The daily Gate City and constitution-Democrat. (Keokuk, Iowa) 1916-1922, 1917-01-24
NEGRO MIGRATION TO THE NORTH.


NEGRO MIGRATION TO THE NORTH.
A quiet movement is going on almost UNI
NOTED in our country out of which, II 1t be not
checked, far-reaching results must come. This
is the migration of the negro from the cotton
states where he is subjected to SO much oppres-
sion to commonwealth where it is easier to I'M
prove his economic condition and where his
political rights are assured.
While the present demand for labor in the
north has given impetus to the movement, the
idea has been growing in the south until almost
all the colored leaders are converts to it that
the best way in which the negroes can help
themselves and their race is by removing to the
north and voting there to improve the condl-
ton Of their people who are still in the south
Various causes have conspired to bring about
this exodus of the southern negro He has
been denied civic justice He has uneven
chance in the courts. Lynching on suspicion
and without proof of guilt is deplorably COM
mon His opportunities Of securing an educa-
ton are extremely meager, but probably his
disfranchisement in the state of his birth has
more than anything else determined him to get
away The city-dwelling negroes of the south
are the first to leave, being rule more alert
mentally and better able to go. Into the
places thus vacated the darkies from the rural
districts push their way. For not only the
wages somewhat better in the towns but the
educational advantages far superior,
the country child getting only about two
months in school where the city child gets six
or eight
If this migratory movement continues to gain
force as it has of late years the farmers of the
south will find themselves in serious plight
immigration is not attracted to the cotton
states, and while the south finds it hard to get
along with it's negroes, it would find it infinite
~ harder to get along without them.
New York City has committee on literary
arts of which Hamlin Garland is president and
whose duties include serving as a reception
committee to distinguished visitors from
abroad. This phase of its activities is just now
made Of more than casual interest by the visit
to New York of body of visitors of reputation
from Brazil, Argentina, Venezuela and other
South American republics. dinner is to be
given the literary guests and the committee is
seeking to make it function representative of
American life and thought rather than purely
literary gathering. This is both sensible and
of importance, if it be rightly managed. We
know little of the really intelligent thought of
the South American of education This is en-
bodied in his literature which European critics
pronounce one of fine quality and of growing
range and amount One good way to strength
en- permanent understanding and sympathy
between the two Americas will be the inclusion
! in their several literatures of accurate writing
| of the facts of people and things as they are.
I.iterature is not far from public prints now
adays and public prints engage the immediate
attention Of the intelligent public. Here is a
direct road to sympathetic understanding
The secrets out and the jig's up; no use of
further plotting. The Italian newspaper Mes
sagero has somehow found out that the United
States is looking at Canada Looking att in
the European languages means preparing to
gobble up
Mr.. J. P. Morgan, of Wall street, has been so
busy plugging the hole in the British exchequer
that he really knows nothing, he says. of a
humble leak in the United States department
of state.
: Villa survived, and doubtless Tom Law
S son Will