The Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1885-1886, 1886-06-30
EDUCATED FOR A PROFESSION

Coiored Students Who Long to Bask in
the Sunlight of Success.
Every intelligent person living south who
has any thing to do with the black element
in business way will bear me out when l
say that the education of the negro in the
higher branches of knowledge is not alto
gether an unmixed blessing The means of
education in the south have multiplied in
far greater ratio for the black than for the
white child The negro of today is raven
Gus for learning He sees the white man
prosperous and happy and honored with
high places in the synagogue and winning
distinction in every field of thought and
labor He does not lay it to any superiority
of intellect tenacity OF purpose, OF intui-
ton
His reasoning is, that If he had the white
mans education be would no longer have to
work in the treadmill of I'm easing toll, but
could climb the heights and bask in the bril-
liant sunlight Of success To wear good
clothes and live without hard ply steal work
is the prize for which he struggles. So
Sambo ana bis brothers 60 to school The
hard working, plodding old father and
mother work harder and plod more to fur
nish the wherewithal In four or five years
he graduates
Although the negroes, as rule, are very
strongly in favor of education, and will
| make sacrifices to give their children the
benefit OF the public and other schools, there
| exists among the uneducated ones percep.
tible prejudice against and distrust of
those of their own race who. becoming edu-
Gated in the professions, seek to assume con-
troll The negro preacher, however, is al
most omnipotent He appeals to the all
absorbing passion of their natures, and
generally moves them at will
The sick negro will rarely call in the ply
stefan OF his own color if a white doctor is
within shouting distance He deems the
pills, purgatives, and p0tions of the white
man most efficacious While he would gag
at the black draught of the black M. D., he
| will cheerfully enguf a carboy of castor oil
| il given to him by grave Caucasian with
| preposterous eye glasses He might kick at
| q plaster the size of postage stamp if DIR.
| Africanus attempted to decorate him with
it. The Anglo Saxon might place them on
him until he looked like newly shingled
barn, and he would not murmur.
As it is with medicine, SO it is with law,
only in a greater degree perhaps. The Negro
lawyer may have Blackstone and Coke al
his tongues end. He may be familiar with
Chitty on Pleading, Biles on Bills and Hogs
| on Bacon, but his clients will be like button.
ON an old married mans shirt, few and fal
between. There are some few who have
made favorable impression at the bar, but
the result of their labors has been a meagr.
living The negro of strong prejudice be
lieves the white man to he equally preju
diced He reasons that if he employs {
black lawyer the judge and jury vii
be arrayed against him from tn
suart He is wise in his generation ant
there is vein of wisdom in his choice.
OF the professions the clergy is for hin
the original Garden Of Eden. Strong lungs
knowledge of Holy Writ, and a facult,
for misquoting will insure him hog ant
hominy as long as he lives Not only that
but plump, yellow-lsgged chickens will b
at his beck and nod. He will be led throug'
green pastures and by the side of still waters
and will wax fat and frisky. -Hamiltol
Jay in New York Sun.