The negro: the southerner's problem

A collection of early‑twentieth‑century essays, this work probes the contentious question of race relations that dominated public debate after the Civil War. The author presents his observations from a Southern viewpoint, exploring how demographic changes and economic concerns intertwined with the lives of millions of African‑American citizens. By laying out the facts and arguments familiar to his contemporaries, he invites listeners to hear the period’s raw, unvarnished discourse.

Written with a self‑conscious modesty, the narrator admits the limits of his own perspective while striving for an “open and enlarged mind.” He frames each chapter as a candid attempt to balance personal experience with broader evidence, acknowledging where data may be incomplete or conclusions imperfect. For anyone interested in the historical roots of America’s race problem, the essays offer a vivid snapshot of the attitudes, anxieties, and political calculations that shaped the nation's early‑1900s landscape.