to Shelby county, Tennessee, if the
present ratios of increase are continued
In Memphis the negro population in
creased between 1900 and 1900 at the enor-
nous rate of 1919 per cent, but for the
whole OF Shelby county the rate e increase
was only 37.5 per cent.
With an equal proportionate gain in the
current decade, Shelby county will con-
tain lie, 5e2 negroes in 1910, or about 1000
more than the District will probably contain.
With the same relative increase for the
four years that have passed since the last
census was taken, Shelby county has now
more negroes than any other county in the
United States, including the District OF
Columbia. 1t is estimated that it now
contains 87,4sS persons of African blood
or about 5000 more than the District OF
Columbia.
In more ways than one the District OF
nDnprfipitiaS for a
study of the negro question not found In
any other part OF the United States. Here
the negro has no place as political factor
He has greater advantages than elsewhere
In the Union.
He has been fostered and cared for by
private organizations; laws for his benefit
have been passed, and while retaining the
benefit of living in the kindler climate OF
the South, he has been thrown into contact
with thousands, Of white Ip, persons SIs v Who
have come here with none Of that prejudice
which exists among the Caucasians OF the
Southern States.
The negro OF Washington has free common
and high schools operated on exactly the
same basis as free schools for whites; he
has colleges; his color is no legal bar t.
appointment to public Office; he is as eligible
as a white lawyer TO practise before the
courts the law requires that he ,shall b'
permitted, If he can AFFORD to Go 80; TO cal
49,
hotels and be admitted to the best theatres
patroni2ed by the whites. and he is no
compelled to ride in a separate compart
ment of street car or steam railway coach
Altogether, his opportunities, from a lesa
and educational standpoint, are ideal. IL
no other Southern city is he so protected
by law or cared for in other ways.
Without doubt it is the opinion OF al
overwhelming majority OF the white person
ofWashingto on that the negro has not show
himself to be a desirable citizen, in spite o
the great advantages he has possessed here
Whatever may have been the feeling to
ward the black man by those Northerner
and Westerners who settled in Washing
ton after the close of the civil war, most o
them to become office holders, their children
share the popular feeling against the negro.
This feeling has become intensified
within recent years. 1t is contended b,
many Washingtonians that the people o.
the North and West who believe that negroe
should be treated as equals by the white
become bitterly anti-negro after living IL
Washington, more 80 than Southerner
who understand the race and are prone u
look leniently on it's failings.
The Washington people from States
where the negro population Is infinitesima
come in closest contact with the colorec
race mainly through house servants, anc
the difference between these and white