THE RACE PROBLEM.An Open Letter to the Chicago Tribune.

byChas. H Williams

You say editorially, Oct. 7. 1899, "It is a pity the Boers of South Africa did not settle in North or South America. If the Republic was on either of the American continents they would not today be standing unprotected under the menace of British guns."

In making this statement you seem to have overlooked the fact that another people did settle in the North American continent, in the United States, about the time the Boers settled in Africa, not because they desired to come, but because the people of the United States wanted them, and they were brought by force, much against their will. The descendants of the people so brought to this continent, notwithstanding they and their ancestors, labored for certain of our people two and a half centuries, receiving therefor, only the pork and potatoes necessary to keep them in good condition for the largest amount of work; are now, notwithstanding this nation was organized for the benefit of its people and all who became its people, not only menaced by the guns of those for whom they labored, but have been shot to death by the thousands and otherwise barbarously and unjustly treated, not because they possess gold mines, but because they show a disposition to become, are striving to be, free and independent men and women, citizens of the nation, to make the best of their opportunities, as other people do. Of which rights they had been deposed two and a half centuries, and continue to be.

Would the Boers, for whom we have so much sympathy, fare any better, should they now come to this country, bringing with them that large per cent, of their people, into whose viens, by some mysterious way, the blood of the original African had entered? Would we treat them any better than we have treated our own citizens, having in their veins the blood of the Africans brought to this country, by force, to serve the white man? We would not. We have a strong and abiding prejudice against the African, especially the descendants of those people brought here by force and held in slavery, be they white or black--such a prejudice not found among any other people.

What right have we to condemn Great Britain for her acts against the Boers? She saw profit in the doing. British lust for gain and gold has led that nation to extend ITS CIVILIZATION whenever gain and gold are found among a weak people, unable to defend themselves. On the other hand, we in this nation, have environed an almost helpless people, by barbarism, injustice and uncivilized acts to be found in no other land; doing so, not for gain and gold, but for the purpose of preventing their becoming manly men and womenly women-preventing their progressing as other people do, taking part in affairs of government; for the purpose of returning them to a peon slavery, to be the servants, cane and cotton field hands for the white man--FAR MORE DISREPUTABLE THAN GREED AND EFFORTS FOR GAIN AND GOLD.

Two great nations claiming to be Christian and the most civilized of all others. One engaged in deprivingBaraboo, Wisc.1899 0002 a small weak nation of their independence for the purpose of securing their gold and other advantages. The other, quietly acquiescing in and permitting the most outrageous barbarisms and injustice against some ten millions of its own citizens, because of a shameful prejudice held against them, owing to an act of the All Wise Father, who in his wisdom, for purposes of his own, caused them to have black skins; that a white people held them in slavery for two and a half centuries, depriving them of the right to progress, as all other people were doing. Far greater wrongs than those of Great Britian against the Boers.

If the intelligent and influential of this people continue to overlook the cruelties and injustice in practice within our own borders, quietly acquiescing in such barbarisms, MAKING NO EFFORT AS IN THE PAST, to protect and secure to our colored citizens their full rights as such, will not the time come? should it not come? when they like the Boers "can stand it no longer," and will strive, through the blood and carnage of civil war, to gain that independence, that freedom from oppression, so necessary for manhood growth, of which they have been so long deprived.

Mr. Editor, when will this people here where the people are supposed to govern, take up the long neglected work to prevent the shameful barbarism and injustice to our colored citizens; to extend the protecting arm of the nation over that people so cruelly wronged by others, claiming to be Christians? Who will set the ball in motion in that behalf-in this cause for right and justice? Our Republican politicians, having from far back been afraid of anything having the Negro in it; continue, as in the olden times, to be afraid of the Southern people, in all matters pertaining to citizenship and PERSONAL RIGHTS, will not do it. Our Democratic politicians, being members of the Southern political party, will not of course do it. Our business men, are so deeply interested in their own affairs, their individual, their selfish interests, and there being no money in it, cannot be expected to take part in a matter pertaining to government, will not do it. Our ministers, of all churches and creeds, with here and there an exception, are so immersed in other duties and cares-so many of them engaged in saving souls and striving to fit people for life in the hereafter have no time for the removal of barbarisms and injustice, here in this world, when committed against colored people, they cannot of course very well do it, besides the people in their several churches make no call for such work and it would hurt the feelings of their white Christian brother and sister in the South, and might renew the war of words, between the churches of the North and South-disturb the work of saving souls. Our newspapers, religious and secular, like all the rest, seem to have other duties and cares-many of the former, are more deeply interested in extending our "American Christianity," with all its injustice to those having in their veins the blood of the stolen Africans, into our new provinces. The latter largely business enterprises for the money there is in them, must do as others do, furnish the goods their patrons want. Columns and pages, sometimes illustrated, of the foot ball brutalities pugilistic encounters, bicycle runs, the horse race, and the like, along with columns relating to and in condemnation of Spanish, French and English injustice and oppression towards people and nations, unable to protect themselves-called forby the general public. But, our white people generally having a cruel prejudice against colored people, accepting without hesitation, the statements of the leaders of Southern mobs, as to the reason for and the justice of their barbarisms towards "niggers," have little or no interest in anything relating thereto, unless it 0003may be the Southern method of getting rid of Negroes, "irregular it may be, but justifiable" as a Chicago daily, The Chronicle, claiming to be prominent, said editorially.

Again, Mr.Editor, who will commence the work of educating our people to see the beam in their own eyes and not be looking for the mote in the eyes of a far away people? Since the savage barbarities in March last, extending across the Southern states from the Atlantic to the state of Texas, the colored people, in several large cities at the North, have made public efforts in appeals to the government for the protection of their people at the South--but the white people, the intelligent and influential among them, have continued, as in the past, to stand by looking on with cold indifference. Finally, in May last, two months after the damnable outrages, permitted by a nation claiming to be civilized, the women of Boston came together, in a large public meeting, called by the active efforts of two colored women, to protect against such barbarisms, and to ask the government to protect our colored citizens of the South. Who will follow that effort in behalf of justice, by the Boston women, in which some of the grand women of the nation took part? We have active, capable leaders and workers, to organize for the correction of all other wrongs--but the blood of lawlessly murdered Negroes, many times innocent of crime, the suffering, the anxiety of their women and children, of each and every one of that race, living in the rural districts, fearing a member of their family will be taken next, seems not to disturb or call to duty, the white people of the nation, not even those claiming to be the representatives of the just man of Nazareth.

Once more, Mr. Editor, as Sterling Morton said in some recent remark "After 1900 years of Christianity, of intellectual growth and of a constantly improving civilization, in which the tender kindness and loving teachings of the gentle Nazarene have been thrown like light into the uttermost parts of the earth we witness the most phenomenal paradox in government which the race has ever experience." We find a government instituted by the people and ALL WHO MAY BECOME ITS PEOPLE, claiming to be the most civilized and progressed--to the people thereof, it is claimed the tender kindness and loving teachings of the gentle Nazarene have been more fully and constantly imparted, than to any other people. But, this great nation, with all its improved civilization; its people having received so fully of that "tender kindness and loving teachings" has permitted, quietly acquiesced in inhuman barbarisms and savagery; cruel injustice and oppression, towards a class of its own citizens, a quiet submissive people, during a period of thirty-five years, chiefly for reason of a shameful prejudice against them. Because they had in their viens the blood of the stolen and enslaved Africans, and that they and their ancestors had been held in bondage two and half centuries, by that nation and people, HAVING SO MANY ADVANTAGES, NONE OF WHICH WERE THESE ENSLAVED PEOPLE PERMITTED TO ENJOY.

This nation, so organized, having closed its eyes to the cruelties, the injustice and oppression within its own border, has, under pressure of and demand by its people, who, can it be truthfully said, came up under the teachings of the gentle Nazarene? Should we not say under the teachings of "American Christianity?" gone off over the seas, in the interest of humanity, so called, to correct the wrongs of other nations, far less cruel and unjust than those being committed, by our own citizens, for whom there is no protection in county, state or nation, in THIS LAND OF LIBERTY AND EQUAL RIGHTS. TRULY A PHENOMENAL PARADOX.CHAS. H. WILLIAMS.Baraboo. Wis., Oct. 18, 1899.

0004

THE RACE PROBLEMAn Open Letter to Governor Chandler, of Georgia

It is reported, Atlanta. Ga., Oct 26th, that Governor Chandler arraigned the North for its attitude on the race question in his annual message, which was submitted to the Georgia Legislature yesterday:

"The usual amount of crime committed by negroes and in consequence thereof, the unprecedented amount of mob violence," he says, "is mainly due to the intermeddling of irresponsible fanatics and fools in the North who do not know anything of the situation in the South nor of the relation of the people of the two races.

"These miserable intermeddlers, hating the Southern white men more than they do the most abandoned of the Southern negroes, have, throught their newspaper and by means of incendiary and inflammatory letters, many of which have been sent to negroes in Georgia, ignoring or justifying the crimes which have provoked the mob, advised and urged the negroes to retaliation.

"Full of malice and hatred, they forgot the cordial relations which always prevailed between the whites and the blacks in the South before they began to sow seeds of discord. They forgot that their mean and despicable intermeddling only aggravates a situation they profess to deplore, and that the only the only solution of what they call the "race problem' is to be found by the honest, order and loving and law abiding elements of the two races, between which there was no friction until they brought it about by their unholy interference."

It is very remarkable that, a man with intelligence, ability and influence, to become the governor of a great Stator man occupying that honored position and, as the governor in his annual message to the Legislature, should make such unfortunate statements--when, it would seem, he should have known that, such stories coming to him, were the inventions of bad men, for some hidden purpose, some political chicanery.

Gov. Chandler, very many of the intelligent politicians of the South, and very many other intelligent Southerners, study all questions relating to the colored people of the South, especially those connected in any way with national affairs, or that may become connected, and also any action or movement on the part of Northern people, or any individual of influence, relating thereto. Studying these questions more closely, than any consientious Christian does his Bible.

Governor Chandler and the other intelligent persons mentioned, know full well that, the Northern people, as a people, are and have been, since the Freedmen came, by the act of Emancipation, almost entirely indifferent as to what became of the colored people of the South--as to what the Southern white people do to them--seemingly entirely indifferent to the barbarism, the cruelties and injustice towards them. Have made no effort, are now making none, to assist in removing them, when it has been and now is, their duty, as citizens, to those much wronged people--their duty, as humane people--apparently having no interest; they know that the secular newspapers of the North are, generally business enterprises for the money there is in them, and furnish only the goods their customers want and, as they, the people are not interested in the negro, unless it is in a brief description of a barbarism committed by a band of lawless white men against some unfortunate negro, who may have been suspected of crime, or charged by some irresponsible person with a crime, or may have insulted a white man--that they do not publish the communications of "fanatics and fools" on the race problem; that the religious papers have other and much more important duties than that of removing barbarisms and cruelties committed against negroes--they seem to be interested in the salvation in the hereafter of the souls of colored people, furnishing some education to help along with the soul saving, when it is a well known fact that, it is the educated negro whom the Southern whites object to. The educated negro man or woman become ambitious to be somebody and strive to take part in affairs--the great offence, in that white man's country, committed by a negro.

Gov. Chandler and the others mentioned, have entire confidence in the Congress of the nation, even when strongly republican, believing there while no action taken to right the wrongs suffered by the colored citizens of the South, until the people demand in unmistakable terms that 0005the flag must protect all citizens, negroes included, at home as well as on the high seas, and that colored citizens shall have full rights, in all respects that all other citizens have. Which demand will not come, unless the very small force of fanatics and fools is largely recruited from the ranks of the intelligent, capable, and justice loving men and women of the nation, who now seem to be fully occupied with other duties and cares.

On the other hand, Gov. Chandler, the prominent politicians and many of the other intelligent people know, there is in the South a Controlling Influence, an outgrowth from slavery, far more potent than the Courts, the Legislatures and the Governors of those States--in all matters pertaining to colored people--which power, decreed, immediately after the freedmen were granted the rights of suffrage and citizenship that, that was a white man's country, that the negro should have no lot nor part in affairs of government, not in the social life of that people, and set to work with all the power and ability of that influence to carry out decree. From which came a code of unwritten laws, the real laws of the land, springing from the (assumed) necessities of the people, and from the will of the dominant element, which provides one law for the white man and one for the black."

In enforcing these unwritten laws, in the efforts to deprive colored people of their new right of citizenship, there came that cruel and disgraceful kluklux business, followed by the shot gun policy, as means of intimidation, and later on the Regulators and self-constituted posses, armed with Winchesters and ropes, special representatives of the Controlling Influence dominating in all matters relating to negroes.

During quite a number of years after the promulgation of that decree--in the efforts to carry it out, the slaughter of the innocent was, it is probable, equal to that of any other period of the world, among any other people. So shameful and degrading--so unfortunate in its education of the youth, of all the people, men and women, of that "white man's country," a halt was finally called and a change made in the method of intimidation when, the Regulators and the Self-constituted posse came into vogue, doing the same work, but on the basis of crimes charged, and continuing down to this day, promptly and fearlessly doing the work of intimidating colored people, to prevent their becoming manly men and taking part in affairs--taking the lives of colored men of influence, like the minister Strickland, who as Bill Arp" said raised his bristles and condemned the barbarisms against colored people.

In view of these conditions North and South, well known without doubt, to many intelligent and prominent Southerners Gov. Chandler the Executive of a great State, loses character under the circumstances, to say the least, in his attempt to arraign the North, in his annual message to the Legislature, for its attitude on the race question--charging a half dozen, or less conscientious, justice loving and public spirited men and women, with being the cause of those worse than Turkish barbarisms and acts of injustice against colored people in constant practice throughout the South-calling them "irresponsible fanatics and fools," Surprising words to come from the honored head of a great state. When the parties, so called, were probably honestly at work in proper and commendable efforts, to remove serious wrongs, detrimental alike to both white and black people.

When Gov. Chandler makes use of such abusive language, and makes such charges against people who are unknown to him, it may be proper to ask, what the "fanatics and fools" had to do with the lynching in Louisiana of two negroes, brothers, severely whipping there mother and sister, because they could not or would not tell of the hiding place of a negro charged with shooting a white man? What did they have to do with the killing, in the same State, of an old man and his son who with 0006other Negroes were protesting against the arrest, by the officers, of a Negro who had slapped a white child. The arrested Negro was confined in the jail, but taken out, by a lawless band of white men, the following night, and lynched, for that terrible crime, slapping a child of the Superior race?" What did they have to do with that cowardly, brutal, satanic barbarism, in Amity Country, Miss., in which 300 citizens, no doubt claimed to be respectable, armed with Winchesters, marched to the school house and murdered in cold blood the teacher, Frank B. Hood, an educated, well behaved young Negro, a college graduate, because he wrote an insulting letter, so called, to one of the school board? Could that have been the reason for taking the life of young Hood? Was it not because he was a man of ability and influence, had a desire to take part in affairs and was leading colored people that way? About the same time, there was burned two school houses, in that country, where colored children were being taught, by colored women--very likely educated women, capital teachers, who may have been striving to fit their scholars to become upright and and women, capable of taking part in affairs. What did they have to do with lynching six Negroes in Tennessee charged with arson, but shown afterward to have been innocent? What did they have to do with the burning of the cabin, and the pursuit of jack Trice, wife and little boy, by a lawless band of best citizens and the blood-hounds, in Florida. Because Jack would not surrender his little boy to the TENDER MERCY OF AN ENRAGED WHITE MAN, who demanded his boy for punishment, but defended his cabin and family against great odds, for a time, finally escaped to the swamps, Resulting, no doubt, in the brutal murder of that noble man and his family? What did they have to do with the killing, one at a time of some ten Negroes, in South Carolina, who could not or would not tell the place of hiding of a Negro man, who insulted a white man by asking for and disagreeing with him as to money due the Negro; who when the white man drew his pistol to shoot the Negro, a very common practice, the latter shot first, killing the white man? What did they have to do with whipping to death, in the same State, with buggy traces, a Negro man charged with stealing a Bible, and his old mother who, could not or would not tell on her son? These murderers, four in number, two of them church members, as appeared in the evidence, were arrested, and tried before a court of law, for their crimes. The verdict of the jury was, not guilty, notwithstanding the evidence was full and complete as to their guilt. As a respectable newspaper, published in that vicinity, states editorially. What did they have to do with the lynching, in a most cruel manner, in western Kentucky, in the presence of assembled thousands, of a colored citizen of the great State of Illinois, a respectable man, charged with the murder of two young girls, when he was forty miles away when the crime was committed, as was shown a few days after the occurrence of that sample, of Southern barbarism? What did they have to do with the attempt to murder the colored Postmaster at Hogansville, Ga., determined on it is proper to assume, by best citizens in that community, encouraged by best citizens of other localities in the South. Under the supposition that the President's Negro Postmaster had been killed, as arranged, "the newspaper in that and other Southern States, were filled with lurid editorials in defence of the people of Hogansville, for the bold and fearless stands they had taken to rid themselves of a Negro Postmaster." And further, "the governor of the state declaired that the whole State of Georgia sympathized with the citizens of Hogansville for being forced into the committal of the lamentable crime." What did they have to do with the murder of Post-master Baker and child, to get rid of a Negro official--Negroes are objectionable, in that white man's country when taking part in affairs? What did they have to do with the recent barbarisms in March 0007last, at Wilmington, North Carolina.-Palmetto, Georgia, including the lynching of the minister Strickland, a man of influence among his people, who "raised his bristles and spoke out in condemnation of the barbarisms and injustice against colored people"--and in Little River County, Arkansas. Wholesale slaughters, extending from the Atlantic to the State of Texas. Directed, must we not conclude, by the Controlling Influence, executing the unwritten laws, for the purpose of more intimidation. Because of the growing intelligence among colored people, and, as a consequence, greater desire and ambition to become full men, taking part in affairs as citizens.

The governor makes a further statement, intimating that these Northern fanatics, miserable intermeddlers, send, through their newspapers and by means of incendiary and inflammatory letters, to Negroes in Georgia, urging Negroes to retaliation. There must be some error in this statement. If not, how does such information get out? Fanatics would, in sending such stuff, send only to capable Negroes, and every capable Negro knows, there are a great many capable among them, among those unable to read or write, that any Negro known to have incendiary documents in his possession, would very soon be swinging from the limb of a tree; as a consequence, such documents, if received, would be held as sacred as life itself, only communicated to the most trustworthy, if at all. There are, it is probable, some few Negroes who would betray a trust, for a money consideration, as we know there are many white men who will and who do. Can it be that such things have occurred, became known by treachery, and some of the Negroes hung up and shot to pieces, on the charge of some great crime, had only been the innocent recipient of an incendiary document from the North.

These several brief mentions, of far worse than Turkish barbarisms in practice by people claiming to be civilized, and permitted by a nation professing to stand for right and just, are samples only of hundreds of other similar barbarities against colored people. These atrocities are committed by Southern white men, in violation of law, not in punishment of crimes committed by the instigation of Northern fanatics, not for punishment of crimes, but is it not proper to say, mainly for the purpose of intimidation to keep the Negroes down as servants and field hands, and thus prevent them from exercising the rights of citizenship or taking part in the affairs of that white man's country.

May it not be that this public arraignment of the North the charges against the fanatics and fools, was brought about by the Regulators, threatening to execute the unwritten laws for Negroes, on the Governor of the State, who had in person prevented the lynching of one Negro and, perhaps committed other acts at variance with the policy of the Controlling Influence. Threatening the governor as they did a prominent white man in South Carolina, who had been opposing publicly the brutalities and injustice towards colored people, but who, backed down under the threat of mob violence-as it is probable, they did, Judge Basil LaPlace of Louisiana, another prominent white man, who refused to obey and suffered the penalty of disobedience, losing his life, at the hands of the self constituted posse, always ready, on such occasions, armed with Winchesters and the necessary ropes.

Very strange indeed, that a man of Gov. Chandler's ability and knowledge, should say there was no friction between the law abiding element of the two races, until they, the fanatics of the North, brought it about by their unholy interference. When, immediately following emancipation, as soon as any of the former slaves assumed to put in practice the rights of citizenship, even very small ones from which they had belong deprived, did not many of the old masters refuse to accept the situation, still proposing to be the masters, compelling obedience before; 0008in very many instances, where freedmen took pride in the new situation of being their masters, showing it perhaps in their actions, a very natural proceeding, certain of the old masters and very many of the illiterate whites, who had not owned slaves, came to hate all such Negroes, to abuse and wrong them, all who showed any indications of independence.--which has continued through the years to this time--growing from year to year in more and more abuse and injustice. At the end of five years of such wrongs, the statesmen of the North with a few of the South, came to believe that, the ballot and full rights of citizenship would correct all such difficulties--believed it was the only way, by which harmony could be restored and justice maintained--that it would be greatly to the advantage of both races.

The right of suffrage and citizenship, were acts of great wisdom and justice, under the circumstances--would have, it is very probable, accomplished the good results anticipated, had the intelligence, the better element of the South, accepted in good faith and carried it out, with an honest intent to deal justly with that people, who had served them so long and so faithfully. But, bad counsel prevailed. The Controlling Influence decreed, that was a white man's country, took the helm and, commenced the work to nullify that reasonable and justly deserved grant by a succession of cruelties, of injustice of barbarisms, from week to week, from year to year, down to the present time. Much of it, as methods of intimidation to deter capable negroes from efforts to lead their people into becoming manly men and womanly women, and taking part in affairs, as other people do.

That decree, that the South is a "white man's" country, and the effort to make it so, are, it seems proper to say, the evidence so points, chargeable with the barbarisms, the cruelty, the injustice toward colored people, during the past thirty years. Has been educating, in all those years, the youth and young manhood of those states, into a condition and habit of cruelty, barbarism and injustice, not alone to colored people, but their white brothers as well, and being based upon that unfortunate foundation, laid during the centuries of slavery, will remain with them and their descendants for generations to come: spreading its damaging virus throughout the nation--taking from us in quite a degree that sense of right and justice, upon which it has been supposed, this people's government was based.

Gov. Chandler, is it not time the intelligent, justice-loving people of the South, men and women, had taken up the question regarding the cruelties, the injustice in practice toward the people among you, who had been forced to come among you--who were held in ignorance, not permitted for centuries to progress as other people did? Held back for the supposed advantage solely of the white people. Considering that grave, sad question with an honest intent of dealing justly. It it not time that that part of the Southern people, claiming to be Christians, were putting in practice toward that long oppressed people, the teachings of the just man of Nazareth; setting a back fire against the power of the Influence that strangles all efforts in behalf of justice to them? Time to TRAMPLE UNDER FOOT ALL PREJUDICE AGAINST THE NORTH and to make efforts to the capable and influential men and women of that section, who are now have been so immersed in other duties and cares as to be unmindful of and careless as to, the great wrongs committed against colored people, to aid you in the noble work of striving to do unto an oppressed and greatly wronged people as you would like to be done unto; even asking them to aid you in inducing some Congressional legislature to assist in removing the stain upon us, as a people and nation, condemned alike by many in the South as well as in the North.Chas. H. Williams.Baraboo, Wis., Dec. 21, 1899