The Aberdeen weekly., 1908-08-21
End OF the Springfield Riot.


ported over. This is scarcely to be
wondered at when it is considered
that Governor Deneen rushed $500
militia to a town which contains
only 1000 males Of voting age. The
militia must have Outnum bered the
mob two or three to one. Under
these circumstances, we'll equipped
with cavalry and rapid firing guns,
there was never the slightest doubt
of the ability of the authorities to
suppress the trouble. Nor will it
be disputed that Governor Deneen
acted with promptness and vigor.
Its suppression viii not restore
cordial relations between the races.
This bitterness has been growing
with years as the negroes have in
creased in mum Der in Central Hi
nois by immigration from the South
The immigrants have been mainly
darkies dissatisfied with conditions
here, or driven out because of their
bad character or records, and with
few exceptions undesirable additions
to any population. They demanded
social equality and recognition. and
have latterly been able to enforce
these demands because Of their DO
litical strength. They usually hold
the balance of power and are thus
able to insist on special cOnsidera-
ton from the Republican officials
and to get it. The fact that through
this political influence negro Grim
inals had been able to slip through
the meshes of the law IS said to be
one of the chief causes Of the Spring
field outbreak.
The town of Springfield has 35. :
900 population, of which about 3, I
600 are negroes. There are a num-
Der Of blacks in the neighboring
country districts and adjoining
counties, and the negro population
is increasing-a condition which is
always precedent to a race riot in
the North.
Another Characteristic of the
Springfield riot which shows the
difference between the treatment OF
the race North and South is the fact
that the mob attacked all negroes,
good or bad, making it a distinctly
race affair When a crime like that
at Springfield occurs in the South
the mob usually goes after the
criminal. In case there have been
succession of crimes by negroes,
the mob may give an order to all
bad negroes" to leave town, but
it is not made a racial affair, and
the negroes whe behave themselves
have no reason to be afraid.
/ In the North, However, the trou-
BILE takes on a marked racial char
acter. 1t is the whites against the
blacks, good, bad and Indifferent.
| The negro quarters are burned and
! all negroes driven out. If it be true,
as reported, thut 20O0 of them have
left Springfield as the result of the
riot and in fear of their lives, il
means an end of the negro question
there for all time, as it will relieve
the town Of its African excess and
leave only a thousand behind.
A number of arrests have been
made of those who took part ia the
riots. Among these are naturally
mum Der of those disorderly per-
sons who seize upon disturbances OF
this kind to commit depredations
but a majority were undoubtedly
stimulated to the rioting by the bit
terness the negroes had stirred up
by their offensive manner and acts
and by the crimes committed by
members Of their race. There is
little reason to doubt that the au-
thorities, in order to placate the
negroes, IN view of the approaching
election, will press the prosecution
Of the rioters vigorously. The ex-
perience at Bellville and other Hi
nois towns where similar race riots
have occurred does not give prom
ise of many convictions, for public
sentiment is unquestionably against
the negroes.
The loss by the riot is put at
S170, 900. The calling out Of the
militia viii probably cost as much
more, so that the expense that will
have to be borne for this single ne
gro crime will sum a third or a half
million, and the worst of the entire
incident is that it settles nothing,
and that the same trouble is liable
to break out any day in any other
Illinois town where the negroes are
sufficiently numerous to be trouble
some and to arouse prejudice by
their acts and where negro crimes
stir up violence against them.