New-York tribune., 1907-08-05
LIBERIA THE SOLUTION.
FOR NEGRO EMIGR1IION
.ffr;cGP Senator Udnts Government
to offer Transportation.

Senator =, II Jackson Of Liberia who
stnppin- the home Of friend. Peter Downing
Of No. al johnson street, Brooklyn IS convinced
,nat tho only hope of Tie American negro IS in
tae African republic The Senator is a small black
man considerably past middle age HIS parents
among the first TO 60 from America 10 AFRICA
They once slaves and eIhlgrdIeu from -He"
Orleans 10 Nonroyia.
L sea hope for the negro IL America H.
said last night a reporter Of The Tribune !
agree with Bishop Turner. Of the Methodist kpis-
rapal Diocese OF Long Island. that all VINO nave
should seek homo in Liberia If l
~ " HIM combining with the whites in business and
being treated with impartiality I would say moth
ing. he he found in no large enterprises
10 speak Of. and socially he is outcast.
The organization which founded the Liberian
Republic stiIl in existence. but is not financially
able To senG negroes TO Africa in any numbers, and
few negroes able TO pay their own passage
there and live until acclmated and i'll business
The Liberian Emigration Society formerly trans
,,orted the negroes and maintained them for six
months would be well for the negroes and the
whites II the United States governnent-which now
protects the republic from foreign aggression
,reuld undertake the work which the society is no
longer able perform
DO You intend 10 see President Roosevelt upon
this proposal asked the reporter.
No replied the Senator: 4 am in this country
NJ, private business enterprise. and nave COM
mission from my government to take the matter
I'D with him. and would not presume TO bring II
up otherwise"
what do YOU think Of the proposal to set aside
= portion Of the United States and restrict its use
10 negroes?'
That would fail The negroes tried that in the
Southwest long ago. and the whites forced their
wax I'm upon them Il would only lead 10 trouble
The only plan for doing away with the race prob
lem to make II possible fer any negroes who
wish 80 80 Africa"
You would not propose general transmgra-
tor.. would you
30. would not IKE to Sc a great number 60
tnr ia Liberia a. one time. I would not have any
enc go who did not DO voluntarily. and Wouid
rot have them go with delusions Let them Know
exactly what Liberia is like and let only those 90
who intend work there just as hard as they have
20 work mere to get a living. Otherwise they Will
he discouraged and will become a burden 10 the
country.
from slavery They were sTgrred on To face al!
sorts of llartisps by thought that they would
l,- free and they succeeded Their descendants
have no such inspiration and many of them nave
fallen into shiftless ways. Take them an IN an, @
Jhex are list about the same as the negroes are
here Sorle work and some do not
The Itberians are about 5000 in number and
-tera are 15oe 600 heathens about them They
get along well with the natives. a number Of whom
70 civilized now We have schools and our
1,,7rc1,es and about half population can read
and write.
,uo hundred deep and has excellent resources and
an eu,,Dort : large population Living is cheap.
and SO is labor The farms are usually small
r,ots Of FIVE or ten acres each. The largest farm
in the country has only 100 acres or less "hai
NE need is capital and labor 10 develop our re-
49,, IL,
80 snare in the government. hut l toll them
that that will never be They must he equal IN
b-afns equal I'm purse and equal in numbers before
7hay ran hone that. but there ls no lrifnisra-
ION of negroes this country and the whites are
continually coming in all parts. The negroes
can only dwindle in numbers
But / tell the people not to go Ia Liberia WIN
,,,e idea that they can lie on their backs. They
,o,,s- work We have work 10 do and need work
rs We have enough drones Of our own mere
is an impression here that all one has 10 do IN
Liberia is to walk about and pick up gold and
ienels and eat the natural products; but that IS
mistake and no one should go there with that
idea -,
Then Won believe that Liberia should anord the
solution Of our race problem
Yes II the government Of the United states
would ,e Ike sreps enlarge Liberia and assist III
the development OF its resources by Iendlng hail-
risI aid there is no why we should not ne
como 2 prosperoIs nation That in itself would
draw the negroes whom the government "ouid
assist in establishing in our republic
I would advise oiC men 10 go tileIe- II a
,,areon mas 2 weakness. the fevers Of the country
arc Tlxelv 20 attack him and settle upon the weak
snor The people that want are the Eolne ana
vigorous ! have heard much criticism or Blsil"p
Turner for his advocacy Of emigration TO Liberia
People say that should there himself II ne
wants others to do He IS an old man ana t.e
change Of climatic conditions would pTooaoiE
sc