The broad ax., 1898-08-13
a srERN RERuKE
John HUSH CALLS a SPADE a srAD.

To the editor Of the Bee:
Rev. John Albert Williams makes
grave charge against the people of
Omaha on account of their treat
ment of our colored fellow citizens.
He claims that decent negroes are
Disseminated against in hotels,
restaurants, places Of amusement,
etc, and that no matter how many
disreputable white rowdies may
frequent such places, there is no
objection raised, but colored man
or woman is looked upon with
contempt and refused attention.
/ can bear evidence of the truth
Of every word written BY Rev.
Williams, and / have often said TO
myself that the people of this
country are the most perfect hypo-
critics in the world. As long as
they can violate the statutes with
impunity, no matter how grave the
offense may be, their conscience
never upbraids them. Apparently
their motto is: "You NAV break the
law but don't be caught at it. !"
We supposed that the civil war and
the adoption of the xiii, xiv and xv
amendments to the constitution
had settled the question for all the
time. Man is endowed with GER
tain attributes as will as rights.
These attributes are innate better
developed, perhaps in some races
than in others, on account of en-
vironments. Shall we ridicule
those whose opportunities for i'm
provement have been inferior to
our own? 1t is pretty well demon
strated that during the single
generation in which our colored
brother has been emancipated
whenever he has had the chance he
has proven himself q worthy COM
petitor of his late taskmsster, and
that during these years he has
made marvellous progress. But
this is not all. The negro depends
upon his Caucasian friend, who
has set him upon his career and
has promised him protection and
encouragement. Incidentally /
may say that the Caucasian race
has been great in many things. 1t
has been the greatest robber, the
greatest murderer and the greatest
sycophant the world ever saw. For
instance, "our cousins" send tracts
and bibles to Africa and India to
Christianize the heather and then
they send cannon and dynamite,
so that the poor native wretches
may be blown into eternity if they
attempt to defend their homes.
The survival of the fittest, doncher-
know.
Let us be fair and truthful and
obedient to the law. We cannot
afford to act the hypOcrite. We
voluntarily placed the negro on a
legal equality with ourselves. Why
not recognize the social equality
too? Are we better educated, more
refined, weslthier than he? Then
in Gods name, let us help to raise
him up rather than plunge him
deeper into his misfortunes. There
is not a more loyal citizen in the
United States than the negro, and
yet few years ago here in the city
of Omaha an unfortunate colored
man was torn to pieces on our
public streets and the remnants OF
his poor anatomy were hung up on
q telegraph pole. We are ashamed
to speak of this, because il brings
eternal disgrace upon US. Omaha
must do q great deal before she
can atone for that horrible sin.
We must accept things as they
exist. Nearly ten per cent of our
population are negroes. They
have the same rights and privileges
that we have. Notwithstanding
color they and We are descended
from the same common parentst
They are Gods children the sam.
a. We. Their souls are Just as
precious as ours-no difference
nor distinction on account of color
The FIVE races of mankind are all
the same in the eyes of God, al
though the white man has an aw-
full account against him upon the
ledger of the recording angel. We
may think ourselves better than
others but We are mighty poor
Judges. Let the United States be
true to Its tradition and principles.
Let us live up to our constitution
and laws and set an example for
other nations which we claim are
inferior tn ms let ms he honasf