The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1919-07-30
Race Segregation
Chicago Tribune Wants Sepa
rate Districts for Negroes
(From the New Orleans Times
Picayllne.)

Picayune.)
Chicago is facing just now an issue
of the negro question which has wor-
ried many Southern cities; and it
is experiencing trouble and difficulty
in housing the large negro population
recently crowded into that city. The
greater portion of these newcomers
are from this section-and Louisiana
and Mississippi contribute probably a
majority of them. There are said to
be $4,000 new negroes in Chicago and
finding quarters for them is difficult.
The have, as usual, moved into the
central districts of the city, mainly
into the south division and around
the stockyards, where most of them
are employed. The slaughter and
packing houses, which formerly
employed largely alien labor, have
since the war began. been swamped
by negro workers from the South.
The trouble is over homes and quar-
ters for these newcomers They
have pushed into sections formerly
almost exclusively occupied by
whites, and this mixing has stirred
UP racial prejudice and intensified
the opposition of the white to negro
settlers among them.
1t is the same problem which led to
trouble in Baltimore some years ago
when a large immigration of negroes
turned many white districts black,
and finally led to an ordinance draw
ing the color line. shutting whites
and vice versa. The same trouble
showed up in st. Louis, where the
question of segregating whites and
negroes WAS submitted to a refer
endum and carried.
It now presents itself in Chicago.
where it apparently was unexpected.
and where, theoretically, the doctrine
of full equality prevails.
The question did not obtrude itself
to any extent until lately, when the
large influx of negroes brought the
issue to a head. The Chicago Trib
une. which is notorious in it's hatred
of the South, and which never loses
an opportunity to denounce the peo-
pie of this section for their supposed
distressed over the race differences
that have arisen in the Windy City.
and calls for candor between the
races.
THE race situation in Chicago is
growing worse, and will continue to
grow worse until competent remedial
measures are undertaken" it re-
marks. excitedly. will we under
take them now or will we wait until
some shocking tragedy stirs us into
pelated action? 1t is the crowding of
negroes into neighborhoods formerly
exclusively inhabited by the white
people that is causing the present
disorder and threatening future dis
aster. More homes must be huilt for
the constantly increasing flow Of
Southern negroes"
It is somewhat surprising to see
the Tribune now contending so ear
nestly for the segregation of the
races, the plan which has been in
sisted upon by the South and which
has so far produced the best results.
1t would divide the races into sep
arate districts.
1t remarks. with confidence. "the
races do not want to live together.
We believe this is as true of one as
the other, to certain extenu. At
least we see that colored people do
strive for community life trying to
segregate as much as possible: thus
also the whites
And so on, for columns. To pre-
vent trouble between the races, the
Tribune insists they must live sep
arately and in different districts. It's
plan is to build new, houses and sec
'tions for negroes. and it suggests
that those industries which brought
them to Chicago should provide the
homes 1t submits this program to
the packers. who have imported most
of the Southern negroes.
eff these industries fail to provide
such housing accommodations. they
will share with the city authorities
responsibility for the grave disor-
ders which are almost certainly
ahead of u.s." it remarks.