Clarke courier. [volume] (Berryville, Va.) 1869-1997, 1904-09-21
FROM WASHINGTON


standpoint and affects Northern
business men as we'll as Southern
planters and business men. 1 sub
nit to the readers of this cores
pondencc the following interview
with a thoroughly reliable and
responsible gentlemen:
Mr.. Robert NJ. Norman. who
for a number of years has been
Washington correspondent of some
of the leading Southern news
papers. has Just returned to this
city after an absence OF six months
in the South. In an interview he
points out a result of RooscveltiSm
in that section that has not been
generally commented upon.
The negro problem. which has
been so aggravated by President
RooSevelt's actions, presents an
industrial as well as a social phase. =
said Mr.. Norman. The indus
trial side of the question seems to
have been overshadowed 10y Presi-
dent RooSevelt's startling social
equality ideas and well nigh lost
to view. There is in the South "A
labor question that in time, if
Rooseveltism continues, will be-
come a vital problem. Indeed. it
is now rapidly approaching crisis.
Negroes are refusing to work even
at good wages. Why. To be exact,
there are two general reasons:
First. RooseveltiSm.
Second. The temporary pros
perity of the country.
President Rooseyelt's negro
policy has made the negro believe
that he is so exalted that work is
beneath him. Ispeak of the negro
in general. Many of our Northern
friends do not know the real thing
in The negro line. He says: We
are better than white folks now
and we won't work no more. That
man in the White House is our
friend: the great United States
Government is behind us. We
are safe.
1T is very difficult to get field
hands in the South. Cotton-chop-
pers and cotton pickers are in
demand and the crops suffer much
for lack of labor. House servants
are procured with the greatest diff
ficulty even at good wages. The
good housewives and fiat-wives of
Washington also doubtless expert
ence this trouble. This, too, when
negroes loaf about in large num-
bers without any visible means of
support and refuse work with
Scorn.
"A few weeks ago coming into
Washington | shared seat ON the
train with a prosperous old gentle
man from Mobile. He had moved
there from the North-Massachu-
Setts, think. He was on his way
to the q. \. II. encampment. The
conservation turning to politics, I
was surprised when he remarked
with vehemence: Roosevelt has
played hell (pretty good United
States language) in the South. /
am in the shipping business, but il
Is with the greatest difficulty that
can get negroes to work on nv
boats, although there are gangs of
'hem lying around idle. A few
weeks ago one of my boats full of
passengers was delayed ~ hours
because | could not get labor.
They say they don't have to work
now since Roosevelt is i'm the
White House.
The general prosperous con-
ui'lon OF the country has given the
negro little money and the negro,
as rule, when he gets a little ahead
quits work until that is exhausted.
Many negroes, too, have moved
North. This has in part accounted
lor the scarcity of labor. But
hooSeveltism is the root of a great
portion of the evil.
The social aspect of the case is
Dad enough, but the South con cope
with that. The Southerner, if need
De- can drive a tramp away from
Ills house, but he can not force him
ln'o a cotton field behind mule.
II Is the industrial question that is
gong to give as much, if not more
"qoIe than the social problem.
The result: The South right
now IS dependent solely, YOU might
say on negro labor. fthe negroes
refuse to work the production of
crops will fall off; il crops fall off.
.'ere is less cash money; if there is
'eSS cash money there will be less