The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1904-09-13

Hglon now counts Tor all too little, and the
moral instruction of the young is probably in
ferior to that given by the shareholders of the
Upper South. Hysterical preaching is more popu-
lar TINA Biblical teaching. A typical illustration
has just come to my notice. An intelligent, edu-
Gated negro pastor had been laboring earnestly
with his congregation, trying to raise their morals
and give them worthier ideals. He went away for
a week, and found on his return that he had been
supplanted. An old-time "mourner" preacher. an
pealing only to the emotions, had captiyated the
membership by making everybody "happy." Writ
ing of this problem in a recent Hampton Insti-
tute publication, Frances A. Kellor says: "The
religious life of the negro to-day, with it's mysti-
clsm, superstitition, and execesses, in some cases
predisposes to crime. It accentuated an excess of
emotion, which condition is traced in many crimi-
nal cases." And yet we are sending missionaries
thousands of miles to Africa while the Africa at
our own doors goes neglected.
The white people of the South should do their
full duty in providing proper educational and re-
Eglous training for the blacks, and then they
should hold the negro leaders largely responsible
Tor the moral condition of the race. As one of
the most thoughtful and conservative North Caro-
lima editors has said: "The negro preachers.
teachers, and leaders must be made to feel their
AOA LOSIO CI1lO. lu0y SQOuIOm manu-
tacture an anti-raping sentiment, and force II
down through the several strata of their society
until 1T touches bottom; then outrages would
cease. They have not done it. Instead they have
virtually encouraged the crime by denouncing only
its punishment by the mob So careful a journal
as the Review of Reviews has commented on this
indifference on the part of the colored leaders.
why do they bother themselves so much about
tne lynchlng OF negro criminals and so little about
the hldeousness of negro crime 2" asks DIR. Shaw.
here we nave the most na1nfuI aSnoot Of +bo
whole problem"
Inns condition., moreover, is reflected in the
n1egros general attitude toward law. Not a guar
dian protecting his rights, but an enemy restrict
ing his freedom, has always been his contention
OF government. Lynching would be much less fire.
auently resorted to, if the negroes, instead of con-
ceallng and shielding their criminals, would dis
own them and cooperate with the whites in the
to punish them.
But let us also deal honestly with ourselves
Let US see to 1T that we. place no stumbling-block
IN the path OF the weaker race. Here, for ex-
ample, IS a charge which comes, I believe. from
DIR. Il B. Frissell, of Hampton Institute: "The
way IN which many respectable, intelligent colored
girls are bounded by white men of the baser sort
much to create bitterness among the negroes.
III ieaqs tnem to palhate the crimes Of their own
ace 1t this condition exists in any degree what
ever we ought to free ourselves from the shame
u IT.. Ihe pressure of outraged public opinion
should be strongly brought to bear on any white
nan ny any means encourages immortality
among negro women. It is demoralizing. If
5 unworthy Of our race. It reacts to our hurt
Inc best1al1ty of negro men is fostered by the
lnchaslty of negro women. No form of racial
m~1algamatlon must find liberation among the
whites. e "0
Here, too, is a charge bv Professor W. III. Conn
H. one OF our best-known negro educators: "The
le!groes are brutalized, prepared for a career Of
rlme, by low saloons and dens of vice. and
hese vlce-factories owe their existence to white
'eople. The blacks make no laws, they execute
70 laws. No Judge or board of aldermen would