The Montgomery advertiser. [volume] (Montgomery, Ala.) 1885-1982, 1909-12-22

Up in the oiassic confines OF social
equality. Boston they had mob one
night last week. and the negro was
the cause Of Il. No doubt It sounds
incredible to those who have some
knowledge OF Massachusetts, generally
and Of Boston especially. Az 10 well
known. they love. the negro In the
abstract up there. and harp much
about race equality. abuse the South
for alleged injustice to the coiored
brother. and make themselves con-
spicuous by their continued harping
on the question.
Just the same. the Bostonians show
ed the country what a difference
there may be between precept and
practice. and how the two may not
work In harmony. even up there.
They had mob one night. right in
the heart Of Black Bay culture and
philanthropy" as one contemporary
puts II. A mob of some forty genu-
inc Bostonians, some philanthropists
among them no doubt. raided negro
settlement for the purpose OF driving
them out, on the general claim that
they were not wanted there. Though
we are not definitely assured that the
negro residents were driven out. the
result Of the raid was that number
Of the negroes were badly beaten and
bruised as reminder OF Bostonian
philanthropy.
The only apology that we have seen
was that the citizens would have done
the same IL the undesirable citizens
had been Cinnamon, Japanese. or any
other class OF citizens that the Gull
turists do not want among them. We
may give as much credence to this
sort of apology as we like--and some
of us will not admit that, there is
much force in it. And all this pfac-
tice and precept business leads The
Chattanooga Times to say:
Few OF us knew 1t for a fact. al
though many or us suspected it-Bos-
ton has negro problem. We know
It It now because we have been told BY
Boston Globe. We gather, however,
from The Globes diagnosis OF the Bos-
ton ailment that 1t has much the same
South. albeit exhibited in different
symptoms. In Boston, for instance,
the equality of the races is theoreti-
cally admitted. but while this is so,
a M "a he N0Aa [vr,a ~.
ing Boston) Is cold to the black man,
who comes to her and asks for a
chance to make living" That is. of
course. bad for the black man, for he
equality alone" In the South equal
fly is denied rather vigorously by
most and with soma degree of ardor.
mans. ct ID omne genus. h but ashe
(meaning the SOUTH Is warm and
sympathetic to the black man who
comes to her seeking a chance to
proposition about like this: Equality
for the negro In Boston minus
chance to make living, equals: A
chance to make living in the South
minus equality.
1t may well be asked which is best
for the negro. a chance to make an
honest living without social equality.
or social equality without a chance to
make living2 The first Is the
Southern idea and, the last appears to
be the Bostonian idea; and as to that
matter there is good deal of that
feeling in many parts of New Eng
land. We do not think 1t matter
that needs much discussion. for we
think most fair-minded men will agree
that our way is best for both races.
Inviting a negro to sit at table with
the white family and allowing himself
and family to suffer for something to
eat because the whites will not give
him work is a very faulty brand of
philanthropy and humanity, to say the
least Of 1t. In short. the negro in
Boston doesn't find bed of roses to
lie on.