“The insanitary housing of many of our colored people and the congestion within the area in which they reside are developing breeding for disease. The condition is a serious menace to the general health of the city. It threatens to become in the future a matter of such gravity as to challenge the thoughtful consideration of our entire community. . . . “The high death rate in Baltimore is occasioned by the high mortality among the colored people. The death rate from tuberculosis alone is three and a half colored to one white.”[122:22] The Health Department, in a bulletin issued about the same time, showed that the death-rate per thousand of the Negro population of Baltimore was 33.96, while that of the white population was but 16.91. What is true of Baltimore is more or less true elsewhere. It is needless to consider other reasons for segregation laws, the three given; viz., to lessen friction, to check criminality and immorality, and to prevent the spread of disease, are sufficient warrant for segregation laws of whatever kind. FOOTNOTES: [103:1] _The Outlook_, Dec. 23, 1914. [104:2] “Negro Year Book,” 1914-1915. [109:3] Code of Mobile, 1907, p. 330. [110:4] _Baltimore Sun_, Aug. 6, 1913. [110:4a] Found void by U. S. Supreme Court, Nov. 5, 1917. [112:5] _Baltimore Sun_, Aug. 8, 1913. [113:6] Letter to _Baltimore Sun_, March 11, 1914. [113:7] _Ibid._, Aug. 18, 1913. [113:8] _Baltimore Sun_, Aug. 22, 1913. [114:9] _Baltimore American_, Sept. 21, 1911. [114:10] _Baltimore Sun_, May 19, 1916. [114:11] _Ibid._, January 13, 1914. [115:12] _Baltimore Sun_, August 26, 1913. [115:13] _Ibid._, Aug. 14, 1915. [115:14] _Ibid._, March 24, 1911. [115:15] _Baltimore American_, Sept. 9, 1911. [116:16] _Washington Times_, March, 28, 1911. [116:17] _Baltimore Sun_, July 3, 1909. [116:18] _Democrat and News_, Cambridge, Md., Sept. 3, 1909. [117:19] _Baltimore American_, Aug. 14, 1913. [117:20] The _Philadelphia Record_, Oct. 8, 1917. [118:21] _Baltimore Sun_, Aug. 21, 1913. [122:22] _Baltimore Sun_, Feb. 20, 1917. CHAPTER VI NEGRO WEALTH OR POVERTY,—WHICH? The statement sometimes made that in 1865 the Negro was a landless and penniless race is far from the truth. Some slaves had property that they had secured through opportunities given them by their owners. No doubt free Negroes secured at least a small share of the public domain. Many slaves upon being given freedom by benevolent masters, were also given money or property at the same time. Cases of this sort were frequent during slavery times. Several such instances are given in the _Staunton_ (Va.) _Democrat_ during 1846-1848. Such cases as the following were not uncommon: “A Negro man named Lerr; age about 35 years; a slave for life $700.” “A negro man named Jacob; age about 24; a slave from life—$600.”[123:1]