The Denver star., 1917-01-06
Hundreds of Thousands Have
Left the Southland.
CAUSES OF GREAT EXODUS
Summary of Facts and Figures In His.
tory of Migration of CoIored People
From the South Since the Beginning
of tho European Wa-72,000 Arc
Skilled laborers.
BY RALPH w. TYLER.

BY RALPH w. TYLER.
Since the beginning Of the great Eu-
ropean war 326,SIG colored people from
the south have gone north, the larger
per cent of whom have gone north
during the last eight months Of 1916
That this noticeable and unusual mi
grafton of the race to the north should
attract country wide attention and in
vite very serious discussion in the pub
lie press of both the north and south is
perfectly natural because of the pos
sible effect this migration may have on
the economic and social conditions
north and south.
These 326,S76 natives Of the south
land going north have scattered
themselves over Ohio, Indiana, Illi-
nOis, Michigan, the northwestern states.
Pennsylvania, Delaware, New Jersey
New York. Connecticut and Massachu-
sets. Were DIR. Booker 7. Washing
ton living, what would be his position
relative to this unusually large migra.
ton of his race from the south:
Knowing him as did and enjoying his
confidence as l did, believe 1 commit
no error in stating he would have siren
uously discouraged it.
That the shortage OF labor supply was
responsible for northern employers
sending south to take from Dixie the
muscle she had depended upon for
more than 30 years is apparent to all
That the race long subjected to seq
regation, very meager school facili.
ties and the denial of suffrage should
regard the north. with its equal schoo
privileges and the right of suffrage un
restricted. as promised land Is but
natural
Every time burning of Negroes, like
the recent horrible Waco (TeSD affair
occurs in the south, with an unjuS
tiflable lynching of reputable. well t,
do colored man. like the recent Able
Vile Is. c. affair the Negroes in tn
south ask the divine Creator in pite
Gus walls the question, 20 Lord, how
lOngT When foreigners left to fight II
defense of their respective countries
leaving jobs and positions vacant. an,
the world war paralyzed foreign immi
grafton. compelling the northern EN-
ployer to send his agents south TO
Negro laborers. so glad were they t,
leave 4 section where for $50 year
their labor and fidelity had been re
Quilted with poor wages, scant schoo
facilities, discrimination. denial of suf
frage and lynching that 326ST6 OF
them exclaimed. I'VE are coming
Father Abraham, three hundred thou
sand strong."
From the most reliable sources, aftel
careful investigation, l find that thes,
SOC, SIG colored citizens who have NOV
ed north since 1914 came from the fol
lowing states in the following mum
bers: Georgia, 46,S70; South Carolina
27,50O; North Carolina, So, $50; Flori
da, 10,SO6; Mississippi, 34,210; Louisi
ana, 1880; Arkansas, 23,5OO; Tennes
see, 20,62O: Virginia, 45,650; Kentucky
p $50; Texas, 1860; Oklahoma, $3.50
Now. where did all these 326.S1t
blacks go-to what state? Crossing
the Mason and Dixon line. this blacl
caravan moved into what they hav.
long regarded as the promised land
and distributed themselves as follows
45 600 Of them stopped In Ohio, 32CO(
wended their way to Indiana, 54.oOt
extended their pilgrimage to Illinois
$4,000 went to Michigan. $4,000 stop
ped in Pennsylvania, $1,000 settled II
the Empire State. $4,000 took up theil
habitat in Delaware and New Jersey
25,OOO distributed themselves over the
New England states.
OF these S26,SI6 who have left tht
south since the beginning Of the Euro
penn war 72,OOO of them were skilled
laborers. the remainder being common
laborers, who took the place Of 1tal
ians, Slavs and Hungarians on con
struction work. in mines. mills ant
manufacturing plants. Kentucky con
tributed large per cent of the skilled
labor, possibly because Of her nearness
to the field OF labor demand, and Vtr
ginia and Alabama, due doubtless t.
the location in these states of the two
great Industrial schools, Hampton and
Tuskegee, were large contributors t.
the skilled labor class.
My Investigations give me assurance
that the vast ma jority Of these persons
who have come north are steady. sober
Industrious men of robust health who
seek an asylum In the free north. with
its better wages and better opportuni-
ties for the education of their progeny
They went north not ct the bchest OF
politicians to colonizc certain doubtful
districts, but they went north to do
honest labor. The hope. because of
why they came ana the type of men
who came. Is indul.ed that this mighty
migration of blacks from the south to
the north means an ear'iNr solution of
q long debated problem and an adjust
ment of labor conditions - the north
that will remove the menace of strikes.
Negro labor seldom. II ever. strikes for
either higher pay or shorter hours.
Like the patient ox. wcl fed and
Rroomed, he wakes IA; ON labor with