The Brunswick news. [volume] (Brunswick, Ga.) 1906-2016, 1906-10-12
He Discusses the Race Prob
lem in Speech at La
Grange
MADE AN INTERESTING TALK
Says the Vagrancy Laws Must Be Per-
fected to Reach Easily the Idle
Negroes-ShouId Be RieIdly
Enforced.

LAGRANGE, Ga, Oct. lin his ad
dress yesterday. Hon. Hoke Smith said
OF the race question::
The white race inherits character
from ancestors who fought the battles
of human rights. and gave the worlu
it's highest civilization.
The negro race inherits savage in
stincts from barbarians OF Africa, ant
has received its chief progress while
In slavery from control by the white
man.
Amy effort to improve conditions
in Georgia and the South by treating
the two races as equal Is stupid ano
hurtful.
Il believe in using promptly and
vigorously the power of the state TO
prevent riot or lynch law. but We mus
go to the root of the evil and remove
the causes which excite to violence.
THE white man must accept tuli
responsibility and control of the situa-
ton. This is the white mans coun-
try, and it is the white mans burden.
The best negroes should be encour.
aged to help. 1t may be eventually
that the races will separate. but for
the present, the negroes in large num-
bers will remain in the South. anu
the situation must be handled as IL
exists.
Kindly, but firmly, the large ma
lority of the negroes must be super
yised and directed by the white man.
The fact should be kept in mind thai
very large number of negroes are
irresponsible. and when left in idle
ness are prone to crime. The study
should be how to reach these negroes
and restrain them in their conduct
before they become criminals.
The Fourteenth Amendment to the
Constitution of the United States him
ders the most Intelligent mode 0l
handling the subject. Our national
government has always legislated lot
the Indians, placing around them re-
strictions entirely different from those
applied to white men.
But for the Fourteenth Amend
ment to the Constitution of the United
States. we should follow the same
plan In Georgia with reference to the
negroes.
The idle. loating negro is the chiel
cause of trouble. We must exhaust
all legal means to save negroes from
idleness. Those who loaf and move
from place to place should be recog-
nized as probable criminals and be
placed under arrest to anticipate ar
prevent more serious crimes.
The Industrious and law abiding
negroes. as wei as the whites. neea
protection from the idle and crimina.
of their race.
The vagrancy laws must be pee
leeted to reach easily idle, loafn2
negroes. They must be enforced Wig
orously in cities and towns.
The country offers the great op-
portunity for every negro who is will
ing to labor.
THE white men in rural sections
must act In concert and know every
negro in their section. The stranger
who makes his appearance should at
once be required to give a satisfac
tory account of himself or be taken
into custody.
Our system of education in the
negro schools must be changed. The
lesson OF honest and continued labor,
foundation on which character musl
pc lilt. should be treated in negro
schools as more important than knowi-
edge acquired from books.
The industrious and law abiding
negro can only escape responsibility
tor the crimes OF his race when ne
contributes all In his power to pre-
vent them.
'shs white mas Esast tssiiy raosses