The commonwealth. (Greenwood, Miss.) 1896-1923, 1917-06-06
A NAN, STAY SOUTH!


They say down south that "niggcrs are all
right in their place. but where is that place ?
South? At Memphis, Tenn, a negro vas recent
ly burned alive. North? At East st. Louis, Ill.
negroes are mobbed, beaten and run out of town.
We taunt the south with race prejudice when
it burns a bad negro,' but just see how we
northerners detest even good niggers" The real
race prejudice is ours. Our very philanthropists
betray it. They say to a black man, God bless
you, goodby," whereas the south says, "--
you, come here" Or put it this way: The north
erner is a great friend Of the negro but not of
a negro; the southerner is a great friend Of a
negro, but not of the negro.
Prof. Munsterberg once described the race as
passive at every turn of fcrtune," yet within the
last year negroes by the thousand have actively
undertaken to find a place Cor themselves. They
have come north. It was a huge mistake. They
escape barbarous punishme 1T for their occasional
crimes while winning no appreciation for their
habitual virtues. They are disliked. When
their presence becomes a burden, as at East
st. Louis, they are abused.
It is on these terms only that they enjoy the
longed for liberties of the north"-its social
equality" for instance. But do they really enjoy
that? Our observation goes to show that the
negro is happiest when the white race asserts
it's superiority, provided that sympathy and un-
derstanding accompany the assertion. Not long
ago a Virginian noticed a very gloomy black por-
ter in a northern hotel, and, learning that the
negro had come from Virginia, said, "You-
- black fool, go back to Virginia" The reply
revealed much: 20, Cunnel, denis de fust kind
wuds OATS been spoken to me since All come up
noffw
Southerners insist that "the nigger must be
kept down." They enforce the color line. Yet
they will work side by side with negroes, befriend
them in adversely, and overlook their minor fail
ings. Gradually they are working toward the re-
suits suggested in the cartoon on thispage. They
do not hate negroes. In their hearts they like
them. Said Dooley: I'm naught throubled whin
the naygur is amon'st his oppressors, Hinnessy.
What throubles me is whin he falls into tn hands
iv his liberators. "-Chicago Tribune.
The tribute gets about as close as it posi-
bic for the northern editor to an actual measure
ment of the feeling of the southern white man to-
wards the negro. But what the Tribune says
about the negroes going north is true.
The best place for the negro is the south.
Those things that are most valuable to him, the
! southern white man does not deny, and the north
ern man does. The northern community as a mass
refuses to permit the negro to labor if any way
his labor is competitive.
Now southerners do not insist that the NEGRO
must be kept down." They do draw the color
line, and they do enforce it, and they will con-
tinue to enforce it. They are not drawing the
color line against the negro. They are drawing it
around themselves. It is a matter not based upon
} a prejudice, but upon instinct. But the southern
people do not want to keep the negro down, if that
, means that he is to be deprived of his right to
prosper, to enjoy the fruits of his labor and to do
whatsoever he wishes that is lawful in having his
social life among his own people.
In the south, where a negro community is pros
] Nor0I1S and uo1 nr0oro1 Cpo will find xx,hi4o roo11o
speaking of it with pride. AS a matter of fact,
; the southern white people take a pride in seeing
: decent negroes get along.
The southern man has a certain understanding
r of the weakness of the negro, and a sympathy
) for him. A negro may earn money and then
v waste it. He is not made to pay the penalty of
his wastefulness if he becomes sick or gets in
trouble. The very white man for whom he has
worked will get him out of trouble and give him
another chance.
There is one thing, however, that all must
make up their minds about, and that is that that
e crime for which people are lynched must cease, or
e no matter what effort may be made, it will be fol-
lowed by violence or attempts at violence.-Mem
4 phis Commercial Appeal.
a p "a IA p "a "a N
ALOST OPPORTUNITY.
"a IA AA
t German Socialists attending the Stockholm
conference will be heckled by their party conferees
: from other lands. They will be asked to explain
y a long list of humanity attractions, including the