The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1907-03-08
The Negro Question
Settled In the South.


Atlanta ministers some weeks ago, for
| the purpose of having conference in
Charleston, S. c., in the near future to
discuss the negro question, is meeting
with its just rebuke.
| The matter has bee1 presented to
| the Alabama legislature, but that body
took no action towards having dele
gates at the conference, and now the
report comes that the governor OF vir-
ginia has declined to appoint delegates
| to the conference from that state on
! the ground that there is nothing for
the conference to do; that the negro
question has been settled in Virginia
by the white man, and thas the confer
ence can add nothing to the work now
being done along these lines.
The position taken by Governor
Swanson is eminently correct So far
as the south is concerned, the negro
problem has been settled insofar
tas the position of the white
man is concerned. BY leg
islation in the different states, the
| ignorant of this class nave been dis
Ifranchised. and they-are being made to
understand that they must obey the
| law, or suffer its consequences. When
ever one rebels he is speedily dealt
with, and will continue to receive his
gust punishment as long as he lives
lin the south and continues to break
The law.
The Montgomery Journal. in discuss
ling this proposed conference. says:
From what we can learn at present the
farmers OF Alabama have secured for the
present year. all the labor they want.
This always happens after a bad crop
year. The laborers have gone to work
in earnest, seeming to realize that not
even the Booker Washington school can
keep them out of the field and that they
must earn their bread by the sweat of
the face. That is the condition now. The
farmers are pleased with the outlook for
the year. and why should we disturb
pleasant conditions by needless agitation?
There are negroes and negroes, the ne
gro farmer and the negro educator and
agitator. We are for the negro farmer,
and we see no cause for disturbing him
In his happiness and contentment for the
benefit of the negro agitator, who IS try
ing to live on the guiiibilfty OF the more
ignorant. by putting into his head false
notions and ambitions land aspirations
that are impossible
The negro farmer is happy and con-
tented.
The negro agitator is sowing seeds Of
discomfort among them, and when white
men engage in holding negro conferences
they help the negro agitator. and help to
bring discomfort to the negro farmer.
We want no negro conferences. Let
the contented negro alone AS to the
other kind, the sooner they leave the
south the better for this section and the
worse for the section to which they
may migrate.
The intentions of those Atlanta
ministers, who first started this move
ment, may have been good but the
end sought to be accomplished can re-
suit in no good, and is likely to result
In much harm to both races, if the con-
ference is held as contemplated.
1t is bad enough for the people Of
the north to agitate this question, and
certainly the people of the south, those
most vitality interested, should do
nothing to make matters worse in this
Prospect
There is no negro problem In the
south to-day. Every state has adopted
means to meet any emergencies that
may arise from this phaze of this ques-
ton. and each state is held responsible
for its conduct in handling this matter
There can be no united action now by
the states of the south on the question,
land there is no need of it, except in
cases OF open revolt. Let each state
pursue its own course, unhampered by
outside interferences, and without any
undue agitation of the question, either
within or without the state. In other
words, let wen enough alone"
The Journal hopes if request is
made on Governor Broward for the ap-
pointment of delegates from this state
10 the proposed conference that he viii
reply to the request as old the COVER
nor of Virginia, and tell these ag1ta-
tors that Florida has no negro prob
lem to settle"