The Montgomery advertiser., 1907-05-21
INCARCERATION.
An Important Beginning of Move
 ment Against It.

An Important Beginning of . Move ment Against It.
 New Orleans Times-Democrat.
 During the past winter The Times Democrat called attention in a number of articles to the evils of the miscegen- ations between whites and blacks pre- vailing in some parts of the South. anS
 urged that action be taken to break
 up practice that is one of the most
 prolific causes of race trouble. South
 ern statesmen have appreciated this
 instances lamentable weakness in
 dealing with this feature of the race
 problem. Every Southern State, for instance. prohibits the marriage be- few of them have had the courage to~ go step further, like Mississippi, and
 to make miscegenation, illicit relations
 leads to even more dificulties than the intermarriages. As long as miscegena-
 tion is allowed 1t establishes, The
 Times-Democrat pointed out. relations whites, spreading false ideas among the negroes and breeding up a race of
 half breeds who have proved a nuis-
 where they have existed Nearly every serious trouble between the races Is connected in some way with the evil of mfScegenatfon.
 Our warning, while it produced some enect, did not accomplish all we hoped
 for What we said was conceded by all' and on this point there is apparent ficulty lies in securing the necessary legislation to stop miscegenation by
 making 1t a crime. When a bill to that enect came before the Louisiana Legis-
 lature not 8 member would say a word against 1t. and apparently there was no opposition; yet none the less the blIi died. being successfully but mys- teriously pigeon-holed, pocketed and delayed, as is the practice with meas ures which the people want, but which | the legislative leaders and luminaries silently and secretly are opposed to tion.
 A murder recently committed in West FeIiciana, due to misnegenation, has stirred that parish to the uttermost and has started campaign of morality and decency certain to succeed, and which,
 We hope, will spread to other portions to do what 1t should have done long ago-put an end to miscegenation and break up the disreputable negro estab-
 lishments in our towns that are cor rupting the youth of the State and generating and encouraging crime The murder which so stirred West Feliciana occurred at the house of a negro woman in that parish, the victim being young white man of good fam l fly. murdered by another young white
 man who lived with the negress. The | disclosed the fact that this place was | only one of many in the parish, and the young man who did the killing and the young man who was killed were but following the practices that had be- come very common.
 It was thought necessary to call the people together to consider the situa- l tion and to see what steps should he | taken to break up what was recognized | to be Q great evil and a great danger
 to the community. This meeting, held
 In st. Francisyille last week. was out
 spoken in its language. Judge Lawra- 1 son acted as chairman, ,sand insisted that
 the parish should take some action
 and the State also-looking to the pre-
 race, and the prevention of amalgama- | tion between the races by illicit inter-
 course, as well as by forbidding mar
 riage He pointed out the great dan South. from the hordes of mulatto children growing up, and predicted
 that if something was not done to stop
 reckoning would come. He also urged
 that 1t was every mans duty to do what
 he could to help keep his State and
 authorities in their efforts to preserve morality. and that 1t was the duty of | the meeting by expression of sympathy
 and by suggestions of help and advice | to streng gthep the hands of the officials | and to appeal to all legislative bodies | parochia1, municipal and State, to grant
 more power to ther executive officers
 by ordinances and statutes supplying
 any deficiencies in the present laws
 A number of speeches were made
 counseling restraint, and urging that l whatever was done should be done | peaceably under the law. and not vio- 1 lently and by mob; and 1t was sug- | gested that the State Legislature be | memorialized to pass a law that will l prevent white men from living in con
 cubinage with negro women, and rec
 ommendinS that the town councils
 and the police jury of the parish i be at once petitioned and recommended | to pass such additional ordinances as
 may be necessary to more thoroughly regulate and control disreputable | houses and suppress concubinage. A committee was appointed to draw | up a petition to the Louisiana LegisIa- | ture embracing this idea, as well as to correspond with the police juries of the other parishes to get their aid and cooperation in the war 1t is proposed
 to wage against miscegenation-which
 committee was made a permanent one to keep hammering away until the de- sired law was passed.
 In the meanwhile, however some
 good is expected to be done by the dealing with the problem. and the more rigid enforcement of the vagrancy laws.
 It is quite evident from the tone of
 miscegenation in West Feliciana Is go
 ing to be successful. It will be un-
 fortunate if 1t stops there, instead Of sreading throughout the length and
 breadth of Louisiana, and. indeed, of
 the entire South The Times Democrat
 will give all the assistance 1t can and
 will take up again the fight it waged against an evil that degrades the white race undermines society and breeds not only mulattoes, but race hatreds and race wars.
 When q man witnesses the mar