The Omaha guide., 1936-02-01
DeplOres Homicide
Record OF South

N. P.) In a ringing indictment
against the homicide record in
Southern states, as indicated in a
recent survey made by the United
States Department of Census, the
Birmingham News, ~editorially here
Tuesday attributed the high rate
in these states to the wanton kill
ing of Negroes by whites and the
fact that Negroes hold life cheap
ly when only members of the rae
ial group are involved.
The survey pointed out that the
highest homieidal rates were found
in Alabama, the District of Column
bia, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky,
Louisiana, Mississippi and Tennes-
see, with the lowest rates found
in Wisconsin, Vermont, South Da-
kota, Rhode Island, North Dako-
ia, New Hampshire, Nebraska,
Minnesota and Iowa.
Whites XII Negroes in Large
Numbers
Discussing the reason for this de-
plofable condition the editorial
declared: students of this prob
lem recognize the fact that the
racial situation in the South is
largely responsible for the high
homicide rate in this section. This
is primarily due to the high no.
icide rate among Negroes. White
people kill Negroes to an appal-
ling extent in the South and Ne
groes kill white people at a rate
that is alarmingly high, but the
biggest factor in the situation is
the shocking frequency with which
Negroes kill other Negroes.
"Among themselves Negroes
hold life cheaply. It is a distress
ing situation which has received
much attention from both white
and Negro leaders but not nearly
so much as it should have"
Cites Heningburg's Plea
The plea made by Alphonse
Heningburg, director of the Per-
sonal Department of Tuskegee an
stitute, made here in an address
recently, for Negroes to cease to
kill each other, was cited and
lauded.
HE pointed out" said the edit
orial chat murders among Ne
groes oyershadowed the number
of lynchings and he appealed to
the Negroes of Birmingham to
cease numbering themselves. It is
an appeal which should be taken
up by every Negro leader in the
southern communities, for tits
largely by precept and example of
the more enlightened memoirs of
the race that this evil situation
must be remedied."
SOuth's Suicide Record Lowest
Referring to the fact that the
Southern states had the lowest
suicidal rate, it was pointed out
that "if the South has the worst
homicidal record it has the best
record in the matter of suicide.
Just as the racial situation ac-
counts for the higher homicidal
rates in the South, so does it go
far to explain the low suicide rec
ord. If Negroes kill one another
all too freely, they seldom take
their own lives. A Negro suicide
is a rarity.
at has always been assumed
that the low suicide rate amnog
Negroes is due to the tempera-
ment of the race. Negroes are a
happy spirited people. They are
not as a rule subject to the morb-
idity that so often leads white
people to commit suicide. Troubles
do not weigh as heavily upon their
minds"
Commentators on the editorial
attributed the wanton killing of
Negroes by whites in the South
nd the Staying among themselves,
to the laxity of the law. It was
pointed out that when a Negro is
killed by a white man, even for the
most trivial reason is the courts
are liberal in dealing with the
white slayer and if a Negro is
arrested for the murder of another
Negro, the attitude generally is
that Gust another Negro is dead,
and the perpetrator of the crime
is either released or given a light
sentence. A correction of these
two conditions, the commentators,
declared would go far to reduce
the homicidal rate in Southern
states as is evidenced by the fact