Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1904-01-29
THE RACE PROBLEM.

In recent letter " the New York EOen
ing Post Mr.. John II. Thomas, OF the At.
lanuc Transport Line, formerly Of this city
took that journal 10 task for Its customary
hippant discussion oil the doings of the
Southern people as respects the negro. The
injuries II has inflicted on the South In the
past cause this publication, 1t seems, in &C.
cordance with law OF human nature, to
hate that section and malign ii at every OPP
portunlty. Lynchings are treated as If con
fined 10 the South and are made the occa-
sion oil offensive generalizations, though
never word is addressed 10 the aggressors
who provoke the lynchings by their indie.
scrlbabe atrocities. 80 long," says Mr.
Thomas on this point, las worthless and
criminally disposed negro is a menace to a
community, 50 long will mob rule prevail
where negroes abound. Men with their
passions aroused over such crimes as the
negro 10 prone 70 cannot be induced 70 or.
der their conduct 10 suit editorial writers
in New York, where tie preparation oil
such crimes is 30 inlrequent us seldom 10
be brought home TO US with oil It's terrible
meaning"
Taking up the recent effort of the South
10 limit the evil inflicted by giving the negro
the ballot, Mr.. Thomas refuses 10 discuss
the question whether the motive IN giving
him the ballot was "pure and lofty" pre-.
ierring 10 discuss the matter 10 It's practical
aspects. In giving the ballot to him the
Federal Government did him an injury and
created the problem the South must now
solve. What was the nature Of the injury
done 10 the negro by removing him from
the disciplinary and civilizlng care OF the
while people OF the South Mr.. Thomas at
tempts TO show. He said:
There Can be no question that the present
generation is infinitely Inferior TO the one
which preceded 1t. Young ones OF TO day are,
with STRIKING and hopeful exceptions, Inso.
lent, Idle, shIlIless and devoid Of ambition.
Given country in which he can subsist on
the charity OF his whlte neighbors, with the
assistance oil his dog, his gun and his fishing
roo, he can rarely he induced to work. He
may be- found In his hut Of one or two
rooms, which he builds on a plot OF land 10
the woods, Tor which he has paid by cutting
the timber. Here, with his vile and scan
lily Clad children, he lives in state OF idle.
ness, perhaps shouldering his gun IN the
morning 10 shoot a couple oil squirrels, OF
passing bis time lounging about pier 10
catch hall dozen fish. He may hnd IL
occasionally necessary 10 work, 30 rs to Sc
cure cash with which TO refill his meal bag
or purchase piece OF bacon aud Jug Of
moasses In the evening he resorts 10 the
CROSSROADS grog shop, and at midnight hls
drunken shouts may be heard as with hIs
companions he finds his way home. he
SENDS bis children 10 school, and the little
knowledge they seem capable OF acquiring
does them apparently more harm than good.
They speedily become ludlcrously vain, anu
rather than work among those with whom,
they have grown up become, II anything
more worthless than Their parents or drllt
TO the cities. A better type may be seen in
the cotton belt, where the negro must, OF ne
cessiiy, work. The variety OF crops ia not
30 great and he has not his abundant supply
OF cornmeal, which In Virginia may be hau
Tor lew cents bushel. OF one thing VT
are certain, and that is this That II the me-
gro cannot be made useful as a laborihg
Class Tor the immediate development OF the
South his uselessness Tor ell time 70 come 10
assured. The first step In an effort TO aid
him should be taken iron him, by all con
sututlonal means possible, the ballot, for
which he Was never fitted and the use OF
which has avaied him nothing.
To this iorcible letter the Posts reply is
ajeering remark that the negro is objected
to merely because he can live with little
work. 1t ignores the point that as social,
economic and political factor he is not do.
ing his duty to the communities in which
resides, and by his thriltlessness and degen
GRAFTON is becoming not only worthless, but
q menace 10 society --BdltO. Sun.