Charlotte messenger. [volume] (Charlotte, Mecklenburg Co., N.C.) 1882-18??, 1888-04-21
OUR LEADING MEN.

fessions and in society, especially the
lawyers, doctors, preachers and those
who get their living from the public.
Colored men need to be pulled up by
all above them and pushed up by all
below them. We must strive to go
up ourselves and carry all others up
with us. We must 90 up at no mans
expense and stay down for the sake
of no man.
We believe it is necessary for us
all to manifest much race pride by
patronizing our colored lawyers where
we have them, our colored doctors,
merchants, mechanics and teachers
and in paying our worthy preachers.
1t is as necessary for us all to do this as
it is for us to have such men. We
must encourage them by patronage in
order to keep the ways open for our
youth, and it is necessary for our youth
to learn all the trades professions, &c.,
to make us race equal and to cope
with other races.
But how do many of our leading
men stand on this question? We
have seen some small hearted, selfish
professional men, who are looked up
to as representatives of the race, yet
have no race pride. They have grown
above it-but how did they get there
and what keeps them there? We
might name some of our big colored
preachers, doctors and professors who
say they cannot bother with colored
newspapers but must take the new
York World, Tribune or Atlanta Con-
stitmion. They do not seem to think
of their own position or the impor-
lance of any other branch of eOlored
industry being maintained.
If it is necessary for colored men to
practice law, colored people should
support colored lawyers and our
leading men are the ones to set the
example. If we need colored preach
ers, they should be heard and paid
for their services. If colored doctors
are any good, they should be employ
ed by their peers. If colored teachers
are a necessity, they should be respect
ed If the colored newspaper is proper
thing, most of all, it deserves the
support of the lawyer, the docter, the
preacher and the teacher
The colored man who thinks him
self too big to encourage by patrO-
nizing colored lawyers, doctors,
papers, preachers, teachers and me-
chanics, is unworthy the support of
the masses and deserves to be left
alone to drift back to his proper level.
There are some in the trades and
professions who get more than they
are entitled to. 1t is only the deserv-
ing we speak for If a lawyer is not
talented, it would be better for him
and his race if he turned his attention
to some other calling If preacher
does not his honor profession, he
should not be honored by his people
and should cease to disgrace the pulpit
The newspaper is different. The
preacher, teacher, lawyer and all
should take part in making the news
paper what it ought to be- But when
the editor fails to puff some self
esteemed leader or says something that
he don't like, the custom Of many Of
our leaders is to work at once to
break down the paper. They refuse
to take it and will not write for it.
They speak i'll of it and thereby show
their unworthiness of the support they
receive
Great men should be great in senti-
ment and in charity. They should
know small things as well as large
things. They must be willing for
their lives and works to hold them
up and not their diplomas or some
past oratoraial effort. The press
is a power and should have the sup
port Of our leading men and they
should have the support of the press
While it may not be expressed who
will lead, it is admitted that intelli-