The colored American., 1899-11-25

Mr.. J. T. HARRIS.
,o,nIrs to both races in America-more
o.reciaIly to the tolored race.
The mistakes referred to are as fol
,ows; Take the case of selecting an un-
dartsker to bury the dead. We findthat
the line is here strictly drawn by the
white race on this subjsct all over the
1rritad States. There is no white faml
" Of any prominence anywhere IN
tbe limited States that would be dis
r-oosd nv allowing a colored under
t.kar to come into their homes and
handle and bury their dead. And, al
tbouUb this strict line has been drawn
BY the whites, saying in many words
IN the colored. "Stand back, we do not
want ANYTHING to do with you Negroes
sociaIIv,T vet we find nearly every col
ored family has been blessed by the
hand Of Providence and has gotten to
petber few thousand dollars in bricks
and mortsr-We find them, as they call
it. honoring their families by intrud
ing on the white undertaken by COM
pellIug him to take their money and
come into their homes and handle and
bury thelr dead, although the white
man Tells him that he does not want
ANYTHING In do with him socially.
Well, this puts me more in mind OF the
monkey than any thing else that L know
Of for the more the monkeys master
beats and kicks him around. the more
the monkey grins and loves bis master.
1t is found that this form OF forcing
social equality on the whites sgaIns'
their wishes, is done by what is known
in the colored race a. the 'upper tens,
and If you will ask them why they dc
these things, they draw long breath
aud say, 'Oh we'll, you know that the
cOlored undertaken Is not up to date; he
cannot give you as good a job as the
white man cam" And they go on to
say that the white man can better at
irod to wait on them; If they have
not the money, they can get tour,
five or six months to settle their bills,
while the colored man cannot wait.
These lame excuses are simply dodges.
There ale colored undertaker4 in the
District of Columbia and elsewhere " he
Csn compete with any white under
t8ker in the country and this fact is
we'll known. There are four or five thai
l mention; namely, Mr.. James ID
Winslow, James H. Dabney, Jesst
Barnes, George Campbell and Nc,
Kenzie Scott. If these men cannot
give you reasonable time TO pay funeTa
bills, then get some one that will But
this Is not the case. The upper tens
have not that race prize, that fidelity
and patriotism which belong TO all "a. cs
and tribes on the globe.
Just to think of it! There is my
daughter as highly educated as mos! OF
white girls and just as respectable SIS
any vhite lady III the country, and YET
while size lives, tt { white man would
feel himself utterly di.graced to make
ssoaIsl call on her land esps cially il
the day time) and accompany her
through the stIeets 10 The chur- h But,
IS soon ss this daughter is dead, for the
sake OF dollars 81 cents, We find the
White man coming into the colored
home with face on him as long as
Your arm, so to speak. Tiis Is what
may he termed the forcing and buying
Of social equality on the part of the
eolored lace aud hypocrIicai accel tance
Of The same on the part of the white
race 20 long as dollars and cents are III
sight
Inc same thing is practiced Oh col
oted Merchants, colored banks. aud all
other business engaged in by colcred
"en. Take the Capital Savings Bank
VI street, which has been doing busi
uess ioT fifteen or eighteen years There
nSs never been anything Ike failure
"nu 1t pays as much interest as ANY
O'uet bank i'll the city; and yet there
AIT N ussnds of colored clIz =us here
, "No would not think f putting a dol
N mat bank including colored
~ ns'Nlzatlons. hen you speak with
leu len about this bank, they draw up
Si' shoulders and say to me, Nell,