The Washington bee. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1884-1922, 1891-11-14
THE PEOPLE AROUSED.

The article in our last issue Oh
the organization OF the cOlored
people Of this city, in order to re-
move the restrIcioGs and dis
examinations which certain busl'
ness houses practice against US,
has exceled wife comment and
| stirred up deep Interest. The
most substantial citizens Of the
District are lending their names
and Influence 10 the movement.
1t cannot be doubted that they
have entered upon this labor with
d full knoEledge Of the magna-
tude of he undertaking. 1t is one
ut the most useful movements
that has yet been undertaken by
our p ople. The most effective
protest that can be made ,gainst
prejudice and prescription is to
appeal to the material interest ot
those who practice them. they
will hear no reason, heed no aFg
ument, but the juggling OF the
guinea will cause them to stop and
lIsten 10 wha, the possessOr has
to say. We may petition and re-
mynstrate aud complain until our
tongues are tired and our voices
grow weak, but unless we use
our material forces to remedy our
Ills, our last sla will be worse
than the first.
At ID low estimate the colored
people spend S., 100000 each year
III The stores If this cry. Let Us
suppose that % per cent Of tbs is
prDtit to the merchants. Here
results results from our trade a
profit Of 81, 100000 annually. A.
least two Thousand persons are
mpl"yed Ill various capacities
to manage this trade, aud to
share IN the proceeds. But OF
thl5 vast number there are very
few OF our own race aud bl DOd.
We are thus supporting, seeming
ly, willingly, the vey expressions
OF winch we complain. We are
giving to the caucasian a golden
cane to crack our own heads
with.
The object Of this movement is
10 place colOred men in position
to handle portion of this trade
al least and TO furnish TO our
young people employment OF "a
re peGt able kind as statesmen and
sal, sladles in the stores which we
support. The time is ripe tor
sucn a movement, tie situation
and the circumstances favor it. We
Lave among US the best talent Of
the race. 1t would be the saddest
of the commentaries upon the pos
sibihties of our people, if a COM
munity OF $4,000 Of the best edu
ca,ed, best employed aud most
prosperous Of the race, cannot 50
tar manage their own material
inerrs's as to protect themselves
from insult and unjust di5crimi-
nations No other people in the
world would be so slow in using
their ma erial resources to assert
their manhood and seIf-resp Ct.
No selt-respecting colored citl-
zen can aft Drd to remain silent or
lad tferent to this movement.
The leaders of this movement
are men for whose judgment we
have the highest respect, and yet
we venture to advise them to be
ware of personal chickering's and
petty antagouisms aud jealousies
which have been the curse of ali
movements for the bettermeut of
our people. We must also advise
them against the precipitous haste
with which we rush into new
measures aud the lukewarm sup
port and Indifference which We
man fest after they have been in
augurated.
If a wise aud conservative spirit
should prevail in this undertaking,
and If our people, IN high places
as we'll as III low places will do
their duty as the piainest dictates
OF self interest and self respect
points it out to them, this move,
ment promises to be a blessing to
US, such as we have not witnessed
since the emancipation. But sue
cess in this matter demands un-
selfish adherence to principle,
concentration Of effort and cohe-
siveness of purpose.