The Paducah weekly sun. [volume] (Paducah, Ky.) 1902-19??, 1906-12-26
SOUTHERN WOMAN ON
NEGRO.

| n SouthSfu NpilldHs pOSSeSSeu OF n
tender concern for the sorrows and
troubles OF all mankind, comes
right out In The American Magazine
for December and describes what she
believes is the cause OF the lncreas-
Iingly dreadful breach between
white men and black men. She does
not sign the article probably be-
cause what she has written is too
frank, intimate, eomplete-and, in
some degree, terrible.
After an Interesting and illuminat-
ing account of personal experiences
and observations the author pro-
ceeds to what she thinks is the real
cause OF the decreasing affection be-
tween the races:
Service has gradually become
drudgery," she says. Ito be gotten
through with. 10 hurry back at even
ing TO tho zeal home interest. Pride
and concern once entered in their
white peoples possessions and So
cial affeirs, centers in their own.
"As the old servltors have died or
given up by reason OF age. the ser
vice given bylthe present race Of
lcolored house servants and field
hands has grown Indifferent, or at
best impersonai. because of the spir-
it back of it, In the early stage of it
the white employer demonstrated.
hurt. indignant. or even irritated.
With a home back of them and bit
OF ground, and other work easy to
obtain, such as laundry, seamstress-
work. school, teaching fer the young
women, hair-washing, etc and work
on the railroads. buildings factories.
etc, for the men, the colored ,domes-
tic promptly resented reproof for
poor service. Antagonism with no
common interest and no affection be-
tween as Of old, crept IN, and. be-
hold, the condition of mutual de-
pendence and understanding Is APP
parently forever gone. The negro be-
ginning to specialize the duties he
will or will not do in the various ca
pacities as domestic, why. more ser
wants. are required, with increased
wages all around. The embarrassment
10 persons OF moderate means is i'm
mellaiA. To make this worse the
general average Of competency has
lfaHen.' Criticism, however kindly, is
resented, and the white mistress no
longer is looked on kindly in her eff
forts to train her raw servants. In
some cases n certain communities
have In mind certain white families
are boycotted for such criticisms.an
lean get no service whatever in the
|neighborhood.
! "Now, Increasing poor service In
Kitchen and house, as the higher
Iclass Of negroes withdraw more and
more from service. and even this
lgrudglngly given, breeds discomfort
and DISCRIMINATION through house
lat once. The white wife and mother
Ito this average household has come
Ito excuse results to her family by
lament and complaint OF the negro
latitude. And what with this testi-
Imony. added to the humiliation of
frequent change OF servants, poor
service. and constantly Increasing
wages. sense of general irritation
has arisen on the part Of the white
husbands In the south, and also on
the part of the younger members OF
the white households Moreover, the
white man has the same conditions
Ito fight with his farm hands, IL he
employs such I am speaking, UNI
derstand. c. the general situation as
| have drawn my observations from
social visits III recent years through
Kentucky. in Mississippi, South Car
olina, Georgia and Florida.
"In their own condition the ne
groes have progressed marvelously
in general INTELLIGENCE, in property
holding and in Independence. But
lis exactly the same ratio has his de-
pendence on. his affection for. his
Intimacy with, the white race grown
Jess