The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1907-06-17
SOUTHERN CIVILIZATION.
a Negro Maintains That II Doesn't Include
His Race or Allow It Rights.

TIC TIE EDITOR OF THE SuN-Sir: To a
black man-no an American" please.
but just a plain black man, the discussion
evoked by Edward Whites letter published
In The suS u few days ago about civilization
In the South is decidedly amusing,
Mr.. White and his critics are all Of them.
/ take 1t. "~Anglo-SaXons." whatever that
mean to-day. and are incapable Of thinking
black. None OF them appears TO know any
thing OF the conditions which obtain In the
South and which make Its civilization so
called a libel on the name. What would Mr..
Roland Hall and Mr.. George Trultt, II they
were black men. say Of Southern civilization
II their wives and daughters were compelled
to travel In filthy Jim Crow cara and 20 listen
to the ribald jokes and profanity of white
gentlemen ~ who travel in other cars with
their female relatives and who stroll into
the Jim Crow car to smoke and drink their
corn juice? And what would either OF these
wrothy gentlemen have TO say II a ~civiliza-
ton that permitted street car conductors
in Southern cities 10 order negroes who had
paid full fare to give up their seats not 10
ladies flor every gentleman OF whatever
race will instinotively show courtesy to a
woman on a street car. rich or poor. black
or white) but TO a white man? This happened
to me In the city OF Nashville In 1897. and 1t
has happened TO Others of my race in other
take it that Mr.. White was speaking broadly
when he wrote as he did to The SGN. and i
am sure he spoke trpthfully In 50 FAR as the
civilization Of the South touches the negro.
Really Ii doesn't touch him at all. 1t doesn't
comprehend him, and j fear it never will.
He Is as much Of an allen In the South as a
is educated the. further away the white man
will get from him.
All Of your correspondents are right. Each
of them sees Southern civilization as a white
man sees it and understa nds It. One OF them.
broader minded, more liberal, more humane
and just than the Others appear 10 be. tells
the truth. the whole truth and nothing but
upon his head the maledictions OF critics who
are opposed To- including negroes. whose labor
for three hundred yea rs has made the South
blossom as the rose, In the splendid %CiViliza-
ton OF which Its defenders proudly boast.
What shall we say of a civilization which
winks at and condones the lynohing Of human
beings, black or white, and roasting them at
the stake?
Byron in Don Juan" says: Christina ms have
burnt each other quite persuaded that all the
Apostles would have done as they did. "
Perhaps the Southern people who do these
thinR s find here their justification for a species
Of barbarism which L. and ever will be n foul
blot on their escutcheon. There Is much
more to he said, but J. forbear. believe II
begins" The civilization of the South is all
right for white men, hut for black men IL Is
tyra Of the worst kind, and there are thou
sands who can, il they will. corroborate all
that Mr.. White has sale OF the social oligarchy
In the South which Is seeking To reduce the
negro 10 the level of the pariah and 10. write
him out of the Constitution In the making Of
which he played no unimportant role.
jon EDWARD BRUCE.
YoNKFRs. n. Y. June is.