The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1904-08-20
oUTHRlE's DARK Brown TASTE


The Gathrie Leader IS vaging a
campaign AGAINST negroism in Guihrie.
the result Of which will be wa ched
with considerable interest throughout
the territory The Leader is handling
the case without gloves and It il ex-
tremely ioubtful ii s vigor and tact
can fail to have other than a salutary
effect upon conditions existing there.
Federal census reports show that
the negro population of Guthrie was.
the time the census was taken I'm
1900. 3.o86 out Of total population Of
1O,007 or approximately 81 per cent.
From the same source Il is also re.
vealed that the negro population OF
that city is pTac ically three times
greater than any other in oklahoma.
The figures show that Oklahoma Citys
negro popuil'ion was at that time but
1,2ls. or abct u per cent Of the total
POPULATION. Since that time it is prob
able hat the negro population Of
Guthrie has increased rather than de-
creased.
This unscemly negro population mil
itates agains Guthrie's progress and
welfare mere than any other agency
It IS spectre from which any white
man seeking a home or investment
will naturally shy. The homeseeker
or capitalist, whether from the north
or sou b. viii, all other conditions be
ing substantially equal. invariably
choose n community in which to In.
vest his money the dominating ele-
ment Of which IS the white race. It
is but natural for either to avoid as
much as possible he communities in
which the negro constitutes pro-
nounced element The degree Of in.
jury 0ccssioned Guthrie and logan
county 10y this excessive negro popula.
tion is aptly illustrated by core e.
sDondent who writes the Leader from
Seward as follows:
a gen loman came to Guthrie from
Illinois recently. He had heard about
the fertility of Oklahoma soil and the
deliehtfulness OF our climate and he
came to the conclusion that It wa9
about what he was looking for. When
he arrived in Gu hrie, the capital city
Of the territory. the first thing he
did, 5eing good business man, wes
TO go to the court house TO look up The
records familiarize himself with tax
alton. assessed valua ion Of the coGs,-
~. etc. Eut when he entered the
county clerks office and was confront
ed by a negro county clerk and a ne
gro DEPUTY he was dumfounded ana
his opinion OF Guthrie and Logan
county dropped ninety per cen Fron
the clerks office he went to the reg
lister o. deeds office and in the alb
sel,ce of the register. the negro deputy
took il upon himself to wal upon him.
That wes very nearly the limit, but
not quite. From the registers office
he went to the terri orial auditors
RANN hhh NANits VI Sc hNA ave
being the whole thing, attended to his
wants Right there his opinion OF
Guthrie and logan county deprec'at
ell the remaining ten per cent The
newt day he went down to Seward
township to look at farm Owned by
a Mr.. Murphy, who by the way has
been a life long Republican. The
farm suited him and he was about to
close the deal when he discovered that
a small portion OF It had been cut of
for a colored school, that settled It.
The gentleman returned to Illinois and
you can bet he will not give Guthrie
or Logan couny any beneficial adyer-
tising.
But 1t IS not for the purpose of rid
ding its city ond county of the odlum
Of excessive negro citizenship 50 much
as the incubus OF negro oglclalism
that the Leaders efforts are direc ed.
It recognizes in the latter condition a
serious menace 10 its city's welfare
ana mas reached the conclusion that
Is no longer the part Of either wis
dom or prudence TO apologize for IL.
On the contrary. It boldly states the
condition and allows the odium to fsll
where it properly belongs, Referring
to conditions in Guthrie, g. says:
The political darkey is factor IN
Guthrie having been made such dur
ing the past twelve years by white
machine leaders In the matter OF
Offices. a few instances may be cited:
Two negroes on he school board.
These two compose the committee on
course Of study-the most important
committee on The board They map
out the studies fol ali the schools. One
OF these darlties cannot write and
thinks a Vorh Is sonnet hing rood 10