The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1901-12-09
NOT COLOR OF SKIN
"It's What's in Heart That
Makes a Man,
So Says Governor Stanley in
Address at Negro Church.
ALARMING CONDITION.
Number of Negroes In Peniten-
tiary and RefOrmatOries.
Need of Stronger and Better In
fiuence in Homes.

There isn't anything in the color of
a mans skin; it's what is in his heart
declared Governor W. E. Stanley to an
audience of between three and four
hundred colored people at the First
African Baptist church Sunday even
ing. The governor spoke on the Needs
of the Colored Youth
AS he rose to begin his address the
audience stood and gave him the Chau-
tauqua salute with the waving of hand
kerchiefs. When L entered upon the
duties of my Office he began, Il con-
ceived the idea that 1 might do some
thing for the colored people of Kansas
1 had studied the question a good deal
and had thought that I could put into
operation some of those ideas. l was
greatly annoyed by the thought that
among a number of the colored people
, the opinion prevailed that their recon-
pense was to come through the ap-
pOintment of a few men to office. That
would have been benefting only a few
and my plan was to help the young
colored people as whole. 1 felt that
there were not enough printers. archi-
tects and carpenters
"A few days ago I stated in an inter-
view, and at the time l said it did not
know l was to be quoted, that there
was larger proportion among the
younger colored people being held for
crime than among the older. 1 am not
absolutely sure that I was right, but
l believe 1 was; and to my mind it is
a very alarming symptom. This after
noon I took the trouble to phone to
Lansing to get some figures on that
and 1 found that of the ten or eleven
hundred convicts there about 25 per
cent were colored- called up the Re
form school and found that the per cent
there little more than 80. Now
here's a hard unwelcome fact. 1 am
astounded that among all our people
there is so little attention paid to the
boy and girl Why there are many peo-
pie who pay more attention to their
horses and cattle than to their boys.
There is scarcely father in this town
tonight who does not know that his
horses are cared for; but there are a
good many who haven't the least idea
where their boys are The boys go
drifting out on the street and get the
contaminating influences that take
them to our institutions for the incor-
rigible- There is no difference in the
color of boys; they all move by the
same in pulses
In discussing the possibilities of the
Whho Would % have hnDi thought h that Wrapped
Edison? Who would have thought a few
years ago to look upon the colored boy
who was trying to do something for his
Booker r Washingtons It is the posi-
bilities in the boys or girls that make
a boy or girl and to shape his or. her
future for the responsibilities of citizen
est the % duties , Of this % great SO office % which
I have been given: but greater than that
I consider the obligation to fashion for
good citizenship my boy The street edu-
cation is what is polluting our boys; they
read the yellow literature. smoke cigar
cites, tell vicious stories, and then we
expect them to escape the penitentiary
menaces our states is our boys and girls
growing a up Ply without an an honorable TSo con
are &. good many young people who have
the fool notion that there the are seer certain
cupation that is honorable should be just
as we'll recognized as any other. If
man is honest. it is as honorable to dig
icine. wish the time would come when
but but wi whether he does It honorabiy 5i!. u.s.
fellows st1 trying 9 to 1e dodge the responsibili-
ties of life than there used to be. We
take a thing will stick Don't you think
Lincoln stuck? He thought human sla-
very was wrong, saw Mt that it it, was sSes the
at Cooper institute he told how that a
And in time that same man took up his
pen and signed the emancipation proc
There isn't anything in the. color of a
mans skin; it's what is in his heart
into your confidence and tell them about
the future and teach them manly and
on on t the homes to help these young men
and to inspire, them with the idea of a
Youth out here at the Reform school
must be reduced We must make me
We must see that a larger proportion of
our young people are in the schools and
a smaller in the Reform school. And let
me tell you what will do more for the
young people than anything else, and that
is to get into the confidence of the COM
munity. 1 never saw the community yet
that had enough young people that they
ency. There is a great future in this
country for the great army of young men
and women. The mission of the
century is to elevate the individual, to
demonstrate what the young men can be;
population of Topeka will come a sturdy
young manhood which shall be a credit
tury when the banners of reform will
have been planted upon the ramparts of
the enemy let it be said that the cOlored
people of Topeka helped bear that ban
ner to the 'front.'