The Savannah morning news., 1904-03-30
THE RACE QUESTION IN THE
HOUSE.

| HOISEs
Representative Gillette of Massachu-
sets. who is disposed to be fair-mind-
ed when discussing matters pertaining
to the South, expressed himself pretty
freely on the race question in speech
in the House on Monday. He admitted
that the feeling against the negro is
stronger in the North than in the
South, that is, there is a stronger nat
ural repugnance to the negro, but he
declared that the Northern people don't
recognize this preposterous talk about
social quality and inequality"
1t doubtless is true that they don't
have as much to say along the lines of
social equality and inequality, and the
reason is plain. 1t is that the percent
age of the black population is so very
much smaller in the North than it is in
the South that there is but little appre-
hension there arising from the efforts
of the blacks to cross the line dividing
| the races. Make the percentage of the
black population in the North as great
as it is in the South and the same talk
| is heard in the South would be heard
In the North. Indeed, as the natural
repugnance to the negro is greater in
the North, the proba blity is that this
talk would be greater there. If in the
North the natural repugnance to the
negro is greater, as Mr.. Gillette says
why shouldn't the apprehension of the
evils arising from an excessive negro
population be greater there than here?
The trouble with Mr.. Gillette and
other apparently minded Northern
men is that they do not try to put
themselves in the place of Southern
er when discussing the race question
Mr.. Gillette admits thar among the
rougher element in the North the septi-
ment that favors lynching a negro for
certain crimes is present, but says that
1t is present among the better element
in the South. The reason doubtless is
that the rougher element in the North
feels the pressure of the negro element
of the population to a greater degree
than the better element does. Let the
negro population in the North increase
until it is as great, in proportion to the
whole population, as it is in the South.
and it is probable that Mr.. Gillette
would see the lynching sentiment as
strong in the better element there as
it is in the rougher element.
Mr.. Gillette says that the North
doesn't favor black domination in the
South. but he wants the blacks edu-
Gated to a point where they will be
qualified voters and good citizens. But
when they become qualified to handle
the ballot what is to hinder them from
dominating wherever they are in the
majority? And there are states in
which they are in the majority. But
Mr.. Gillette would doubtless answer
that they wouldn't ever want to domi-
nate, that they would divide on public
questions, just as the white people do
That Is Mr.. Gillettes opinion. An
appeal to race feeling would unite
them. and there would be demagogues
who would appeal to that feeling. In
Utah the religious sentiment unites the
Mormon voters. The Mormon vote is
cast where 1t will do the most good fog
the Mormon Church. Religious feeling
is no stronger than race feeling. H..
Mr.. Gillette lives in a section that
isn't troubled by the race problem, but
it is a section that wants to settle that
problem. AS yet it hasn't presented
solution that would be acceptable to
its own people if the problem were a
local one. The Southern people de-
plore lynchings as much as the people
of the North do, and their officials do
what they can to check them. A way
to stop them hasn't been found yet,
either in the South or the North.