New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1907-05-12
THE NEW NEGRO.
He Depends More on HIS Oscn'
Race than ON the White.
BY Ray Stannard Baker.

and the servant question: he is pre-eminently the
nolitical issue. and his place. Socially Is Vi u.y
and hourly discussion. A negro minister met 'oiu
me a story OF a boy who went as sort OF ouuei
assistant In the homo OF a prominent family IN
Atlanta His people were naturally curious about
what went on in the white mans house. One day
they asked him: ,
what do they talk about when theys satinsr
The boy thought moment; then he said;
Mostly they discusses US culled folks
Not long afterward I lunching with several
fine Southern men, and they talked. as usual with
the greatest freedom in the full hearing OF the
negro walters Somehow. l could not help watch-
ing 10 see IL the negroes took any notice OF what
was said wondered if they were sensitive
Finally put the question to one of my friends;
.'Oh" he said I'VE never mind them; they don't
care"
one of the walters instantly spoke up:
No. don't mind me; I'm only a block OF wood
I commented that evening 10 some Southern peo-
pie I met on the impression. almost OF jollity'
given by the negro workers had seen in the
streets. One of the older ladies made what seemed
to me a very significant remark:
They don't sing as they used 10. she said
You should have known the old darkies OF the
plantation. Every year. ii seems to me. they have
been losing and more of their carefree good
humor. I sometimes feel that don't know them
any more Since the riot they have grown so glum
and serious that I'm free TO say I'm scared of
them
Passing tho postofice. several mail carriers
coming out white. black. talking and
laughing. with evidence. at first. of the
istence of any color line. Interested TO what
the real condition was. / went in and made in
quiries. A interesting and significant cOndi-
ton developed. l found that the postmaster who
Is wise man. sent negro carriers up Peachtree
and other fashionable streets. occupied by wealthy
white people. while white carriers assigned
to beats IN the mill districts and other parts OF
town inhabited by the poorer classes of white
people.
You See" said my informant. the Peachtree
people know how TO treat negroes. They really
prefer negro carrier to a white one; It's natural
for them 20 have a negro doing such service. But
II we sent negro carriers down into the mill district
they might get their heads knocked on"
Ihen he made philosophical observation:
III we had only the best class of white folks
down here and the Industrious negroes tbara
wouldn't DE any trouble"
NO other one point OF contact is SO much
ana so bitterly discussed among the negroes az the
jim Crow car don't know how MANY negroes re-
P'ieo 10 my question. What is the chief cause OF
friction down here" with complaint Of their
treatment on streetcars and In railroad trains
fundamentally. OF course. they object to any
separation which gives them INF ior accommoda-
lions This point OF vtew-and am trying To ser
down every point OF view both colored and white
exactly as | find it's expressed In MANY vavs
we pay FIRST class fare said one of the leading
negroes IN Atlanta. exactly the white man
does. but We don't get first class service We
our
seats to make place FOR white man who has paid
no more than We have I say II isn't fair
In answer to this complaint the white man saws:
me negro Is inferior; he must be made TO keep
MS place Give him chance and he assumes
social equality, and that will lead TO an effort at
intermarriage and amalgamation OF III. races Tha
Ansio-Saxon will never stand for that"
conditions on the railroad trains are also rhe
cause OF constant irritation, Well-to-do negroes
who can afford to travel complain that thew are
ted IN
Booker T. Washington usually takes a comDart
meht where he is entirely cut of from the white
passengers Some other negroes do the same thing
although they are often refused this expensive
privilege Railroad officials with whom I talked
and 1t is important TO hear what they say said that
K was not only question Of public opinion-wht.h
was absolutely opposed 10 any interminglng OF the
races IN the cars-but that negro travel in most
places was small compared with white travel; that
me ordinary negro was unclean and careless and
that il impracticable TO furnish them III. same
accommodations, even though 1t did come hard ON
few educated negroes. They said that when
there was delegation of negroes enough to All an
entire sleeping car they could always get accom-
modations. All of which gives glimpse of the
enormous difficulties accompanying the separat,or
OF the In the South
One curious and enlightening example of the in
finite qualifications of the color line was given me
by Mr. Logan, secretary of the Atlanta Associated
Charities. which is supported by voluntary con-
tributons One day after the riot a subscriber
called Mr. Logan the telephone and said: DO
you nelp negroes in your society?''
why yes, occasionally said Mr.. Logan
What do you do that for?''
"A negro gets hungry and cold like ANYBODY
else" answered Mr. Logan.
Well you can strike my name from your sub
scription list I won't give any OF my money to
a society that helps negroes
Now this sounds rather brutal but behind it IIss
the peculiar psychology of the South II was not
necessarily cruelty to cold hungry negro that
inspired the demand of the irate subscriber but
the feeling that the associated charities hepa ne
groes and whites on the basis as men: that
therefore, 1t encouraged social equality and that
therefore 1t was 10 he stopped.
One of the natural and inevitable results OF the
errort or the white man 10 set the negro off as q
race, by himself, is to awaken in him a new con-
sciousneHs-a sort of racial consciousness II drives
the negroes together for defence and onsncs
MANY able negroes some largely of white blood
become OF necessity leaders of their own nsonls
And one of their chief efforts consists In urging
negroes 10 work together and stand together In
this they are only developing the instinct or de-
fence against the white man which has alway,
been latent In the race
The negro has long boon dsrsnsivsly secret,v,
slavery made him that In tho past the instinct
was passive and defensive: but with growing ed,,
cation and intelligent leadership it is rapdIv he
coming conscious. self-directive offensive And
rlsht there IT seems TO me- though I spaak Va,
nom limited observation, lies the great cau,e or