The Washington bee., 1897-08-21

organization?
Second. If we are successful in plac-
ing such an organization before the
country, will the negro manhood be
advanced?
Third. Shall we begin at once; if so,
upon what basis
To the first proposition, am forced
to admit we are need of a national or
ganization, in which unity of action
should be an element of force.
To the second proposition, negro
manhood can be advanced when it is
shown that he has confidence in those
he places before the American people
to lead. Without confidence in one
another. our work will be useless.
To the third proposition, the abSo-
lutte necessity of beginning at once, as
| said before, can be better demon
strated by existing circumstances.
There are all kinds of organizations in
| this country which are accomplishing
| something. We have at last realized
! that II is necessary to come to some
| definite action Tor our own good. To-
| day we must throw off the mask which
has blinded us, and say to our oppres-
| sors that we shall no longer play the
| fool.
| PAINT Me AS AM.
Rev. Sidney Smith, the celebrated
| English clergyman and writer, once
| said in a letter to a friend, have
| gout, asthma and several other mala-
| dies, but otherwise am very well.
| This is suggestive of the present con-
dition of our people, for we are in
similar predicament; for certainly we
as a race have many impeuimentS,
draw backs and faults, and can say
with Smith that we are otherwise very
well. But very we'll in this case would
be not far short of so so" or " only
tolerable " or "just barely living"
But it is not by self adulation, self
magnifcation and self conceit that we
may hope to rise as a race, for expert
ence and observation teach us that The
secret of true progress consists IN the
confession of our faults, critical in
quIry into our actual condition, and
enlightened and persistent endeavor
to correct 1t by the discovery of our
true needs and the means of adequate
ly meeting them.
"Paint me as am, warts and all,
said Oliver Cromwell to Cooper, the
celebrated portrait painter. This seems
an unnecessary injunction; but when
we consider the popular love of fiat
terry and the prevalent notion of APP
peering handsome and graceful, when
in fact we are very homely and awk-
ward, we can appreciate the variety
| and forcibleneSS of CromWelPs re-
marks
And we are no exception to the rule
] of humanity. We love to be f1attered
and applaudei like the rest OF man
kind, we do not like adverse criticism,
we do not like to be reminded of our
faults.
| We often tell our painters and pho
tographers not only to remove the
warts, and scars and other blemiSheS
but to put diamond rings on our fin
gers, when actually we can not afford
any. Correct defects in our eyes,
brighten our complexion and to even
change the appearance of our hair
from kinky to straight.
This is not the time for appearing SO
great, for while we are regaling our
selves with false notions of our Securi-
ty and power, the lyncher'S rope testi-
fes to our weakness and while we
prate about our phenomenal advance
ment, public conveyances, public ho-
tells, public courts, schools and
churches discriminate against us.
Therefore, say, paint us as we are,
defects and all, in order that we may
be able to see ourselves as we really
are, in order that we may know our
real condition and decide upon some
plan of concerted action for objects OF
race improvement.
OUR PRESENT UNoRGANIZED CONDI-
TIoN.
Now, one of the serious defects from
which we are suffering as a race is the
absence of cohesion, of cooperation in
business and the insuffiCIencey of indi-
vidual enterprise. We do not get to-
gether. We do not assist one another to
prosper In word, we do not act as
other races do, in their determination
to overcome social and political diff
cultieS and to remove prejudice, ignO-
rance and poverty. Our daily expert
ence in the world of business reveals
to us the numerous ills which result
from our present unorganized condi.
ton. A condition in which the essen
tial elements of race progress are ig
nored; in which selishness and false
pride and folly are made to overshad
ow and supplant the more important
. and tranScendent elements of race
pride race unity and well directed &C
quisitiveness.
We recognize the fact that domestic
happiness and personal security shoulc
be the aim of an enlightened race, anc
that they depend for their existence
and perpetuity upon perfect Commu
nifty of interest, based upon mutual
considerations, for the higest general
good. We also recognize the fact thai
where there is no disposition to com
bine, when every man seeks his owr
elevation at the expense and in spite o.
every other man, there can be no Sc
curity of any sort; but, on the contra
ry, where every man recognizes an OBJ
legation to society or his race, to con
tribute his full share toward the gen
/ eral good, by stimulating activities anC
enterprises which are calculated to in
sure moral, social and material ad
vancement-there we are sure to finC
domestic happiness and personal safe
! ty most secure; there we will find &
. race wise, respectable, rich, powerful
and great
Now the question arises, Do we re
cognize these obligations which we
owe to each other as a race or as socia
r. IL ,zI E11l