The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1906-09-30
70 the Editor Of The journal.

ception of the condition which brought
on the recent race war in Atlanta,
Ga.,' which you made in an editorial
under the caption Of "The South IS
Problem, +" appearing in Tuesday
Journal. #
A strange transition has taken place
during the past forty-one years. Dur
ing. the four years Of the civil war,
while the white men of the south were
cause they were forced to leave at
home in the hands Of the blacks, their
wives. daughters, sweethearts, mothers
and sisters, and during that entire
period history fails to record the fact
OF a single negro having violated the
trust imposed in him and taken advan-
tage Of those left in his charge. To
have these same blacks, forty one years
afterwards, horrify the world by their
heinous crimes against the same class
of white women Of the south, suggests,
as no words can, the fact that this does
not come by chance. It ought to do
more; it ought to suggest to the Amer
lean people that serious mistakes have
been made in the many attempts made
to deal with the so-called Grace prob
lem.'
" One Thing that Slavery Did.
In the north we have been taught to
look upon the institution of slavery as
one gigantic horror, the midnight of a
race g experience. The principal boast
Of the north has been it's success in de-
stroying the cursed institution. I am
frank to say, Mr.. Editor, that I have
been convinced that slavery itself, as
operated in this country, possessed viz
tues as well as horrors, some of which
virtues are not equaled by our present
system Of control over the blacks as
American freedmen. I am convinced
too, Mr.. Editor, that serious mistakes
were made in the emancipation of the
race as whole, and the enfranchise-
liar, conditions which it was done.
Let me point out one Of the reasons.
During the long period Of American
slavery, lasting as it did for over two
hundred and forty years, three distinct
classes of negroes were developed.
About 68 per cent of the entire race
made up what was known as the ''fe1d
hands,, 20 per cent, the "servant
Glass; and ~ per cent the "skilled
labor" class of slaves in the south.
The "fe3d hands,'' in the first place,
were OF the strong physical type and of
low 10 intelligence: During slavery this
SAe'0o "O1O OOuuucu absolutely TO Ll6
farms and plantations. They had
their lives and pleasures REGULATED
absolutely by the rules especially made
for them. Among other rules was one
that required that special passes from
their masters must be secured whenever
they wanted to leave their plantations
and to return at a given time.
Not Then Saloon Loafer.
This, as can be seen, prevented them
from going out and lounging around
saloons, dives and all manner Of de.
graded places from week to week, or
month to month as the case might be,
as they have been freely allowed to do
under our present system. Again, this
class of slaves had thought out for
them everything that required a single
independent thought. Their raiment
was furnished them, their food was
furnished them, their daily tasks were
assigned them, and from one generation
to another they had nothing to do but
20 60 forward as mere automatons, car
ry1ng out the tasks assigned them and
following the course of life mapped out
hand. = O 'n'
Under these and similar Influences
t 1!e % per cent class during the entire
LIE OF slavery were held in check, thew
were forced to contribute to the
south's resources and incidentally to
the advancement of the nation az a
whole, while they themselves were held
aoove inc groceries and the miserable
owes IN which they have since been
!reeiy alloWed to lounge and live. It
IS from this 'feld-hand" class of
neegroes that now arises a racial crises
threatened the history Of our nation
Mistakes in Dealing with the Negro
When I say that mistakes were made
IL eueanng with the negro have special
aeaerence. to the mistakes made in
e e5aad and enfranchising this
class of negroes. I do firmly Believe
that 1t was mistake for the nation to
nave removed the powerful Influences
oy winch this element was held in check
and made valuable industrial factor
to the nation, while their lower and
oaser natures were held under restraint
ana they themselves held up to plane
OF comparative responsibility, without
substituting some form of guidance and
control until they could so deyelon
strength of character and force of mind
within themselves as to be able to with.
stand the evil influences with which
they were thrown in contact as free
men: Of this I am doubly convinced
IN the face of what has since trans.
PRED. 1t is natural that this element
would at the first opportunity seek to
get as tar away from the effects of
surai that they would conceive the idea
that in order. to get as far away from
slavery and its effects as possible, il
was necessary for them to get away
from plantations, the farms and old
"massa.' - By thousands and tens of
thousands they rushed from the farms
into the cities. Having no ability ia
measure the effect of thoughtless
shiftless, indolent or dissipated act upon
their future, they naturally fell Of thei1
own weight into the lowest walks OF
life. - =.
I Some Natural Results.
While in the south the conditions OF
this class attracted me as no other con
ditions did. I would go into the dives
and "hell holes'' at /, 2 and 3 O o'clock
in the mornings in all parts of the south
where found thousands and hundreds
of thousands of those, who had beer
held up to a plane of moral respecta
bllity under the coercive and restrain
ing influences of slavery, lying around
on sawdust floors. The influences sur
rounding them were as vile as it is DOS
sible for any human mind to conceive
| Of. 1t President Roosevelt would place
one of his own sons under such infu
ences, within five. years his son would
either be criminal or would doubt
less be dead. It can easily be seen thai
from these influences and condition,
there have come tens of thousands of {