Imperial Valley press., 1914-07-15
TIME RACE PROBLEM.

- nc IfSSS 10 IN iSSCipt VI !"
communication on the negro question,
presenting the extreme Southern
view that the negro must be kept un-
der subsection.
There is also an extreme North
crn view, to the effect that thc ne
gro is entitled to association on a
tas;s of full equality with the more
highly educated and refined white
man.
The people of this valley arc COM
posed of former residents of both the
North and the South, and the Press
believes that here an exchange of
ideas will lead to the conviction that
10th extreme views are wrong.
In the North, the negro is given an
oppor tunity and a feeling of respon
s;bility. He is educated, ard many
members of the race become men and
women of character and standing in
their communities. But it is also evil
dent in the North that occasionally
negro relapses into that barbarism
from which his race has so recently
emerged. 1t is evident there that the
negro, as a race, does not aspire to
the high ideals of the white man,
while access to liquor sometimes COM
pletely brutalizes him.
In the South the negro is noa
taught that he is responsible indi-
vidual and he is not given to feel
chat there is an opportunity for him
to rise in the world by merit and
character, and there is consequently
no incentive for achievement.
Comment is often made on the diff
ference between the Northern and the
Southern negro, and that difference
seems to be just the difference be-
tween the white man who feels that
he has a place to maintain and the
one who is down and out.
In the South, too. it has been
found that the great demoralizing in
fluence among the negroes comes
from liquor, and to protect the white
man from the negro almost the en-
tire South has been put under prohi-
bition laws.
The Southern negro is as irrespon-
sible an individual as can be con-
ceived, with the great license in sex
ual matters which, in all lands, is of
his nature. Uneducated, with no moral
or social responsibilities, especially
when crazed with drink, he is more
dangerous to the white woman than
serpents or tigers turned loose, and
the subjugation CT him Is thc great
est American sociological problem.
| Booker Washington is doing great
work among the negroes. He is
teaching them the most important les
sen of individual responsibility to So
ciety. He has not taken the false
Northern idea that the negro must
minglc ON footing of intimacy with
the white race, but that the negro
must make himself respected by the
white man by doing respectable work
and leading a decent life
We have the negro in America
Booker Washington says he came
Eere with the most pressing invita-
tion ever extended to any race.
Race conflict leads nowhere and
solves no problems. This race prob.
lem must be solved, not by antag-
onisms, not by sentimental, imprac-
tical theories, but by recognizing that
all have certain rights and RESPONSE
bilitics and all have frailties from
which society must be protected
Most of the negroes in Imperial
Valley are from the South, and among
them are good many vicious indi-
viduals, but the valley is not protect
ing itself against these men as the
South docs. The city of Imperial is
depot Of booze supply for all the
negroes of the valley. From tha-
town it is distributed widely, and
every negro drunk on Imperial booze
is a menace to every white woman in
the valley.
The first terrible lesson to this eff
! feet has been learned here. One
young wife has now paid the penalty
Of her life to the beastly nature Of
/; negro degenerate inflamcd with
tooze.
If similar crimes do not reeur from
the same cause it will be strange, and
| if the valley fails to heed the lesson
the whole South has learned, of the
necessity for abolishing liquor, it will
lie unfortunate for all.
The Southern View.
Editor Press: The appalling trag-
cdy, occurring near Seeley Monday