The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1906-10-13
The Negroes and Their Criminals

The Negroes and Their Criminals ID
The ever present and menaclng G,
problem of the South is the man h
and control of the negro Il
in their midst. The dangerous |,
fact that about one III five of the g
race is criminal, or has inciina- Il
tions and sympathy for criminals t
of all grades, is the most serious a
part of the difficult problem. Bull
doozing, swindling and legislation, I
have each been tried in successive s
turn to solve the negro puzzle,
but tho legislative plan has been
found to be decidedly the best OF
them oil. |,
The observance Of legal forms
wherever they can be applied is al
ways 70 be preferred. There are
occasions however, where the usual
slow processes will not be waited
for nor tolerated, as witness the
action of the infuriated Atlanta
populace a few days ago. These
outbreaks are certainly regrettable
when others than the criminals be-
come victims of the outraged pop
ulace, but they will never be con-
demned among the white people OF
the south whenever the vengeance
wrought is in vindication of the
innocent women Of our land. The
killing of hundred negroes will
never be regarded as satisfaction
for the outrage of single white
woman, and it will most certainly
90 on until the negroes themselves
put q stop to the brutishness OF
their race. The negroes may as
we'll understand once for all that
one crime among them will not be
tolerated or in the least extenuated.
Every outrage upon white woman
or child will be sure to bring ven-
gence from the whites.
If the right minded and law
abiding among the negroes expec'
protection in the land, they mus
help enforce the laws and qul
harboring criminals. This is 60
inc to be no child's play. Th
whites will visit sure death o.
every white man guilty of dishon
oring a white woman, and by thu
same token no negro can hope I
escape from this unwritten law {
the Southland. Negropholists ma
moralize, protest or fight over tt
matter, as they choose, the Will
mans fat will be maintains
There is but one escape, and tn
is for the negroes to put stop
the hellish acts of members OF the
race.
The preachers and the teache
among the negroes have some fal
idea Of the horror dnl the hatr
with which the whites view 81
sort of familiarity on the part
the blacks. They should und'
stand, that, while the negroes ma
their legal and political RICH
which are recognized and in viii
they will be protected as q race
long as they stay among the
selves and keep within the pa
Of those rights, the whites will
sent any approach at social ECU
ity, and every approach toward
miliarity and outrage will aw'
the utmost fury. Their only SAT
is in keeping forever within
bounds of their own race.
It is not only true that the ne
must keep to himself, but he m
also strive to improve in the 81
of humanity in that state OF is
ton. In saying this we must
he understood as advocating
driving of the negro into col
cation, though that might be
for him. We recognize the
that there are many relations
which the negroes and the WI
can and do get along without
clash of interest, and IN which
community is not at all dlstur
Every sensible man underst'
this, and it is not necessary fo
TO state these relations, other
to say that in all cases the neg
are to respect the line OF div
hetween the races, and all