"The Race Question" by Dr. S.J. Cobb, ca. 1908

Civil war

Civil War, 1861-1865

Race relations

Racism

White supremacy movements

Booklet written by Dr. S.J. Cobb describing his opinion on the inferiority of African-American people and the need to separate people by race in the United States.

Cobb, S. J.

State Archives of Florida, Series S664

Davis and Cox Printers (Thomasville, Ga.)

1908 (circa)

booklets

eng-US

Text

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Florida Boom and Progressive Era (1900-1926)

Thomasville (Ga.)

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Civil Rights and Freedoms

United States. Congress

United States. President (1861-1865 : Lincoln)

United States. President (1901-1909 : Roosevelt)

Lincoln, Abraham, 1809-1865

Grant, Ulysses S. (Ulysses Simpson), 1822-1885

Clay, Henry, 1777-1852

Roosevelt, Theodore, 1858-1919

The Race Question by Dr. S. J. Cobb Thomasville Georgia

Davis & Cox, Printers Thomasville, Georgia

THE RACE QUESTION. BY DR. S. J. COBB. In studying the Race Question, we should study each race on its own merits, and when we find two races made too far apart to live together without harm or injury to either race, they should never live together. There are two races of people in the United States; one is white and the other is black. These two races were made further apart than any other two races of the human family. That fact is clearly demonstrated, not only on the surface as the skin indicates, but in every other way, particularly in the mind or mental capacity, these facts go to show that these two races were made too far apart to live together without great harm and injury to the white race. The 1

coming together of these two races has proved to be a curse to the white man. That fact has been clearly demonstrated in the hundred years that they have been together in this country. In the first place they destroyed the peace and harmony between the North and South, which finally resulted in a war between the two sections. We fought four long years over the negro question, during which time we lost thousands and thousands of our best citizens, and millions and millions of dollars, besides billions and billions of property. But all that great loss of life and property did not settle the negro question. The negro is still in it, and will continue just as long as the two races remain together. When we come to investigate the facts in regard to the trouble between the North and South, we 2 find the negro was the cause. But for the presence of the negro in this country the North and South would have lived together in peace and harmony. But for the negro in this country we would have had no war, no loss of thousands and thousands of lives, and millions and millions of dollars and billions and billions of property, to say nothing of health and happiness of both sections during the four long years of terrible war, followed by demoralization of the people in both sections for years and years to come, which is always the result of war. The negro in this country has had much to do with the demoralization of our politics. We made a big mistake when we gave him the ballot, which not only made him a citizen of this country, but put him a citizen of this country, but put him on equality with the white man to make and execute laws, and do 3

any and everything the white man does. My! My! What a mistake that was. It did not take long to demonstrate the fact that the negro was not capable of making and executing laws, as the ballot with him was simply a matter of trade and traffic. If he could not get one price for his vote he would take another. This sort of trade and traffic has about destroyed our ballot box patriotism, which has much to do with clean, pure Government. As for citizenship, Negroes were not made to ever become first class citizens. The white man should have recognized that fact in the beginning and done as England did, made them subjects, and put them off to themselves. We have spent millions and millions of dollars in trying to bring the negro up to a high standard of citizenship; in other words a standard of 4 equality with the white man. When we come to study the race question as we should, we find these two races were made too far apart to ever become equal. The sooner we recognize that fact, the better it will be for both races. If the white man had studied the race question as he should have done before he brought the black man to this country, we would have been saved all the trouble we have had over the negro, as well as all we may have over him in future. Each race of the human family were made to fill a certain sphere in life. It is the duty of each race to understand that fact, and to endeavor to fill that sphere the best it can. While we should all be good and kind to each other, we should observe the line drawn by the Maker of all race. As we fail to do that, we are wicked and 5

will be [punished] for so doing. The black man in this country was the slave of the white man for more than a hundred years, all of that time he was [injuring] the white man as slavery always does those who own it, by dwarfing their energy, enterprise and industry. In that way, producing idleness, which is always injurious to everybody, besides, slavery always lowers the standard of labor; not only that, but causes people to cultivate a false pride that makes them feel that they are above doing certain kinds of work, which is looked upon as negro's work. No difference how poor the white man or white woman may be they don't want to go down to work side by side with negroes, or do such work as is considered negroes work. That sort of pride is still being cultivated in the South, notwithstanding slavery has been 6 done away with more than forty years. There is another fault to be found of slavery, or negro labor. It never has developed the resources of any country equal to white labor. That fact has been clearly demonstrated in the United States. The development of the resources of the North is far in advance of the South, notwithstanding the climate of the South is much better than that of the North. The white man set the black man free from slavery, made him a soldier and citizen of the United States, gave him the right to vote, hold office, make and execute laws, and do any and everything the white man does. All of that goes to show that the white man had not studied each race upon its own merits, otherwise, he would have seen it was impossible for him to ever make the black man his equal. 7

The white man should make and execute all laws, not only in this country, but in all countries where white people live. In so doing, we would have better laws, and better citizens, than we would otherwise have. Good laws strictly enforced are always good for everybody, whether they are Caucasians, Malays, Indians Mongolians or Negroes. We now come to the most serious and wicked part of the question which is the amalgamation of the two races. Someone may say there is no danger of that. If so, I would say, open your eyes and lookout on the streets of our towns and cities and see the mulattoes or mixed blooded negroes you will see. There is about 20 per cent of the negro population in the United States mixed blooded. If the two races have mixed to that extant in the last hundred 8 years, with all our laws and unfavorable circumstances, what per cent should we expect in the next hundred years, when circumstances have been changed by doing away with laws that prohibited the intermarrying of the races. One State has already done away with that law. It is well known that the negro, or black race, have little or no virtue. Sometime ago, I asked an old intelligent negro man, what per cent of the negro women were virtuous. He said if I got three out of a hundred I would do well, but if a white man should come along, I might not get one. It is well known that the [height] of the black woman's ambition, is to have to do with white men, while the black man will risk his life to have carnal knowledge of white women. These facts, go to show that it is impossible for these two races to remain together 9

without great damage to the white race. The stay of the negro in this country means amalgamation; amalgamation, means mongrelism. Can we afford to become a set of mongrels? I think not. Then we must separate, cost whatever it may. The Pulpit including all denominations could do a great deal to prevent amalgamation by preaching peaceable separation of the races. God made these two races too far apart to ever become one. They were not made to live together. Living together means equality; and equality means amalgamation, as such I repeat, we must separate cost whatever it may. Preachers could do a great deal in preparing the races for separation which would be a blessing to both white and black. It is strange that the pulpit has not made a greater effort to prevent amalgamation, 10 which is one of the most wicked things that is going on in this country. Negro Preachers should exert themselves to bring about a peaceable [separation] of the races, for the reason, that if we should have another war over the negro, their race would be the greatest sufferers. In fact, it would mean extermination of the black man in this country, which would be [terrible] indeed. While the negroes are not foresighted, it is to be hoped they will see their interest in making an effort to get to themselves. If they should fail to do that and refuse to go, then the worst will surely come to pass. Separation is the only remedy for our race troubles. It will not only save us from mongrelism, but all other race trouble. It will restore peace between the races, and make the white man the black 11

man's friend. Separation will restore peace and harmony between the North and South, by removing the cause of the trouble between the two sections. A house divided against itself can not stand. Let's see that the negro who divided our house in the beginning, that caused it to fall into war, in 1861, never causes it to fall into mongrelism. In so doing we will become one of the greatest nations in the world. Let's all, North, South, East and West, come together and prepare for separation, which will be a blessing to all. In doing that, we will have to elect men to Congress to make laws for that purpose. It is a notional affair, and can only be done through the Government. When the North, South, East and West have determined upon separating the races, the Government will have no trouble in raising the means 12 necessary to separate the races, and help the negroes for 20 years to get a start in their own country, which I think we should do, provided they will join in the effort to separate. There will be very little trouble in working this thing up if the Government will start out a few good able men from each race, as well as each political party to talk the thing up. It must be kept out of party politics, otherwise we will make a failure. We are worth at least $50,000,000,000. That amount assessed at one half of one mill on the dollar for 20 years would give us $50,000,000. We have eight or ten million of negroes in the United States. It would cost about $25.00 per capita to send them to Africa where their forefathers came from. To send 10,000,000, it would cost $250,000,000; that amount deducted from $500,000,000 would leave 13

$250,000,000 to get a territory and help them for 20 years to get a start in their own country. Who would object to paying one half of one mill on the dollar of his assessable property for 20 years to remove the cause of all our race trouble, and restore peace and harmony throughout the country? There is one other thing to be taken into consideration in regard to our ability to separate the races[,] which is the increase of our property. The very fact of separating the races and making this wholly white man't country, as well as restoring peace and harmony between the North and South, would increase the value of our property more than it would cost to remove them, which would enable us to pay the negroes a liberal price for all of their property that they could not take with them. Let's all, North, South, East and 14 West, white and black, go to work at once and prepare for separation. In separating these two races, we should see that we get no other race, in their place who will be detrimental to the Caucasian who owns this country. Now is the time for millionaires and all who feel kindly toward the negroes to come to the front and agree to help them get a start in their own country, while I am no millionaire, I would be glad to help the negroes get a start in their own country, provided they will go to work at once and prepare to go. While the negro has been the cause of a great deal of trouble in this country, he is not responsible for it. He did not come here on his own account. The white man brought him here, as such the white man must be held responsible for all the negro trouble we 15

have had in this country, and all we may have in future. The question now is, how long will the white man continue to be responsible for negre [sic] trouble in this country? In answer to that question, I will say, just as long as the negro remains here; then the sooner he is removed, the better it will be for all. While most of the negroes are in the South, the North had as much to do in bringing them here as the South, as such must be held equally responsible for negro trouble in this country. In the future, we hope the North will take an active interest in removing the negroes from this country, but if they should refuse to do that, then we are doomed to one of two things; another war over the negroes, or mongrelism. Can we as caucasians, can we as a nation, afford to go down to mongrelism; God forbid. Separation 16 of the white and black race in this country, is a National affair, and cannot be done only by the Government, the Governmens set the Negroes free. Can and should remove them from this country. Ex-President Lincoln and Gen. Grant were both in favor of Colonization, in fact most of our great men were. Long before the war, Henry Clay introduced a bill in Congress for the gradual Emancipation of Slavery and Colonization of the negroes. President Roosevelt advocates the purity of the races. To carry out that sort of doctrine, separation of the two races is absolutely necessary. I hope the President will take the lead in carrying out that doctrine. Now that the negroes have been free more than forty years, and the trouble between the races is greater than ever before, with a certainty of amalgamation if they remain together, 17

it is high time that the Government should take such action as may be necessary to settle the race question permanently. As the Government is run principally by the North, the North must be held principally responsible for negro trouble. If the North will take an active interest in removing the negroes from this country, our negro trouble will soon be over. There is a good deal of talk about disfranchising the negro, that may do as far as it goes, but that is simply beating about the bush. It will not stop negro trouble in this country, in other words, it will not prevent mongrelism, which is the main thing to do. Separation is the only thing that will do that. In speaking of the North being responsible for Mongrelism, we only need to refer to their law that allows whites and blacks to marry. If the people North will study 18 the race question, each race upon its own merits, they will soon change their laws, and stop that sort of wickedness. Not only that, but will soon be ready to remove the negroes from this country. In studying the Race Question, we must recognize facts as they are. We have in this country two races of people, who were made further apart than any other two races of the human family, as such we find it impossible for them to live together without great harm and injury to the white race. These are facts that must be recognized. And instead of amalgamation, we should do everything in our power to preserve the purity of the races. Just as we fail to do that, we will surely be punished. God made these two races just as he chose, drew the line clearly and distinctly between the two 19

races, our business is to recognize that fact, and govern ourselves accordingly. If God saw fit and proper to put a white skin on one race, and a black skin on the other, we have no right to change the color, but should observe the color line. There is another important fact in regard to the race question, that I will call attention to, which is, that we are creatures of circumstances to a large extent. In bringing the negroes to this country, we committed the greatest crime of our life, by bringing about a state of affairs, that has proved to be one of the greatest curses that any people ever brought upon themselves. This curse will continue just as long as these two extreme races remain together. We have recently committed another great crime, by allowing the Japanese to come to this country 20 and demand equality with the white people. They now threaten us with war, if we should refuse to let their children go in the same school with ours. War or no war, we never should go down to that sort of mongrelism. As caucasians we should aspire to something higher than that. 21