New-York tribune., 1919-08-04
The Southener's >Vie1u
From an Article in The Wilmington (N. Co. Dispatch

tonshps of the white and colorcd races
in the United States.
Lincoln's proclamation OF emancipation
was fully effective in Washington from the
date Of it's PRONUNCIATION, and it is known
of all men that from that day, now more
than tifty-six years gone, to the present
outbreak the large and ever-increasing
negro population Of the District of Colum
bia has enjoyed full equality of civil
rights with the white racc-not theoretical
only but in literal fact. There has been
no pretence of race segregation; absolute
equality of right and privilege has been
frankly recognized and vigorously enforced.
For exactly three fourths of the fifty-six-
year period the Republican party, the
political guardian and tutor of the colored
race, has been in executive control of the
government. and there has been no ale
CATION that the civil rights of Washington
negroes suffered under Cleveland or vii
son. 1t has been customary TO speak Of
Washington as the "Negro Heaven and as
the place where "a white man is as good
as negro if he behaves himself
The Negro Grimes
Since about the middle of June Wash
ington has suffered from negro
criminalty than any other American com
munity ever suffered in the same length
of time. There have been ~ least dozen
rapes and attempted. rapes. some Of them
accompanied with unbelievable brutality,
and the three day battle itself did not suf-
flee to check these outrages. We read in
the same paper of the bloody murder of
police officers and unarmed citizens and of
still more cruel wrong to q white woman,
all at the hands OF negro aggressors on
the day. Nor rape the only
crime. Holdups by negro robbers oper-
atng by twos and >threes matters
of almost nightly occurrence, and two
more murders were committed by these
bands, of which was participated in by
four negroes. The police could do nothing
five or six weeks OF such crime have
yielded only single arrest that LOOKS at
all hopeful from the police point Of view
and one of the favorite theories officially
advanced IN eXtenuation of police mpo-
tcncy was organized negro crime and or
ganzod protection. Al last there was a
comparatively mild outbreak OF mob vo-
lence against negroes Unfortunately, and
straightway the negro mob and
heavily armed bands of negroes seized
automobiles and ripped and snorted and
shot and killed through the streets OF
Washington while the raping and the rob
bng went merrily on-and the soul of
"Ihe New York World" is filed with
delight that is nowsc marred By any
thought OF pity for white women outraged
and beaten into insensibiity by negro
brutes, Of peaceful merchants robbed and
killed in their. places of business, of a
whole city terrorized by rowing bands of
armed negro criminals
And the negro preachers will preach
"The World editorial, the negro press viii
broadcast it, professional negroism will
proclaim it as the gospel of a new racial
order and negro minds Of criminal bent
here. there and everywhere will be IN
famed to rob and rape and murder
MOnsfrouslv False
1t is not to be denied that negroes have
suffered much of crues and wrong IN the
South h-nobody but fool would ever have
supposed that the new adjustments could
be completely effected without such. that
millions Of Africans could be translated
from condition Of slavery to full civil
equality with the dominant race without
friction hurtful TO both sides but when
"The World says that sin all the world
there is hardly population so God for
saken and law-forsaken as our own blacks"
1t states what is monstrouslv false ard
what it has no plausible grounds for be
lieving to be true; it gives currency 20 a
lie which, IN association with other evil
implications of the article in question. is
pregnant of illimtablc mischief
As rulc tho negroes OF the South are
prosperous. contcntcd and sincerely at
tached to their white neighbors not onc
IN hundred has ever had the thought Of
being wrongcd.
To poison these relationships. to arm
negro agitations in and out Of the palpit
with propaganda of hate and strife, TO n,-
clte negroes to appeal to arms for the 70
dress of their wrongs, real or fancied all
OF which this "World' editorial does is
20 incur moral responsibility for rane and
riot and bloodshed world without end.