The Washington bee., 1896-08-29
OUR WOMEN.
Mrs. E " c. Williams, Editor.


crease? If so, why? These quest
IONS we PROFOUND for consideration.
Search the Testimony of the ages
and you will find no race to have
made so great progress in so short
a time as the COlored American OF
the United States. At the close OF
the war it was thought that he would
soon become extinct. But not so.
Like Che Israelities. while in Egypt
under the most adverse c1rcum-
stances, making "Bricks without
straw" we have multiplied until
there are about eight millions OF
US, the majority of whom live at
the South. Are we citizens! BY
the Constitution of the United
States all fair minded people SO
regard us. Then, if State legls-
lature enacts law which abridges
the privileges and opportunities OF
certain class of its citizens the
law is Dad. Redress is had by
striking at the head in a proper
and dignifad way. There are many
other ways by which public atten-
ton can be called to injustice than
by taking the law in our 'wn
hands. When this is done the
cause is often injured. That there
are pernicious laws North as we'll
as South, which prescribe our peo-
pie is undeniable. Because certain
States have laws which assign GER
tain citizens of this Nation to the
Jim Crow Car" and compel
| them to ride on the back seats In
the street car is no reason why the
whole people should be advised to
leave that section and 60 to
another. If caste be found IN the
South 1t also exists in the N orth
If we are prohibited from receiving
first class travelling accommoda-
tions in the South, we are Ill other
ways, in the North debarred OF the
| rights of citizenship.
Who would have thought that in
Boston, Mass, the craddle Of lib
erty the home of some of the great
est humanitarians and philanthro-
pists the world has ever produced, ,
anyone would have refused to enter
tain a cultured educated colored
gentlemen in one of her hotels !?
| No one. Doubtless had he persist
ed, and entered the building and oc-
cupied a room, he would have been
forclbly elected. Should all the
colored people be advised to leave
the North and 60 West and estab-
lish colonies of their own because
of that treatment? How absurd.
1t is folly to array race against race.
What interests one ought to interest
the other. What lifts one raises
the other. Each is his brothers
keeper. Therefore the colored peo-
pie of the South should maintain
friendly relations with the white
people Of the South.
! And the whole people, from the
lakes to the Gulf and from ocean to
ocean should at all times and every
where discourage race antagonism.
The colored people of the South
should be slow to follow the advice
of anyone, because of the indigni-
ties they receive at the hands of d
street car conductor or otherwise,
to 90 West or anywhere else to es-
tablish colonies. Would such a
step improve our condition q? After
all it is that which confronts u.s.
We ourselves must improve IT..
But not by colonizing. There
are men and women in every town,
hamlet, and city above the average
Many of whom weld an influence
for the greatest good, whereby all
classes of citizens are benefited and
inspired to live purer and better
lives. But these orly show the ca
pabilities of the race and the
heights that may be reached and
kept. But until the condition of
the masses is improved individual
greatness will be Of little avail.
Lift them materially as we'll as
morally and intellectually.
Train the girls and boys OF this
generation along such industrial
lines that will enable them to be-
come master workmen and owners
of great enterprises. Let the faith
ers and mothers lay material found
ations upon which their boys and
girls, after acquiring knowledge
of some kind of a handlcraft, may
enlarge ; and thereby build pros
porous business cf some character.
And perchance the ignored boy OF
today, may twenty years hence see
prejudice obliterated.
| When street cars were put on the
streets of Washington, the Capital