The Negro world., 1900-03-17
Race Discrimination.

II is a sad commentary upon the
boastcd civilization oi the eastern and
western states, when n thorough inves-
tigation evidences the fact that the ne
gro is almost universally barred from
all remuneratiye employment. IL Is a
well known fact that wherever skilled
labor is required. in any workshop, fac
tory or any particular line OF industry.
the employees are members OF trades
unions or other labor organizations. In
some instances the constitution OF these
bodies explicitly provides that all ap-
plieants for membership must be white,
and III other cases where this provision
does not obtain in that instrument,
enough of votes Is easily mustered up
20 effectively black ball the negro APP
pllcant,
The paramount reason that brought
about abolition ot slavery IN the north
ern states, many years before the late
internal unpleasaniness, was discovered
in the predominant public sentiment
that opposed the competition Of white
free labor with that oi slave labor. The
member, who advocated the abolition
az slavery from q humanitarian stand
point, were inconsiderahlc. and were
not an effective force upon the body
polite from tho time Of the adoption Of
the declaration ol independence up to
the beginning OF the civil war in '6i.
In the southern states the negro has
largely occupied the field as a laborer
as well as skill artisan. During an
te-bellum days the vc-holding class
discovered that Il would be pecuniary
benefit TO then TO make mechanics out
oi their slaves
Today in the workshops Of the South
and on all buildings in course of cree
tion, negroes will be found employed
as brick mnsons. stone masons, carpcn+
tiers. or doing anything requiring the
services OF skilled artisan In the
so-ealled northern states the negro's
opportunities for employment appear To-
be growing less year by year, Tie
was the barber, waiter. cook, hootblack.
porter and house servant but the for
eigners have come TO the United States
in large numbers and snpplanted the
negro. largely, in all OF these vocations.
A dispatch oi the I2th inst from Ben
ton Harbor. Mich. TO the Chicago Rec
ord. states that ten respectable colored
people applied for work in the Farwell
oyeralls factory OF that city. and they
were met by the reply. that "eolored
people need not apply" II is stated
that the negroes constitute an important
element OF the community and they
have formed an organization and adopt
cd drastic measures to meet the discrim-
ination. They intend 10 boycott the
goods manufactured by the company
as well as the stores whose owners either
handle or patroniEe the factory in any
way. This determination ON the part
oi the negroes in that particular locality
has begun 10 bear fruit. J. V. Fafwell.
the millionaire dry goods prince OF Chi
cago. who owns the factory, when in
tervicwcd concerning the trouble. said
Instructions were not sent by me
nor any member OF the firm 10 place
a restriction on eolorcd labor | have
never drawn the color line and don't
intend doing so Ii eolofed women in
Benton Harbor have been barred from
our factory Il is without my knowledge
and the new rule must have been pro-
mulgated by the superintendent in
charge. | shall make an investigation :"
The negro has voted almost solidly
with the republican party To place a
prohibitiye tax on imported manuiac-
turcd articles. IN order that our so.
called infant industries might be pro-
tecied While foreigners by the thou.
sands can come TO this country and fad
employment in these factories. the
American negro. whose vote makes il
possible for them to exist is barred ou,.
With anything like equal opportuni-
ties in the race Tor livelihood no class
Of people will make better citizens than
the negro. He believes in the church.
the home and the school house. but
when organized labor joins hands with
organized capital and builds Chinese
wall around the great industries OF the
country and leaves him ON the outside.
the future OF the negro from an eeono-
mic standpoint is sad 10 contemplate