Iowa state bystander. [volume] (Des Moines, Iowa) 1894-1916, 1895-01-18
WORDS OF WISDOM
BY a Man Who Has Seen the
Change Of the Negro from Slay'
cry TO Partial Liberty.
a Scathing Rebuke to Negroes Who Mas
querade in Sleeps Clothing Only
to Play the Wolf
wants 10 Be kicked Into Notoriety.
shoo Fly Editor Of N.gro Paper.

Sioo Fly Editor of N.gro Paper.
What gigantic piece of humbng.
gerry is that which is being worked upon
the Negroes of the country by the Hon.
Frederick Douglass and Miss Ida B.
Wells-their anti-lynching project. 1t
only costs the people when they lecture
from one to two hundred dollars for
each of them to make single speech.
When they wind up, the Douglass
Wells combine will have the money
and lynching willst:ll be practiced.
1t is with profound and heartfelt
regret that ! have seen such man
Hesitation to tear down or damage the
good name of Ida b. Wells
Why does the writer of the above
article use the words 'sShoo Fly Editor
of a Negro Paper? Please explain
this ''shoo fly article, 2 which made it's
appearance in THE BYsTANDER Novem-
ber 23d. When l was told of said
article / need not say that / was
astonished, shocked, to hear the good
name of Miss Ida 3. Wells had been
assailed. I have no desire to encroach
upon your attention, Mr.. Editor, but i
cannot repress my Indignation feel
myself irnpelled by every duty to enter
this my solemn protest against the So
called ''shoo fly article Also against
the writer of the same, as it involves
the character and good name Of the
courageous, intrepid young lady her
self. l will admit that She receives
+ L.. A1,n
laborer worthy Of his hire? Has she
not labored in the interest of her race?
If SO, why should any of the race with
hold her wages or stultify her or dim
the brightness of 50 noble cause, and
her veracity, or circumscribe her
knowledge and place her in the narrow
limits of jealousness. and cloud the
grandeur and glory of SO noble a
woman? 1t was Ida b. Wells that
sounded the alarm and gave notice that
the wolf was upon his walk The
weakest voice is heard and believed
Christendom has heard her; she has
laid bare the secrets of a once hidden
hell of mob law.
| will enter on no encomium of the
Hon. Frederick Douglass. His history
is already written; his public virtue is
known throughout this and other
lands. Miss Ida B. Wells-there she
stands, behold her! Her object is the
protection and the betterment of the
condition of her people There she
stands at the bar of justice pleading
and putting forth the powers of her
talent, pleading the cause of bleeding
humanity. Who is among us that
decry her or crush her? She herself
being an exile from the horror of mob
law nd murder Truth, the almighty
force of truth cannot be denied Ida B
Wells, that is moulding public opinion
on lynching of the Negro in the south.
Let none of the race impugn the motive
of Miss Ida b. Wells. She will yet
work out noble and sublime and an
ifhperishable destiny for herself and
race. Lay no obstacles in the way.
Let the bread rays Of knowledge and
| light be shed or laid at the door of the
guilty on the lynching questions of the
day, and it will yet bear abundant
fruit. Let all iealousness be banished
| from our minds to the end that zeal
| and patriotism may take the place OF
| iealousness, and stupidity find no place
in the hearts of the Negro race. Let
every one that loves justice and right
stand by Miss Ida B. Wells and support
her. Let her agitate the lynching
questions to the end that justice may
be done. Victory never fails to abide
with truth. The wise and virtuous
who find and use this mighty weapon
are sure of their reward 1t may not
come soon: years, ages, centuries may
pass; the grave stone may have
crum bled above the head that should
have worn the wreath but the eye OF
faith and the vision of the imperish-
able and inevitable halo that shall en-
shrine the memory is forever present to
cheer and sweeten toll and compensate
plivations, and it often happens that
the great and heroic minds are unno-
ticed by the world, buried apparently
| in profoundest darkness, sustained by
faith, work out the grandest problems
of human progress, working under
broad rays of brightest light light fur
nished by that inward and immortal
lamp, which, when It's mission upon
earth has closed, is trimmed anew by
angel hands and placed among the
stars of heaven. Let the agitation OF
! the anti-lynching go on; let the trum-
pet tongue of Miss Ida B. Wells be
| heard at the four corners of the earth.
No matter how she is situated, if she
has facts that will bear scrutiny; if she
has thoughts that burn: if she is sure
she has a call to work, to enlighten the
people on the lynching bees of the
South, the press is a tripod from which
she may give uttergtnce to her ora-
cles, and if there is truth in them the
world and future ages will accept it.
EDWARD BARNETT.
In reply to the query of Mr.. Barnett
we will say that the above quotation
was not properly credited for the rea-
son that we desired to preserve what
ever of reputation the Hon" George
L. Taylor, Of the OslSaloosa Negro So
licitor, had left He is also a lecturer
and will fill engagements when he has
a call" so we understand. He is a
/ man whom nature has been kind to
and he would adorn many places i'll
| life if he would do what he knew to be
ight.-Ep1ToR.
BANNER ROUTE EXCURSION JAN.
| UARY 10.