The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1896-02-17
IT'S A CHRISTIAN DUTY
To Help the Negro Race in Our
Midst.
ADDRESS OF EDWARD STEPHENS

Delivered at the First Presbyterian
Church on Sunday-Stephens and
Miss Riddick Each Sing "a SOLO.
The First Presbyterian church was
fairly we'll filed yesterday morning to
greet Edward Stephens in a talk on
TYPES of Thinking on the Colorcd Quee-
tion," and Miss lizzie Riddick in an adj
dress on "The Younger Black Women
and Their Needs"
These two young colored people, high
ly educated aod practical are devoting
their lives to the practical elevation of
their race here or of such of it as they
can through the fundamentally of an
Industrial school at the corner of Tenth
and Washington avenues.
MIR. Stephens said: "In the mass of
books, magazines. newspaper articles and
speeches on what ia known as the color
ed question, there is found but little of
what l would call ymmetrical thinking.
"There is class of white people who
say The colored people are free now;
they are not our property any more and
it is none of our business how they get
along
There is relationship between the
white and the colored races-a blood re-
lationship-and that reason-poor kim
ship-if no other and nobler, should
bring pity to the hearts of many who
place the whole burden on the weaker
black man. good many white people
feel a pity and a sympathy for the COL
ored people-at a distance-but are not
willing to lend them substantial aid when
they are brought closer to them.
"Here in the north we find much solicit
tude for the dear workers among theme
groes down south but very little or moth
ing is done for the thousands of colored
mamie ri q x-hn 1dr
cation of a practical nature.
''There is another class of we'll mean
ing Christian people who think the black
folks greatest needs are bibles to read,
preachers and churches. One of our
heaviest possessions, our sorest Affections
are the drugs of preachers who break
more backs and knock out more leaves
of the bibles that are sent than they
! cause hearts to break over sin or can
claiming to preach Christ who should be
blowing corn. The negroes are the
worst priest ridden people on the face
of the earth.
"Besides having a heaven to win and
hell to shun, we must needs be after
some business. There are people who
think that education, meaning book
larnin,' is the panacea. We need prac.
teal knowledge of practical things.
There is also the white Utopian who
| would put all the Negroes in a sort OF
| Garden of Eden without the flowers and
| fruit, with United States soldiers guard
| ing the gates to see that none crawl out.
| There is, too, the theological philosopher
| who believes that Noah having cursed
Ham, it is therefore presumptuous in the
! Negro to wish to be anything but a ser
! want to white men and horses.
Then there is the iridescent dreamer
| who would ship US all to Africa or any
| where; the persons OF African descent
| who would subtract themselves from the
disabilities of pref udice by straig htening
! their hair with 'anti-kink' or their skin
with 'maiden's bloom the Virginia
statesmen who formed a society to get
indemnity for themselves and bounty for
| their ex-slaves, and the North Topeka
| negro preachers-and in this how beau
| tifuIly the extremes meet how one touch
| of nature proclaims our kinship-who
resolved that the ex-slaves want pen
sions and must get 'em even if 'ole
marse' wants to get some.
''The colored people need not only
| education; a teaching of the industries
| is not even all; they need moral training
and instruction in sanitary matters We
| believe in not only knowing something
| but in doing something. We seek to in
| culcate neatness, sobriety, man1iness and
womanliness and to develope purpose
/ anu earnestnesS tuat tAey may realize
| the true meaning of life with its respon-
| sibilities.
"Outside the churches the Negroes in
| this city have to place no go but to the
| gambling and drinking dens. We would
| therefore establish an institution like
| the Y NJ c. A. in which we would in
| clude a lyceum and working mems club
"The condition of things among the
| Negroes if permitted to continue must
grow worse and the two people come in
! contact with each other in too many
places for one to be safe. while the other
| is in peril"
Miss Riddick who is Mr.. Stephens
assistant in his industrial school, fol-
| lowed with description of their work.
Mr.. Stephens sang solo from Mend
! elssohn's "Elijah" and Miss Riddick
sang a solo, abba Father"