The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1905-10-18
TO SOLVE THE nEeao.PRosLEM

tle vicious element among the negro
race around 10 a more lawful course
have been suggested. and such sug.
gesfions are certainly very much in
order az this time. The News gives
these for what they are worth, wheth-
or they be a more stringent edminis-
~tration Of the yagrancy laws OF a
greater dependence upon less strenu-
Gus educational methods.
one Of 'hc latest suggestions comes
from an old Texan. who has known the
negro well fer almost a century, and
who has seen him controlled in a mer-
| clful and successful manne even
while he was a slave. This authority
notes that il IS a well known fact that
| no criminal assaults were made on
white women by negroes befDte the
| civil war. Every larga slave owner had
a white 0ytrseer in charge Of his
slaves. The owner and oversecr would
select from the best Of the slaves two
or three leaders to be placed Uyer the
field hands. These leaders were known
as riders or under.bOsses. Naturally,
these under.bosses were anxious TO
retain their positions as s~ub-overseers,
and IN order to do 50 they had to give
satisfaction TO the white oyerseer and
TO the master; consequently the sub
~overseers appealed to the better ele-
ment OF the slaves TO help them keep
the most depraved element in subjec-
ton. The sub-obseryers had IL In their
power TO make things a little lighter
for the better element Of the slaves
as long as such element co-operated
with s]ub-oyCrseers in controlling the
unruly element. The deduction made
from this bit Of a~nte.bellum days IS
that in counties where the negro pop
| ulatioR Is large two or three deputy
sherifs should be appointed from the
best element Of the negro race. with
a view OF boxing out particularly for
the unruly element Of this ace. The
appointment; Of such colored deputies
| should have the Endorsement Of the
better element OF the colored people
u the locality and 90 should be the
special duy OF such COlored deputies
supported by the better element Of the
| colored race. TO hunt down all law
breakers among their own race. It Is
a well established fact hat the color
ed suboye -seCr OF ante-bellum times
was more severe on the recalcitrants
| OF mis- race than was the white over
1 seer or tha master. II is believed that
| by throwing the responsibility Of con
! trolling the depraved element Of the
colored race upon the better elemerl
Of said ioce good results would be
obtained"
This IS a plan that It is at least
worth Will 20 consider while other
plans are Icing considered. 1t is a
great problem. Not merely the problem
OF the south. but Of the nation. It is
even more than that. II Is a problem
in which the civilized world is inter.
csted in one way or another. II can
not be worked ont in butchery, barbar
ity, FIRE and blood. These have been
tried in other ages and in other coun.
tries as vol as in our own, and they
seem TO make matters worse. Ven.
geance will continue to work its will
under the horrible conditions present
ed here and there. but vengeance will
not solve the problem by which the
southern people are now confronted
Even the law rigidly applied will not
do n without other helps.
The News is convinced that a rigid
and u~nsparing application of the va
grant laws would accomplish much
but there H. much more to be done
than the law can be expected to do
Industrial development along certain
lines and practical education of the
proper kind must be depended upon
to some extent. There are many OF
the negroes who are hard, willing
faithful and efficient workers, and
there is no doubt that under wise and
proper restraints, and training others
could be atded to this class.
There Is much TO do. In the desire
to hit upon one plan or upon various
means OF working 10 the desirable
end, the News has given suggestions
from thos, in a position to discus.
the negro question in|telligently anC
fairly. The plan proposed herein i.
backed up by good authority, by al
old gentleman who has seen in sue
cessful operation the plan upon which
he bases his advice looking TO i'm
provement Of a state of affairs that i.
growing mere horrible and unspeak
able every day-News.