The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1912-05-07
HELPING THE NEGRO.


Governor Mann performs a distinct public
service when from time 10 time. he delivers
addresses to the colored people of Richmond.
No more practical method of giving the race
an impulse toward right and intelligent living
could be devised than that of bringing it to
listen to the head OF constituted authority In
the state or kindly disposition, frank and
simpie-spoken. the Governors personality is
such as to gain him the confidence of that class
Of the people that mosts needs sympathy and
encouragement.
The Governors Sunday address 10 negroes
WAS in the interest OF the establishment OF a
lee ;ofed hospital and nurses training quarters.
He took as his subject Sanitation and n.y.
giene" He impressed upon his hearers the Old
doctrine of cleanliness in person and surround
ings as the greatest aid and Indictment to clean
illness of life The value of such sermon to
people who necessarily live among more or
less crowded surroundings, 10 whom squalor
Is almost an excussble condition cannot he
lover-eetimated.
Health among negroes is a matter that
strikes more nearly home to Southern people
than to any others. II is in the South alone
that there exists a real affection and
Interest in the negro race The tradition Of
slavery times, when the master was RESPONSE
lite fer th4 weli-eeing OF his slaves stiil lin
GERS as a real emotion with the descendant Ia
Tof the old paternal class of employers The
real concern is that the negroes are, in many
cases giving the unmistakable evidences of
physical and moral degeneration, Consnmp-
pesses unknown TO the old slaves now play
havoc with the race. Infant mortality, in par
tcular. is appallingly high among the oolored
population While these facts found pity for
he negroes many of whom are bravely strug-
Cling toward economic independence and racial
'deyeloDment the Southern whites nave a per-
sona interest due to their use of negro labor.
To keep the negro clean and healthy Ia TO add
greatly to the chances of health among the
whites: to permit him TO live the slovenly life
OF ignorance and disease that marks so many
negro localities is to invite contagion and dis
ease among the white population we'll.
-4hr problem of health in the case of the
CITY negro is 2 most purely lne pIooielh vi tIS
way be is housed and the way In which he
keeps the house. Consumption and other
diseases, immortality and criminality. are largely
the results OF environment and of crowding
in Inadequate Quarters. To prevent. these in.
tlasnis to the life OF negroes who live in the
tiles il is necessary that the better and more
intelligent members of the race conduc. cam
palgn of education and example. Ine
negro must he made 10 understand, and
to take preventive measures in his own case.
IN this way only il be hoped 10 check a
physical deterioration which statistics every
year show to he progressive "fh@Fe Are many
progressive and useful negroes. They have
a great work at hand. Locally, nothing could
better promote that work than the proposed
hospital No thing could better promote
the cause than the publicly expressed sympathy
and interest Of the Governor OF the State.