The Seattle Republican. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1???-1915, 1900-05-25
{ Evening Star, MAY 1O.l

Evening Star, May 1O.)
In the course of his address yes
terday Mr.. Judson Lyon, register of
the treasury, said 3,O39,170 of the
colored people are engaged in gain
full pursuits, and only 1894 are in
the professions. The professional
class includes 12, 159 clergymen and
15,OO0 teachers, leaving just
little over 5000 following other
callings listed as professions.
In the matter Of education he
showed that the colored people had
made marvellous progress to which
there IS no parallel in the annals
of time, He asserted that when
Governor Merriam foots up his
returns this year it will be dis
covered that So per cent Of the
colored people can read and write,
whereas thirty-fve years ago not
three per cent could do SO. He
said that colored men seek educa-
tion on all lines because it is the
American custom, and not to do it
would argue one not good Amer
ican.
He well knew, he said, that the
lot Of nine-tenths Of the people
would be labor that produces
sweat of the brow.
He said if more colored men are
convicted Of crime in proportion
than others it must be remembered
that, being of the prescribed race,
it is just possible indeed prob
able that the same equal and
exact justice may not be deliber-
ately measured out to them as to
others. It is unfortunate for the
colored man in the North, he
argued, that he can not readily and
easily connect himself with the
lobor organizations. This being
true, perhaps, in proportion, more
of them are out Of employment
than would otherwise be, and as
there are laws against vagrancy
they may be convicted for not
working when they can't get work,
and so for this offense the statis-
tics of crime would be swelled
against them.
One of the chief difficulties in
the South, he said, is due to the
uncertainty of the law in some
places. Wherever you find a
county with an established repu-
tation for law and order and the
strict enforcement of contracts
you will find that the colored
people remain on the farms, old
and young, and the landlord finds
his possessions appreciating year
ly and the income therefrom in
creasing under a tenantry that does
not change every Christmas, bit
is stationary, prosperous and con-
tented
"The prosperity Of last year."
said Mr.. Lyon, "has been great
thing in many ways. It's bless
ings have not all fallen into the
Golfers Of the much-abused trusts
and giant corporations. The sun
of plenty and comfort has shown
in many home heretofore dark
ened by the gloom of mortgages
and a lack of sufficient returns
from arduOus toll to make life
happy.
GA reference to the production
of the staple in which our people
exercise almost a monopoly will
not be uninteresting in this con-
nection. It is popularity supposed
that the colored people plant, 'cul-
tivate and harvest IS per cent of
the cotton crop. Supposing,
therefore, the crop for last year to-
have been 100000 bales, their
share would be 8,50O,O00 bales, and
then at 500 pounds per bale, we
would have 4,25O,OOO,OOO pounds,
and this sold at an average of s
cents we would have the colossal
sum Of $34O,OOO,O0O. This same
cotton at an average Of 5. cents
per pound year or SO ago sold
for $2l2,500,0OO, thus making a
difference in favor Of the farmer
Of 1927, 100000. Segregating this
amount among the 100000 of
colored citizens, we have $1275
for every man, woman and child
over and above their realizations
for the last previous few years"