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

otdGCm0uL W LILO tutCG G1dI tuC POO
pie Of the north have no adequate con-
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 Tuesdays
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
fighting on the battlefelds for their
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 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.'
In the north we have been taught to
look upon the institution of slavery as
one gigantic horror, the midnight of a
race s 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
THO of Job
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-
ment Of all the blacks under the pecu.
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 ''feld
hands,,' 20 per cent, the "servant
glass; and ~ per cent the 'skilled
labor' class of slaves in the south.
The "fead hands, in the first place,
were of the strong physical type and of
low intelligence. During slavery this
class were, confined absolutely to the
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 a Saloon Ioafer.
This, as can be seen, prevented them
from going out and 1ounging 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
TO go forward as mere automatons, car
rylng out the tasks assigned them and
following the course Of life mapped out
for them by the masters mind and
hand.
| Under these and similar influences
f 1ifs e % 1er cent class during the entire
| AAIe u slavery were held check, theY
were forced to contribute to the
south 8 resources and incidentally to
the advancement of the nation as a
whole, while they themselves were held
above the groceries and the miserable
dives in which they have since been
freely allowed to lounge and live. #
is from this "feld-handO class If
negroes that now arises racial crises
Tar TAI more severe than any ever before
threatened the history Of our nation.
Mistakes in Dealing with the Negro.
When say that mistakes were made
IN dealing with the negro T have special
reference; to the mistakes made in
emanclpatlng 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 a valuable Industrial factor
to the nation, while their lower and
baser natures were held under restraint
and they themselves held up to a 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 [ am doubly convinced
in the face of what has since trans
I plred. 1t is natural that this element
would at the first opportunity seek to
get as far away from the effects of
slavery as possible, and it is most nat
ural that they would conceive the idea
! that in order to get as far away from
slavery and its effects as possible, it
was necessary for them to get away
from plantations, the farms and old
Hmassa." By thousands and tens of
thousands they rushed from the farms
into the cities. Having no ability to
measure the effect of a thoughtless
shiftless, indolent or dissipated act upon
their future, they naturally fell of their
own weight into the lowest walks OF
life. -
! Some Natural Results.
While in the south the conditions OF
this class attracted me as no other con
ditions did. I would 90 into the dives
and "hell holes'' at l, and 8 o 'clocI
in the mornings in all parts of the south
where I found thousands and hundreds
of thousands Of those, who had beer
held up to a plane Of moral respecta
bility under the coercive and restrain
ing influences of slavery, lying around
on sawdust floors. The influences sur
sible for any human mind to conceive
of. If 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 tina
from these influences and conditions
there have come tens of thousands Of .
worthless, criminal element Of negroes