The Nashville globe. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1906-193?, 1917-07-13
THE EAST st. LOUIS RIOT.
The riots that are taking place /

The riots that are taking place In
East St Louis seem to be the culmina-
ton Of Industrial disturbances, but
possibly the deepest and most potent
factor in that riot as in all race riots
is prejudice, racial prejudice, a preju.
dice that has its cause and only de-
Tense in the color Of a mans skin
But 1t is not the riot itself, or the
cause Of the riot that this little edi.
torial hopes to deal with, it is con.
ditions suggested by a close study of
what took place at the time of the
riot 1t appears that soldiers we're
called out. If reports are to be credit.
ed one of the first duties of the soi.
diers was to disarm all Negroes. The
second duty seems to have been TO
stand by and quietly give assurances
to all white rioters that they would
not be disturbed as long as they
were killing, busting and bleeding Ne
groes, and burning and looting their
property, and if the Gazette is to be
credited, and We are sure it must be,
the soldiers when asked why they
did not stop the rioters simply gave
FOR an answer, grin. The crowds
seem to have cheered when Negro
women were assaulted and pulled
from the street cars, and set upon
by white women, backed up by white
men. No soldier, police or civil au-
thority interfered. This possibly is the
saddest feature of the entire affair,
for when authority, the proper au-
thority whether state or municipal,
wink at crime, at open crime, that per-
mits crime under their very eve to be
performed, simply because the crime
against whom it is being performed
is Negro, it demonstrates the weak.
ness of government and the ultimate
overthrow Of government, for the
same rioter who acts under the pro.
lection Of authority today will turn
on that authority tomorrow, hence
the government of state or of city
that permits crime to be committed
under its very eye against weaker
class of people will find itself in the
arms of anarchy, and will create or
breed for itself, condition that will
ultimately destroy it.
Another sad feature of t1at riot
is that the persons committing the
crime against the Negroes were large
ly aliens, and in many instances Ger
man aliens at that, aliens whose an
cestors are today attempting to blow
mp every American vessel and destroy
every American enterprise. These
strangers and aliens under the guard
of the militia are permitted to COM
NIT the most outrageous crimes
againsa the Negro who is a full-fledg-
ed, true and tried citizen Of the Am
erican government. The fact is or
seems to be that racial prejudice is
so strong against the Negro until even
authority itself had rather see the
enemies of the government triumph
and destroy its Negro citizens than to
see the Negro protected and given his
civil and political rights. they had
rather be consumed in the house of
heir enemies than to give square and
honorable deal to the black man. If
the public press is to be credited,
farce. In some instance, rioters grew
the state militia of Illinois is a mere
so bold as to disarm soldiers. Think
of it, soldiers sent to protect life,
keep the peace, having their loaded
guns taken from them by bare
handed riOter. What is the world to
think of such conditions? What opin-
ion does civilized humanity get? Are
we to fight against the enemy abroad
while our own citizens are slain with
out protection at home? 1t appears to
us that if we are to present a strong
front abroad that we ought at least
to have peace at home and the feeling
of brotherhood should pervade in all
the races. At any rate, the voice of
the government ought to be heard.
No riot or riOter ought to be permitted
to proceed when the government, the
proper authority said stop, otherwise
the authorities grow in contempt, and
the rioters grow bold. We guess pos
sibly that is one of the reasons why
that the Negroes are not allowed to
from state militias is because in times
of disturbances, he might not make a
good protector of rioters, and anarch-
lists, and incendiarists and blood
shedders
The Peoples Defender.
IN n N 4 II lzl