The Donaldsonville chief., 1919-12-13
I1EssoNs THAT RIOTS TEACH
4Ex-President Taft Advises Whites
and Colored to Stop Hystersa
and Arresi Agitators.

| .r Inc lOi1U"iiS FNA =
statement on the Lessons TO %
Learned From Riots, from the PEI.
of ex-Ppresident William ito"aEs.
Taft, appeared in a recent issue OF
1.-THE Atlanta Constitution:
"Negro leaders are divided into
1.-TWO classes-there are those VINO 1eei
as deeply as they can the injustice
and heart misery arising from race
prejudice, and they would restrain
las far as possible by legislation anf
executive action such injustice. But
they believe that the real way to am
eliorate conditions is to educate ttle
NEGRO for life by vocational ana ehar-
acter training, and by thus lncfeas
ling his value to his community anu
himself to moderate and neutrallze
such prejudice They preach ana
cultivate self-restraint by the negro
and self-betterment.
"On the other hand, we have those
who look with suspicion on any
source from which the supply OF
labor can be increased. The lower
in the scale of intelligence the
stronger their. feeling against race
they glory in calling inferior.
"Then the minute there IS an OUT
break, the lawless and the CRIMINALS
coming out into the open like COCK
reaches at night, join IN the quarrel
with avidity and divide by color
Thus the riot, beginning in single
quarrel, develops formidable proper
tions. innocent people of both races,
frightened by reports, arm them
selves for protection and we have g
situation deplorable indeed.
"The evidence seems to show that
in Chicago, the whites were the ag-
gressors and displayed mans III
humanity to man in stoning a negro
lad into watery grave because he
had passed a supposed line of segre-
cation between white and negro
bathers on the city beach. Soon.
however, both sides were guilty OF
lawless assault and murder. But, Of
course, the negroes suffered the
more. They always do.
"The appalling number of dead
and wounded in Chicago should lead
the authorities of every city with
congested negro quarters and popula-
tion to call together leaders Of both
races, who acting jointly should take
appropriate measure to stop hysterla,
to allay alarm and to arrest loud
mouth agitators and criminals before
1 the trouble begins. The editors OF
The colored press should be reasoned
with, to cease publishing articles,
however true, having melting effect.
"The educated extremists among
the negro leaders must certainly see
that, however, great the injustice
done to their race, due to blind pre-
judice, "direct action" is the worst
possible remedy. The more white
victims the greater the colored VIC
tins will be, and in the end, the feel
ing out of which this evil has come,
will be increased and the slow
improvements in the agricultural and
industrial status of the negro shown
by statistics will be obstructed. Such
leaders should use every argument
to quiet their followers and to con-
denim further lawlessness. Those
who suffer from such riots are often,
one might say, usually, not partiel-
pants in the fighting but are bystand-
ers who happen to be in the line of
fire, either through unwise curiosity
or because they can't help it. Mean.
time, peaceable, law-abiding negroes
are besieged in their own houses,
where they with difficulty secure
needed food and supplies, or they
go to their daily occupations at the
risk Of their lives. Negro house own
ers are threatened with arson.
x:o 4L,+ L1
whites should take to their souls. 1t
is that each one of us has a RESPONSE
bility to the community in dealing
with our colored fellow citizens.
'sNo race responds so quickly to
sympathetic aid as the negro. No
race can be made to forget or for
give past wrongs as easily by sincere
Incorporation and protection.
eff this trouble spreads to all the
large cities, the authorities and the
prominent and trusted leading citi-
zens of those cities must have fore
sight and take quick action. No
doubt must be left of the intention
of the city and state to suppress
Ilawlessness. Troops in impressive
and overwhelming force must be
Summoned at once. Meantime the
Joint measures of wise and leading
whites and negroes to give the ne
|groes to know that the state will
protect them and they are not to be
abandoned to the mercy of hoodlums
and gunner will do much by way
of prevention.
| Another lesson of the Chicago
riots is in making clear the RESPONSE
bility of the large employers of Ia
Dor who invite southern negroes into
their plants, for their proper hous
ing. They owe it to the community
in which they live to see to it that
they are not thus sowing seed plots