Evening journal., 1906-10-27
Convention Of Negroes.

Editor The Evening Journal
"The Negroes Good Citizens Associa-
tion OF Delaware" so called, mas met and
adjourned. From press reports. some con-
siderable number met passed upon an ad-
dress and resolutions previously con-
structed by a handful OF their country
men OF this city a few nights before and
with a few compliments one to another.
The whole thing has ended whore It start
ed. The affair from beginning was stereo-
typed. There was no convention delibera-
tlon, the masses assembled out OF cur
ioslty and excitement; Jason and his
henchmen. with Presiding Elder Nutter
and his church district constituted the
real representation OF negroes. One OF
the largest negro churches Of this State
took no part in this public show. In fact,
there was no real representation in IL.
AS 1 have previously announced. a few
self-iovers got together and named tho
members Of their convention. lite
! crowd from Wilmington. representing
nothing. with Jason at thelr hcnu In a
certain physioian's office drew ur every
thing and concluded this to be what is
now published in the papers as the action
and deliberation of the negroes assembled
at D3ver Tuesday last. No wonder the
papers reported that everything went
through with "whoop," and the r
business was concluded in a short while.
The fact is, not over twenty present knew
what they were doirg and 1 nm safe in
saying that they had little 70 do with
matters at ALL
you can fool some of the people ali
the time, but you can't fool all the peo-
pie an the time" Thus spoke = great
statesman and thus I repeat now. / am
extremely glad that the matters printed
in the papers have pleased the publishers
so greatly and hope. to the same extent.
the public at large. II this was the solu-
ton Of tho matter in question. 1.-The Grim
inal negro" I would join In with this
crowd and say no more. but when a
ridiculous farce has been held to be
concluded with an car pleasing essay. fer
one, ] am not ready to submit in silence
to "a Sensible Convention" and IL mat
ters not to Inc who says II.
Everybody with two grains Of sense
that mas read the proceedings Of those
negroes at Dover en- Tuesday knows
they have come as short OF the issue as
time and eternity Even the papers that
have compllmented them have at the
same time failed 10 show how their ac-
! tions are 70 lessen "crime among or de-
crease the criminal negro IN this State d"
| This was tho purpose Of that negro gath
ering and IL In this they have failed
their play upon words to the public is
not worth the paper written upon.
1t is.a shame to the intelligence OF the
white man OF this State II in all these
years Of his dealings with the negroes,
until tho address just issued by Jason and
Company he has just learned that all
the negroes are not alike. That there are
criminal as well as good negroes" in
this State and that the former are not in
the majority either. Any white man or
any number OF them that could believe in
this day Of enlightenment that "the rep
utable and good colored people have been
compelled I'm a way TO stand the odlum OF
thee rimes of the worthless and vaga-
bond classes" are too insane 10 be any
d where safe outside Of the asylum Of luna
tics. However. II the Jason address in
question has convinced the whites OF this
fact FOR the FIRST time. we are happy for
this Timely conversion; but we stn con-
tend. what have these negroes brought
forth to apply as a remedy to the question
at issue, "the criminal negroy
They ask for legislation. 1 charge spe-
cial legislation for the negro at that. II
not, then the laws Of Delaware for the
subiugaton Of crime in general That
which holds in check the white man.
should in Ike manner work the same re-
suits with the negro. The white man con-
siders his laws sufficiently strong for
himself and when they need revising he
has intelligence enough and will see to il
that the same are enacted The very acts
OF these would-be negro reformers re-
veal their ignorance and inability to
handle the question they have gone in
the limellght 10 solve. They forget it 4.
not question OF the "cfimlnality Of the
white man and the negro" but the
"crlminality" OF the latter n for bott
then the legislation they ask although a
little presumptive at that, since they arc
the small minority Of this common.
wealth concerned) would be impartial
But since the negro is the only one m
question IN the present instance, Tor q
negro body TO ask for legislation 20 her
him. must In the narrowest sense bs
special. Compulsory education. iiquci
license and state policing" as petltoncc
by theso-know not what TO do-reform
ing negroef, are matters that make IN
negro no more criminal than the white
man as conditions now stand.
If these good citizen nergoes" know
OF so much concubinago among their pee.
pie. they can have every case recthed II
a fortnight as the law is already sufn.
ciontly strong and applicable. No new
law IS necessary for these ordinary case,
they have in mind and since they have
charged the race in particular with thi,
crime, II true 10 their pretenses 1t is due
them 20 begin proceedings at the earliest
else they stand before their race and tn,
world as the basest slanderers
AS 10 the homes. churches. courts
schools and press" cooperating with these
negro moguls in the protection OF th,
women Of all races" Il goes without com,