The Scranton chronicle., 1904-01-23

years of experience, and the expendi.
ture in the Southern States OF nearly
three hundred millions of dollars. Ii
was natural, and quite reasonable. inn
mediately after the civil war, espe-
cially by those who had made but su-
perficiai study of the negro. 10 expect
that freedom, equal educational facili-
ties and the example of the white man,
would have the effect of improving his
morals and make better man OF him
generally. But it has not, am sorry
TO say. AS a race, he is deteriorating
morally every day. Time has demon
strated that he is more criminal as a
free man than as a slave, that he Is
increasing in criminality with fearful
rapidity, being one-third more crimi-
nal in 1890 than he was in 1880. The
startling facts revealed by the census
show that those who can read and
write are more criminal than the illit-
crates. which is true of no other ele-
ment of our population. | am advised
that the minimum illiteraey among
the negroes Is found in New England.
where it Is twenty-one and seven
tenths per cent the maximum Is
found in the black belt-Louisiana
Mississippi and South Carollna-there
1t is sixty-five and seyen-tenths per
cent. And yet the negro in New Eng
land is four and one-half times more
criminal, hundred for hundred. than
he Is in the black belt. In the South,
Mississippi particularly, | know he is
growing worse every year. You can
scarcely pick up newspaper whose
pages are not blackened with the ac-
count of an unmentionable crime COM
mitted by a negro brute. and this
crime, | want to impress upon you, 10
but the manifestation OF the negro's
aspiration for social equality, eneour-
aged largely by the character of free
education in vogue, which the State
is levying tribute upon the white peO-
pie to maintain. The better class OF
negroes are not responsible for this
terrible condition, or for the criminal
tendency of their race. Nor do | wish
to be understood as censuring them
for 1t. | am not censuring anybody,
nor am | inspired by i'll will for the
negro. but | am simply calling atten-
tion to a most unfortunate and unen-
durable condition of affairs. What
shall be dcne about It? Surely some
thing must be done. The white people
of Mississippi cannot sit idly by with
out making an effort at least to arrest
this destructive tendency. The State,
for many years, at great expense 10
the tax payers. has maintained a sys-
TEN of negro education, which has pro-
duced disappointing results, and ! am
opposed to the perpetuation OF that
system Ny own idea is that the char
acter of education for the negro ought
to be changed. If. after forty years OF
earnest effort and the expenditure of
fabulous sums of money to educate his
head. we have only succeeded in max
ing a criminal out of him and impair
ing his usefulness and efficiency as a
iaborer, wisdom would suggest that We
make another experiment, and see II
We cannot improve him by educating
his hand and his heart. There must
be a moral substratum upon which 10
build, or you cannot make a desirable
citizen. The negro as a race Is devoid
of that element. He has never felt
the guilt of sin; the restraining infu-
ence of moral scruples or the goading
of an outraged conscience are un-
known to the real negro. Slavery is
the only process by which he has ever
been partially civilized. God AL.
mighty created the negro for a me.
nial; he is essentially servant. In
every age of the worlds history, IL has
been shown that his civilization will
last only so lolg as he Is under con.
troll of the superior race that incul.
Gated 1t. When left to himself, he has
universally gone back TO the barbar
ism of his native jungles White a
o.. Of
race may possess qualities which jus.
tify them to aspire above that statiop.
the fact still remains that the race 8
fit for that and nothing more. At any
rate. that Is all he will ever accom-
plish in Mississippi, and as II Is in
Mississippi so will It be in all of tae
States where the negro lives in large
numbers. The white man viii. not
and should not, share sovereignty and
dominion with him. | will be par
doned, in this connection, for quoting
the following wise words spoken by
Abraham Lincoln, September 18, 1858.
He said:
Il am not, nor ever have been in
favor Of bringing about in any way
the social and political equality oi the
white and black races; ! am not, nor
ever have been, in favor of making yot-
ers or jurors Of negroes. nor OF quail
fying them TO hold Office, nor To inter-
nary with the white people: and /
will say, in addition to this, that there
is a physical difference between The
white and black races which | believe
will forever forbid the two races liv-
ing together on terms Of social and
political equality. And inasmuch as
thsy cannot so live, while they remail
together, there must be the position
of superior and inferior, and | as much
as any other man am in favor of hay-
ing the superior position assigned to
the white race"
know 1t is not possible to please
everybody. ! shall not try to please
save myself, and shall please
myself in the proportion that | am
able to do that which is best for all
of the people of Mississippi.
have no ambition, no desire be
yond making for you a governor
worthy Of you All the heart and mind
and strength with which a loving
Father has endowed me, |, this day,
TO the service of my State.
You, my countrymea, have it within
your power, If you viii. to promote the
success Of this administration you
have II within your power to mar il.
With your ballots you have expressed
your appreciation of me. Now. with
your deeds and moral support, | ask
your cooperation and announcement.
Relying then upon the patronage OF
your good will" undertake the work
TO which you have called me. May
that infinite Power which ru,as the
destilies of the universe sustain me
and lead oifr cnlineiIe fkn rrhat q. L. -