New-York tribune., 1909-04-20
THE "NEGRO PROBLEM
COT7TH CAN SETTLE IT,
Discussion III Timed, Sag Dirie
EducatiOniSts.
IRON 3 Special Correspondent

a. a
-.-ts Of ire South VINO gathered here last week
- .ba twelfth annual Conference for Education in
:, south can be fairly said TO represent not only
= e5rrcsriouists Of the South but also its most
aggressive element in public affairs. They were
- who devote much OF their time the study of
=. --ohier7s which now face, and many Of which
= rsculiar 20, the Southern states.
r-err5ratsly the so-calIed negro problem" came
- <o- little public discussion in the conference.
y y s-,--a-elz- and certainly unwiseIv several of
=. sneakers saw f1t 10 deviate from the subjects
-,g,ed them and talk this question. There
. Of course. much discussion of the negro and
- future particularly his educational future,
--,o,g the delegates to the conference in their
.aor,s or in the hotel lohbies-
1--or, such discussion as the latter good results
- ~ expected; certainly difficult 10 see how
80 can arise It is the injudicious public speak
- who does damage by unnecessary and unwise
,saches on the negro question-Unnecessar be
,.rse he can offer no solution nor suggest any
r-sctical remedial measure; unwise because his
,escbes subserve no good end but on the contrary.
+ns 10 foster prejudice and keep alive racial
+eslns which is best TO let slUnber, if slumber
It will
There prevails among thinking men in the South
.o-5sy the feeling that the least said about the
.-s7-o 7,robler'' and the fewer speeches made on
s+ subject the better it viii he for all concerned.
.L sssier il viii become for South deal with
.hs negro. This. of course. must not be Inter
--e+ad 10 mean that sOCiolOgistS and others in
,s-ss1ed in the subject should stop studying pre-
Ealing conditions or their endeavors to reach
sorlf;on of the problems real or ina ginary. which
..sv see I means in blunt language, stop talk
sg mil zou can DC something until You can bring
coward practical solution There is steadily
r-o1inE sentiment among Southerners. The
--sh1lre's correspondent found by talking with
representative men from the Southern states. that
,bsre has been entirely much public talk about
,hs nero question: that much of this talk has
sppsared in the public prints, and that the effect of
q su has been 70 keep both whites and negroes
continually arguing it and thereby doing more
+bsn any other thing tc give the South real negro
rroble- 70 solve. And this sentiment now prevails
snong many Of the most prominent Northern men
who have interested themselves in the souths
problems
THE SPIRIT OF THE SOUTH
Asa matter of fact there can be no overnight or
-s--es- solution Of the question. The South has
sne negro. and it looks if il always will have
hin The men Of the South have TO live with the
-ee-o: they are the ones most familiar with his
-srial characteristics and his capabilities There is
N shirt Of hatred toward the negro in the South;
.be-e is a growing spirit TO deal with him fairly
and 10 give him such opportunities as he is capable
Of graspng. L Is apparent that the Southerners
gre the ones who are best qualified TO deal with
he pr7blens the negro presents, and in the final
analysis the white men Of the Southland they
slone-must settle them. Time only can show
what the eventual solution Will be, but certainly
the well established doctrine Of home rule applies
in this case.
The views expressed TO the Tribune correspond
ent hy J n Eggleston. jr., State Superintendent
Of Education IN Virginia, who in his official ca
pscty mas had 70 make more or less Of study Of
TIE question especially from the educational aspect.
are q interest.
Z am said Mr.. EgEleston. "averse to so much
public talk about the negro problem. as have yet
70 hear any advance a sane solution of it.
Until some one can come forward with practical
idea in my opinion il would be best to forget that
there is any such thing as negro problem In
Ire sense Of public discussion.
It is M opinion that there be solu-
tan except 1ha. Of time itself believe that each
generation The South must deal with the negro
problem 70 she pest Of its ability, leaving the fol-
loving generation 70 take up the work where the
rrsce5ine one left off and itself meet the con-
dle1s which may have arisen. This is the only
E-'u-cn have offer.
-oue trouble is that this generation is trying to
s,ire those parts Of the problem that belong TO
future gererations-in other words, il is trying
70 look TOO far ahead The duty of this generation
T. r-eet part of the problem. II we OF to-day
ie-fo.i that duty rightly the next generation viii
work less arcuous. and 50 on IN decreasing
Fallo rutl the a1che-nist-Tme-has worked his
Eoad=r sud there is no longer race problem
TIE Urinary duty Of the present generation
,cusrz rhe negro Mr. Eggleston said, is 10 give
hin tie best practical and industrial education
possible Il telieve' said he, that the negro
sro1la ROW be taught 10 read, write and figure
ana trained TO sobriety Of conduct IN manner
which uIl n him 10 pursue successfully some in
dlstIlal vocation
i has been urged that If the South educates the
present generation Of negroes along the lines in
dcated hy AIr Eggleston. the next generation
would not be content with such education; would
demand q more advanced one. and so through sue
ceeaIrg generations until eventually, as they be-
came more and more highly educated. they would be
content With nothing short Of social equality with
tie white race When this theory called to Mr..
he ed
1enarkrg that social equality is moi TO be thought
o. and reverting te his argument that each gen
Grafton should be left 10 deal with the new prob
lens which may confront il
MANY HOLD SAME VIEWS.
Mr EEeleston is by no means alone in holding
these views. for many of the most prominent edu-
calcrs in the South agree with him.
Il may be asked: What i the present genera
Ion N tie South doing to solve its problem in
Connection with the negro race The reply is:
The South is passing, in almost every state, pro-
hbitiou local option laws and there can be no
dOub1 that the prohibition wave would never
have riscn tidal proportions If il were not for
the negro The strongest argument for prohibition
vas the one advanced during the most recent cam
psigns Close the saloons in country neighbor-
hoods in the South and you viii see a great de-
crease in negro crime The South has done this
for the negro and its protection and, now
ever lax may become the enforcement Of prohlbl-
doa laws in cities towns Of any consldeEapIe
sic they " ia be rgidly enforced in country nelgh-
o9rhoOds. In fact, loes not seem unwarranteu 10
say that the death knen has been sounded 10 the
cross roads saloon in The South
The South IS trying to educate the negro 1t
spends on his education far more than the negro
pays in school taxes. Although this may not De
rue Of some communities, il appears TO be true OF
eTery state The old cry Of ''it viii all go TO the
negro" does not now meet the school authorizes
when they ask for more funds for educational
Purposes That cry can still be heard in places
but i Is slogan which is doomed The south IS
realizing what some Of its critics have been pleased