Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1907-04-27
FOLLOWING THE COLOR LINE

ticle in the American Magazine. por-
true colors. He is rapping both the
Negro and the white man, and be is
commencing both the Negro and the
white man. This seems to be an
inconsistent statement. but it is not
for there are two elements in the
B Southland among the white people
and there are two elements among
the colored people.
Both are being handicapped and
hindered by this lower strata of hu-
mainly, termed the ''hoodlum ele-
ment" and both are endeavoring to
free themselves from the burden of
this death" He said:
a-rrUVs -r-
on the twenty-second day OF Sep
TENDER, 1906, Atlanta had become a
veritable social Undertook For
months the relation of the races had
been growing more strained. The
entire South had been sharply an
nOyed by a shortage Of labor accom-
panied by high wages and, paradox
icaliy, by an increasing number OF
idle Negroes. In Atlanta the lower
class-the worthless Negro'-aad
been increasing in numbers: IL show
ed itself too evidently among the
swarming saloons. dives. and clubs
which a complaisant city admins
tration allowed 10 exist in the very
heart of the city. Crime mad in
creased TO an alarming extent: an
insufficient and ineffective police
force seemed unable 10 cope with it..
With a population of $4,000 At
lanta had over 1900 arrests in
1905; in 1905 the number increased
20 21,602. Atlanta had many more
arrests than New Orleans with near
ly three times the population and
twice as many Negroes; and almost
four times as many as Milwaukee.
Wisconsin, city nearly three times
as large.
This is the logical result Of segre-
eating the Negro. The better class
of colored people is held responsible
for him. although an OF the laws are
executed by white men. The Neg,0
criminal is the bane of the Negro
( merchant. as well as the pariah Of
f the Negro property-owner. He wish
es to nave nothing to do with him.
: NJ. Baker continued:
Race feeling had been sharpened
/ through long and bitter political
, campaign. Negro Acknowledgement
being one OF the chief issues under
discussion. An innammatory play
called The Clansman." though for
| hidden by public sentiment I'm many
I southern cities. had been given I'm
( Atlanta and other places with the
2 effect of increasing the prejudice of
/ both races.
/ He speaks truly. The demagogue.
the politician of both races are toe
bane of the Southland. The white
man endeavors TO ride into Office by
, pleading q greater anupathy TO the
Negro than his white competitor and
this too. in the face of the fact that
the Negroes i'm the thirteen states
of the Southland are as completely
and as absolutely DISTINGUISHED as
though they lived in another country.
A white man OF southern extrac-
, ton who appeals to reason must run
/ the gauntlet of contest with a man
! who appeals TO race prejudice. The
result is soon told. The Negro Of
flee seeker knows the effect of il in
his campaign among the Negroes and
the white man is equally sure of his
ground ia his campaign among white
men.
But there is another point that
we wish TO emphasize in this matter
and VIC hope that President Roose-
welt has taken note of it and that is
that oolorcd men in every instance
assisted in apprehending the alleged
, Negro criminals. Speaking along
this line, Mr.. Baker said:
/ Within a few months before the
riot there had been a number of
crimes Of worthless Negroes against
white women. Leading Negroes.
while not one them with whom l
talked wished TO protect any Negro
who was really guilty, asserted that
the number of these crimes had been
greatly exaggerated and that in
. special instances the details had been
Over-emphasized because the crimi-
nal was black; that they had been
used to further infame race hatred.
| ] had a personal investigation made
of every crime against a white wo-
man committed in the few months
before and after the riot.
/ Three. charged to white men, at
tracted comparatively little attention
in the newspapers, although one, the
. Onense OF a white man named Turn
adge, was shocking in its details OF
twelve such crimes committed by
Negroes in the six months preceding
the riot two were cases of rape, nor
} rible in their details, three were az
sravated attempts at rape, three may
. have been attempts, three we're pure
cases Of fright on the part of the
white woman, and in one the white
woman first asserting that a Negro
had assaulted her, finally confessed
attempted suicide.