Iowa state bystander. [volume] (Des Moines, Iowa) 1894-1916, 1912-03-15
WHITE JUDGE TOURS NORTH
ERN STATES IN INTEREST
or NEGRO SCHOOLS
JUDGE PETER c. PRlTcHARo OF
AsHEvILLE, N. C., WORKING FOR
NATIONAL RELIGIOUS TRAIN.
ING SCHOOL.
BY GEORGE FRANCIS KING.

BY GEORGE FRANClo MINI.
Springfield, Mass.--Judge Peter G.
Pritchard OF Asheville, N. c., who was
United States senator for eight years;
for number Of years served as assist
ant Supreme court judge of the Dis.
trict of Columbia and was later ap.
pointed by President Roosevelt United
States circuit Judge for the Fourth ju-
dicial district. Is making tour OF this
section Of the country in the Interest
Of the National Religious Training
school, Durham He does not coniine
himself to speaking about the school,
but also emphasizes the economic and
social conditions in the south and es-
pecially his state After speaking
about the enobling scope OF the school
and the effective plans that have made
the chautauqua and summer school
potent force for good and showing the
need of the great conference of negro
ministers to be held at this institution
for one week beginning July s, 1917,
the entertainment being free OF
charge, he in part said: THE Ameri-
can people by no means appreciate the
Importance Of the conservation OF
manhood. After the Civil war we In
the south were In very bad condi-
ton. We had loM everything and had
almost lost our ambition. The more
earnest among US, though, went to
work Immediately to build up condi'
tons, and we have succeeded in bet
tering the country remarkably. Right
here want to correct false impress
sion that seems to be very widespread
in all section of the country. The
whites and the colored people In North
Carolina are far from being at swords
points. On the contrary, I feel safe
in saying that there Is as good feel
ing between races In North Carolina
as in any state In the Union.
There is more racial prejudice In
the north than in the south, and this
can be attributed largely to the fact
many Of the negroes who come north
are ignorant adventures who think
that they can better themselves in
this section Of the country without
working. There has never been a time
in the south when the white people
were not willing to help the negroes,
and that Is especially true today. The
school which Doctor Shepard has
founded is not a UNCONVENTIONAL one
in any sense Of the word. His idea has
been that the, people can best be
reached through the ministers of their
own race. am firm believer in for
eign missions, but I don't think that
they are as important as converting
the Americans at home to the Chris
tian religion" 1'
In touching upon the qualification
for citizenship, as he did in the begin
ming of his address, he aroused pro-
nounced enthusiasm. He said: '"The
negro can make a flrst-class citizen
and patriotic citizen. He is as thor
oughly American as anyone. am not
a pessimist or an alarmist. But ! am
afraid that II we don't do something
to alleviate our citizenship, the gov
eminent will be in grave danger. The
man who loves his God loves his coun-
try, and it is pretty well proved that
the negro loves his God. 1t is we'll
known that even the best educated
people in the south at one time want
ed to keep the negro in slavery, and
my purpose in coming north is to let
the people here know that the south
realizes that 1t Is important to educate
the negro and to make good citizen
out of him. There are many undesir-
able negroes in North Carolina, but we
believe that we can make good citi-
zens out of them and we are going to
do it. The problem that we have to
face in the south is the same that you
have to face In this state. There was
time when people in the south felt
that their interests were entirely sepa-
rate from the interests Of the people
in any other section of the country,
but now we all feel that 1T is just as
important to the people of Massachu-
sets to have good citizenship in North
Carolina as it is to the peope Of that
state, and that 1t is as important to
the people of North Carolina to have
good citizenship in Massachusetts as
it is to the people here. The flood Of
foreign immigration that is pouring
into the country isIa good thing, but
We must always keep the people who
know and can sympathize with our
government in as good condition as
possible and that is why the training
school at Durham has been founded.
We must see to 1t that the homes are
in good condition. When was on the
bench l had names on the criminal
docket of every race except one and
that was the Jew. attribute this to
the fact that the Jews are more care
full In home life and they are more
particular in the training Of their boys
and girls at home. In North Carolina
we are doing everything we can now;
to atone for any neglect we may
have shown In the past. firmly be-
lieve that We have made more ad-
vanoement in legislation for education
and for the building Of roads during
the past, ten years than any other
state in the Union. We realize that
legislation cannot made . good man
out Of bad man, but we can by legis-
lating do away with liquor and gam
bling and thus remove the evil inhu.
ences or at least minimise them.
Ninety-nve per cent. Of III the crimi.
nal cases which come before me can
be traced in their origin back to the
barroom and by removing the bar
room we remove . large part Of the
evil. Us $,s Z. I. A
when first heard Of Dr.. shepard's