The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1913-07-18

colorcd race. The thoughtful negroes
who read that editorial should care
fully consider your conclusions that
the negro must protect his health or
become extinct That the. higher civi-
lization OF one race can destroy the
existence OF another race We have only
10 read the sad histories OF the Amcri-
can Indian and the native people Of
the Hawaiian Islands In no better
way can the colorcd people protect
their health" than by helping our good
white friends 10 and out the causes
which are now making for our cxtinc-
ton. The writer has given the many
phases OF the negro problem much
study. But negro health" is sub
jcct TO which he has never given much
thought until after reading very care
fully tho editorial referred TO above.
Then he read Mayor Ainslc's annual
report and his recommendation that
The high death rate among colorcd Citi-
zcns Of Richmond he officially invcsti-
stated. Next he read in your great
Paper the June mortality report Its
rsures are startling, indeed, and ought
TO arouse leaders OF the colorcd race.
although" said that report, the
colorcd population of Richmond is but
81 per cent of the whole. sun the col
cred death rate for June was twice as
high as tho white" No better evidence
than the foregoing is needed TO prove
I tllhi inc ROBUST Ecd!tn OF the ante
bcllum negro is being rapidly under
mined and that his freedom, which
cost the nation so many lives and mill
lions in treasure. may prove his death
sentence In days gone by the vast
majority OF colorcd people died from
CID age. Now most Of them pass away
before reaching middle life Many
causes for this remarkable condition
are advanced. The writer honestly be-
lieVes that one Of the chief causes Of
the high death rate among negroes has
been overlooked. particularly by the
white people. This is the common
communion cup" az at present used in
nearly every colorcd church in Rich
mond and elsewhere. The membership
OF some Of the negro churches runs as
high as 1000 To 5000 ON communion
sundays twelve times n year) these
churches are packed. and from 1000 to
1900 members are served vino from
four or six cups, without having them
washed during the ceremony or stcri-
lied afterward. There are about %
600 colored church members in Rich
mond If disease can be spread By the
common railroad drinking cup and on
that account IL is banishcd from the
trains by act of Congress, surely the
common communion cup is as danger
Gus, especially when used by a people
Who are Incoming extinct" through
diseases which have their origin in the
using the same drinking vessels. No
wonder then. at the high death rate
among negroes If each of these $4,000
dcvout colored church members carry
diseased germs home from church
twelve times a. year. But in some OF
the coiored churches special plans are
/ iPnorantly but carefully laid in De-
oember Of each year for the spread Of
/ diseases through the agency of the
! common communion cup" At the last
communion in the year every colored
member who can walk or ride is at
/ church, and those who are sick. with
cases, are brought TO church from their
homes. the almshouses and other places.
/ These inhrm and m-laden people
arc given the front seats in church.
! The common communion cups" are
! passed, first to them and aftcrward to
the entire congregation of apparently
we'll people
| December cfore last the writer and
| several others were made sick by
drinking the dregs from one OF these
cups, as we sat In the rear OF the
church Wouldn't 1t be wiser to take
the holy communion to the homes of
! saints and use the funds raised to
hire hacks to bring them to communion
/ for their every day needs? That would
| be wiser, 1 think, than exposing hun
! dreds of people to contagious diseases
! by bringing these diseased people out
TO infect the whole community!
TO what extent the common com
munion cup" is used among white pco
! pie the writer does not know, as he
never attends white churches on com
munion occasions. and for very OBJ