The daily telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1901-1926, 1905-11-07


law l1llu eitizens leI
the lie insulting
81 ii ElI1es the white
Eilflian lie was deserted by his com
paniols (also white naetg1, not be
cause they were afraid OF two negroes
but because they were gentlemen ;
they knew that HaFlness was wrong
and they were probably ashamed to
be seen In such bad company. ]
presume the News editor would have
stuck to him (and has assumed his
dcfense9 because they are of the
same degenerate type One thing
I must confess.
The News feelingly had it that
sthe negroes words were insulting
in the extreme, etc. Probably they
were to Hardness for my companion
thoughtlessly { ltofd him that "he
certainly was not gentleman.
That seemed to be the straw that
broke the ours back. Hardness was
really hurt because a negro ! ! told
him he was not gentleman. Will
/ give offense if say that such is
my opinion of the News editor? He
has in all probability entered the
journalistic field here with the laud-
able ambition to win the confidence
and support of the reading public
/ have been resident of Clarksburg
for the past six years and my knowl-
edge of the kindly feeling entertain
ed by the white people of the COM
munity for the well behaved, law
abiding, negroes here land there are
many, / am proud to say and my
close observation of the friendly re-
lations existing between both races
leads me to say that the rabid utter
ances of the News will win but little |
support among them.
The older white residents of the
city have lived in peace and harmony
with the other race for 10! these
many wears, and it will take a man
of much greater weight [intellectual
and otherwise) than the editor of the
News to disturb the peaceful rela-
tions which now exist, or convince
these same thinking people that the
great majority of Clarksburg
negroes are vicious, or arrogant, or
even insolent; and this same ac-
ouaintance with the white people OF
this city induces me to say further
that in few communities will You
find a people who are more disposed |
to treat their colored population
with greater fairness or justice than
the Clarksburg whites. While an
evident attachment exists between
the older white and colored residents
many incidents go to prove that the
new conner, black or white, of char
acter and ability, take notice, Mr..
News editor) who evinces respect for
the law-and sef-can get far
and square deal here. The ablest
minds of the country are earnestly
striving today to find a solution of
the great NEGRO problem. " A wise
and Just solution of the problem is
made difficult by the unreasonable
and n-Christian-like race prejudice
which is so prevalent throughout the
country. That there is such preju-
dice is due in great measure to the
utterances of just such rank, rabid:
hatred stirring sheets as the Clarks-
burg News, whose sole purpose
seems to be to stir up strife and race
hatred by the publication of bitter
and abusive articles, seldom justi-
fed, and as seldom true, misrepre-
senting without discrimination, the
negro race. The press is a powerful
factor for good or evil in a COM
munity.
The editor who permits his own
narrow, unreasonable, ill-founded
prejudices to dictate or influence his
public utterances, thus trying to dis
turb the peaceful relations OF the
twos~races 5: striving to foment
trouble; encouraging and increasing
race prejudice, is a menace to the
community. Incorporate utterances
are oft times the precursors of law
Iessness and violence. Unfortunate-
Iy there are many editors who like
the editor Of the News, rant and
rave about threatened negro suprern-
acv and like rot. There is abso-
lufely no reason for such night
mare /; absolutely no ground for such
a fear, and so for social equality
Perish the thought! We negroes
II is often asserted are faithful copy