El Paso daily herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1881-1901, 1900-04-05
THE PROGRESS OF A RACE.

At the close of the civil war the
negro race in America with a small
percentage of exceptions among the
free negroes of the north) started in
life with practically nothing. They
had not previously owned even their
own bodies, and were destitute of
education or habits of self-reliance. In
the rs years that have since elapsed
their progress as q race may seem to
have been slow, but when all the cir
cumstances are considered and the
results examined, the latter may be re-
garded as fairly satisfactory
There has just been published at
Atlanta, in connection with the univer-
sity for the education of colored people
there, q pamphlet, which is one in
series of studies In southern sociology,
entitled ''The Negroin Business. 1t
presents carefully prepared
statistics showing that there are
the United States 5000 in
dependent business men of color man
aging commercial ventures of their
own. These do not all represent large
concerns, but in the aggregate they
a large valuation. In this
list of business men 36cspitalists are re-
ported with q total investment OF $3.50,
300. There are four negro banks and
several large Insurance companies; also
Ii colored building and loan associs-
ions. The estimated total capital |
nves ted by the American negroes in |
business is 50, 7s4, 637. The negroes
.lso have three magazines, three daily
papers, IL school papers and 1876 weekly
papers. Negro energy and ownership
) represented in over 80 different
finds of enterprises.
Another testimony to the achieve
nents of the negro is found in an ar
icle written by q well-known colored
itizen of Colum bus, Ohio. He directs
attention to the fact that in the IS
ears since freedom his race has accom-
,lished much, which he neatly sum-
narizes as follows:
He has reduced his illiteracy 45 per
ent.
He has written 300 books.
He has 1876 newspapers issued regu-
Arly each week.
He has accumulated school property
D the value of S12, 1000 900.
He owns church property worth S37,-
90 900.
He owns 1877 900 farms and homes,
'orth s725 100000.
He has personal property to the va
he of S165, 0O0, 900, and has raised SlO,-
90, 600 for his own education. |
His per capita possessions amount to
Is so.
All this, he says, the negro has done
espite the difficulties placed in his
ray in the old slave states: despite the
rejudice against the race, which is far
rom being eradicsted, but which on I
be contrary promises to endure yet for
eversl generations.
1t is doubtful If q white race, placed
, conditions similar to those in which
he negroes found themselves at the
lose of the civil war, and confronted
18th the same difficulties, would have
much more. When we
ead history and trace the slow progress
lade by our ancestors in the primeval
,rests of the British Isle, of Gaul and
,her European countries, we shall find /
lat it was much slower. 1t is true g
lat our primitive ancestors did not t
ave the example and stimulus of a Z
Ighly civilized race dwelling with |
lem in the same countries: but, on the
her hand, they enjoyed the boon of
lf-reliance developed by generations ,
freedom, and were not hampered by .
zee prejudice.