The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1908-01-10
JOHNSTON ON THE NEGRO
QUESTION.

Alabama Senator Gives Esti-
mate Of the Race and Says
the South can Handle the
Problem.
Senator Joseph Forne John
ston. of Alabama, the successor
of the late Senator Psttus. and
whose commissions in hand in
aures him . seat in the Senate
until 1915, made notable ad-
dress at the Algonquin Club, the
largest club in Boston. on New
Years. Eve. The distinguished
Southerner discussed the negro
problem with unusual frankness.
Senator Johnston said in part:
81 have been requested to say
something tonight on the negro
question. l feel some delicacy in
doing this, ~ my information
only covers q period Of about 90
years. During the war between
the States the mea who seemed
most capable Of directing the
movements Of our armies were
those most remote from the front,
and their judgments became
more infallible according to the
squares of their distance from
the firing line.
"When we consider the present
condition of the negro we must
admit that our efforts in the
recent past have not been re-
warded as we had hoped. A
small percentage of them are pur-
suing an upward course, the re-
mainder are either stationary or
descending toward the level.
1.-The tendency of the negro to
crime is one of the chief causes
Of the tidal wave now sweeping
over the South, compelling white
men to put aside their hostility
to sumptuary laws and accepting
prohibition to check this ten
dency.
Bulletin No. s of the last
census shows the enormous dis
enormous disproportion of crime
proportion of crime that is be-
tween the white and the black
man. 1t il shown that the negro
in the G If States is six times rs
criminal as the white man. 1t
may be said that the negro does
not get justics in the South, but
.he same ratio is shown; in Ohio
he is eight times and in Mich
igan 10 times tue criminal that
the white man is, and in the
whole. North there are II white
prisoners to 10000 white inhab
itants and 50 negroes to 10000
colored inha bitants. SO our courts
cannot be impeached and the
Northern courts escape censure.
The consequences Of criminality
and immortality are shown III q
decreased birth rate aud increas
ing death rate.
THE efforts at education that
have been made have not empha-
sized sufficiently moral and in
dustrial lines, and | am persuaded
will have to be modified.
"What has this race accom-
plished7 They entered into the
race of life with the white mar
according to the scriptures. l
the men of Massachusetts of THU
day are not ready to accept thu
statements Of that great book
the revelation of Ged to man
the book that inspired their Pill
grim Fathers to abandon theil
homes aud people and seek homes
in tho New World. and to NEE
it's dangers, hardsbips and pri
vations so .cOurageously-if th'
men of the day prefer to believe
in evolution, then the negro be
ing nearer the primOrdial cell
is more ancient than the whit,
man
Nov, compare the careers o
these TWO race See the cOrtin
nous procession of illustriOus law
giver, statesmen. authors, di
vines, soldiers, scientists, artists
and inventors Of the white race
conquering new worlds in every
field, unfolding the laws of nature
and giving government and law
to the great nations, and in 81
of the history Of the black NAL
for A, 200 years show me single
man Of that race of the full blood
who stood ut the head of an,
pursuit in life. 1t is said tina
the door of opportunity has no
been opened to him. Whel
the white man finds door close,
he does NOS wait for some one t,
open it for him, out unlocks j
himself or tears it from its hinges
'Is there race prejudice in Oh,
Southi Yes, but no race hatred
There is no spot on earth wher,
the Anglo Saxon comes in con
tact with the brown or blacl
race that he does not dominat,
it. Take India, where Grea
Britain, with less than $4,000 sol