Iowa state bystander. [volume] (Des Moines, Iowa) 1894-1916, 1897-02-19

/ was intensely interested in
reading an article that appeared
in the BYsTANDER, composed by
Mr.. Thompson, the object Of
which was to show to the youths
generally, and older heads in par
ticular, the benefits derived from
a studious application to schools
of learning, and also to admonish
them of the deleterious effect, sub.
sequent to a new compliance with
this advice. Never in the history
of our race could such remarks be
more opportune or appropriate. |
indeed think such warnings should
be continually hearalded from our
press, constantly enunciated in the
pulpit, and perpetually wrung
from the stump, keeping ever be-
fore our people the necessity of
educating their children.
The question has been agitated
for years. l believe l would be
justified in saying almost since the
Emancipation Proclamation, as to
what should be done to solve the
race problem. The press, the pul :
pit, the lawmakers, all We'd with
each other in their efforts to pro-
pagate some scheme by which its
solution would be assured. Some
advocated deportation; some favor
ed the plan of colonization; others
advanced the idea that the acquisi-
ton OF wealth was the only meth
cd by winch they could, as a race,
ever hope to attain to any degree
of eminence, and yet there were
others adhered to the theory that
the possession of education was
the essential factor in solving the
momentous race problem.
lam not writing this article to
theorize on any Of the above plans,
nor do l intend to condemn either.
But l only intend to deal with
facts, as l understand them, and
use common sense as a combatant
for theoretical argument. The
impracticability Of deportation rem
ders that plan virtually obsolete.
The futile attempts to colonlze any
considerable number has been so
fraught with disaster, that that
idea also is untenible. To admit
that the acquisition of wealth
would be contiguous to prosperity
tl,en the question may arise as to
what is the best agent in proour-
ing that boon.
In glancing over the annals of
the worlds history, l believe re-
search would substantiate the as
sertion that all Nations, Empires,
Kingdoms and Republics, who
CARED for themselves an epitaph
imperishable land became Of
moment and world renown, re-
ceived their cnvious positions
mainly under the instrumentality
Of knowledge. The idea that their
wealth caused their aggrandize-
ment is erroneous. Thus it was
mighty factor in causing results,
but in deducting conclusions from
a resort to history we should trace
events from cause to effect if we
expect to be able to gain an intel.
ligent understanding.
While it Is undisputable that
wealth WAS a powerful incentive
in forwarding the history of ma
tions, yet it was only creature Of
a higher or mightier factor. and
its accumulation was entirely due
to the amount of knowledge pos
sessed by the nation who owned
it. Go back six hundred years
and learn the condition of human
ity as they wrestled with ignor-
ance, in darkness and superstition
previous to the invention of mov-
able types by John Guttenburg,
and the diffusion of knowledge,
among the masses. Men, women
and children paid their lives as a
penalty, on the alter Of Papal big
otry, and behests of Imperial
Rome, because they had the
audacity to differ with her in her
prescribed rules of faith. But since
the invention of printing (Which
has been Of more substantial aid
to the human family than all other
agents combined knowledge has