The Tupelo journal., 1917-06-01
RIOTS IN ST. LOUIS

"A riot in East st. Louis Tuesday
between the whites and the blacks
resulted in the killing of one negro
and the serious wounding of a num-
Der of others. Six companies of H.
linois State troops were ordered to
East st. Louis to quell the riot in
witch 5000 persons were engaged.
There has been a steady flow of
negroes from this section to ST.
Louis since last fall. The failure
of crops and the lack of work placed
the negro in many instances with
out the means of support, and when
the offer of higher wages and
transportation was made to him
many of them left for northern
cities. The railroads were largely
responsible for the beginning of
this exodus. The shortage of la
Dor was met by the railroads send
ing south and moving the negroes
north to work on the roads. This
exodus has continued steadily for
the last eight months. Every Sat-
urday the north bound trains are
loaded with negroes who continue
to go to st. Louis, Chicago and other
northern cities.
The people of the North as a
rule, do not want the negroes among
them. Only the railroads and large
manufacturing plants are glad to
have them because the negro is I'M
acquainted with the farm labor sys-
tenn of the North. Their lack of
method and regular hours of labor
make them undesirable hands on
northern farms. a.
The st. Louis Post Dispatch has
all along encouraged the coming of
negroes to St. Louis and the North
and has abused the South for it's
failure to treat the negro, Just Xix.
ssome northern people would have
him treated. Under the heading of
an editorial which the Post-Dis-
patch was pleased to term Survey
of a Southern PERIL in last Sun
days paper the POST Dispatch re-
views an article by Prof. James H.
billiard, Of Charlottesville, Va, who
was at one time connected with
Washington University in St. Louis,
in which the Professor has reached
the conclusion that the exodus of ne
groes from the south is likely to ON
tinue and that the loss of the labor
in the South will seriously affect
large districts. The Professor esti-
mates that up-to-date about 25O,.
900 negroes have gone North. He
says Economic causes-high wa
ges at the North. in consequence Of
the interruption Of European migra
ton and unsatisfactory conditions
in sthe South are the principal in
centives. Of course there would b.
no such movement if there was no
a place for the negro in the North.
On the other hand high wage
would draw few away from tn
South if social conditions and educa
tional opportunities there were NOR
attractive"
The Post-D Dispatch commentin
says: "That is to say, the negroe
are going North to give their chic
rem advantages they themselves hav
not enjoyed and do not enjoy. The
hope for surroundings in which thei
children may have better school
\ and fewer prescriptions and hand
caps due to race prejudice.
If, as many think, European in
migration will be decreased after tn
war, the South has come to a tim
when it must change in at lea'
some respects its attitude toward tn
colored race"
The South will never change j
attitude as the best friend of tt
negro. There is no race prelude
existing in the South which coul
impel the people to raise up in rio
Gus attack against the negro VII
is simply following his peacefl
pursuits. The white man Of til