New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1907-05-26

Copyright by AIme Dupont1
hired out 70 private contractors or worked on the
pubic roaSsi Last year The net profit 10 Georgia
S sion refers with pride. reached the great OF
OF course. very large proportion Of the prison.
ers are negroes. The demand for convicts by rich
sawmiIl operators. owners OF brickyards Iargs
farmers and others is far in advance OF the supDy
The natural tendency is to convict many men as
contractors and profit TO the state. Undoubtedly
TINS explains IN some degree the very large num-
One OF the leading political forces in Atlanta Is a
very prominent banker who is dominant member
of the city police board He is also the owner OF
extensive brickyards near atlanta, where many
cOnVlctS employed Some OF the large fortunes
in Atlanta have come chiefly from the labor IN
chain gangs of convicts leased from the state.
one of the things that impressed strongly In
was the astonishing number Of Children especisry
negroes, arrested Some of them were very young
and often exceedingly bright looking. From the
records find thst last year one boy six years Old
seven Of seven years. thirty-three OF eight years.
sxty-nine Of nine years, 1g1 Of ten years. II ot
and brought into cOurt-in other words. SIS boys
and girls. mostly negroes. under twelve years o.
Il should think said to a police officer. YOU
would have trouble in taking care OF all ties
"Reformatories,', he said. there aren't any"
We'll. if they're bad put EN- In the stockads
or the chain gang. otherwise they're turned loose"
Without proper refOrmdtOrieS asyluInS with
small advantage OF the probation system, hundreds
every day-shOOting craps stealing, learning
drink. a few. shut up in the stockade or in chain
teach them. take lessons in crime from older Of
tenders and come OUT worse than they went in
They spread abroad the lawlessness they learn and
finally commit some frlghtfUl crime and get back
into the chain gang for Hle-where they make
profit for the stated
Every child. white OF colored is getting an edu-
schools. home. or. in cases OF tncorrigbilty,
In proper refornatories, then it is the streets
Before / get away from observations Of the low
class negro l must speak OF the subject OF
EranCy. MANY white have told with in
patience OF the great number OF idle or partly ids
faFmn districts Of Georgia are crying o for y nors
labor And from my observation IN Atlanta !
partly idle negroes-even since the riot which
iv JaIs beFT 1P lot ~ s III Is srS - Lem ro1S
mittee of the City Council visited some forty sa-
3555 negroes (and iS2 White mem drinking az ths
bars or lounSing around the doorways. IN sons OF
these salOOnS-conduCJed by white and per-
mited 10 exist by the city authorities-pictures OF
nude white women were displayed al added at
crimes against white women?
less negro w ho IS u aboa5 the Io lowest sta q
h9InanIiIy 1t seems TO me- Of any in our ATerican
derer. working to-day with a railroad gang. to
cotton. Tie has lost his white friends-his white
folks, as he calls theul-and he has not attained
crfoi mai w S 5s Is ~ III Many rs s Segroes
are sIiI,I1rte5 he $50 gi ~ ~ y-OIosn win
whom they hve-for morality and the home virtues
works as cook in a white family viii often take
enough from the kitchen 70 feed worthless vaga-
bond OF a man and keen him IN ideness-or worse
tad RsSF0 song exactly expresses ms s'-' g 'F-'
IT doan has to work SO had
Use got gal in a white man : ya'd;
Ebery night bout half pas eight r,
goes round 20 the white mans gate: 90,
doan has to work so ha'd,"
visited many Of the poorer negro homes s ana
was often received in squalid rooms with a dlgniV
Of polteness which would have done credit 70 90
OF Frenc Imam. And II I can sum " we man.
think. that I was chiefly Impressed by the tragis
punishment melted out % ignorance and weakness
one or two rooms meanly furnished but having n
one corner a glittering cottage organ. or on 40
are not uncom1non-ths first uncertain. priraitigs
mot unpitifuD reachings out after some OF the
graces OF a broader life. Many Of these things sI7
tortonate Often negro family pays monthly 10
year n OF so on sonS Sao%y GoyE OF the vaIH, o.
dozen times over. only 70 have It seized Va -
meet a single note InstaIn1eut houses prev uron
them. PawnhrOkers suck their blood and they ~
rare. indeed that l entered negro ea9n; eve,
tne poorest; without seeing one or more y-
some ahominable cureau- The amount yearly. 4,
pended by negroes for patent medicines. must os
millions o. dollars. I had an interesting
sideght on conditions one DAY while walking ~
one OF the most fashionable residence districts :,
standing somewhat back from the street. said 10
my COMPANION. who was a resident Of the cl'y'
Yes: stop a minute he said Il want to tell you
Ant-kInk?'' asked in surprise =,
Yes; the man who occupies that house is one 2.
the wealthleSt men here He made his money - ~
kinks out Of their wool They're simply crazy GA
that subject
Does it work.
You haven't seen any straight haired negroes
ignorance carries a big burden and climbs rocky
road -,
or, Often have heard negroes refer % my . VIZ
folks and similarly the white man still speaASr .
my negroes. The old term Of slavery tnS ~
or the word master, has wholly disappears.
in its place has arisen. without signiaeanss
round term Boss. or sometimes cap or Sas-s.
TO this the white man responds with me Frs.
orsthe negro, jim or "SUSe''-oT. ne ne=.s,t
Ga or especially respected. Uncle jim o. 49,
tertstng and somewhat amusing phases o. Se WEI
the use OF he word Mr. or Mrs. Nc nssT0s,
ever called Mr. or Mrs by white man 49, s,o toa
indicate social equality. Southern white ia1a ''-
me with hun1or OF his difficulties: rsss-d
Now | admire Booker Washington.. trsI Kim
Mr.. Washington. we were all in auanca5ys, 1 aur
eoSt9Ts degree was gtyen him Ts9s now
Sure enough: I don't think have ssa,o h are
It IS always "pr' or Just Booker icy. ISsy or
The Reverend''-but not Mr. :, VII. Mary
Smith BY The familiar Miss Mary but Il ne ea rs
formal Miss Smith would imply soclal - LARS
AFTER being down here for some month? -oans
man well the black IS being trle9 y NO.
me white man is in fun control OF the SOUS "a az
ntically. socially industrally; the nesro.s ward
Governor Northen points out, is his helpless rrwis
What win he do with him? When see Ihe +SSrrouSh
or young negroes being made crimlnaL, 49,, - now
nittleSsly ignorance finally revenses itseitt -
mat society which nessets or sApsala