Northern Wisconsin advertiser. [volume] (Wabeno, Wis.) 1898-1925, 1903-08-27
Great Progress of the Negro.
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very heart and core of societies Of
men. It's true signs are thought for
the poor and suffering, chivalrous re-
gard and respect for women, the frank
recognition Of human brotherhood, IT.
respective of race or color or nation or
religion, the narrowing of the domain
of mere force as a governing factor in
the world, the love of ordered freedom,
adherence of what is mean and cruel
and vile, ceaseless devotion to the
claims of justice
The true civilization is never ad-
vanced by looking down upon our fell
lows because they are poorer or more
ignorant than ourselves.
There is a genuine danger however,
that in the reaction which is now TAX
ing place against the fundamental
principles of liberty serious injury
may be done to the principles and the
ideals OF this generation. An evil
tendency unchecked gathers force I'M
til its consequences work in time a
cure at the expense of the community,
as was the case with slavery. This
country belongs to our colored fellow
citizens as much as it does to us. 1t
is their birth place, their home, and
will be the home of their children.
They have every right which we can
claim, and their descendants and ours
will dwell here side by side. Their
lives will not be made happier or more
harmonious by our dwelling on the
peculiar qualities which make the
negroes In our judgment inferior to
ourselves, nor will our country pros.
per through any effort to deprive them
of any rights or keep them from ris-
ing. Civilization and the highest DO
litical wisdom alike require that we
should recognize the brotherhood OF
these as well as of our fellow citizens.
We should do our best to elevate them,
and at least be silent about any de.
fects which we cannot cure, all the
more because it is we who held them
as slaves and are responsible for their
weakness and ignorance. We cannot
degrade them and not degrade our
selves; their gain is our gain, in
justice to them is injustice to us. In
the words of Whittier:-
Laws of changeless justice bind op-
pressor with oppressed,
And close as sin and suffering joined
we march to fate abreast
For this reason it is the duty of
every patriotic American to cease dis
cussing the inferiority of the negro. or
attaching TO it any political or social
consequences. 1t is our duty to re-
sist any attempt anywhere to deprive
them of that equality of rights which
as Mr.. Sumner said is 1.-The fruit of
rights" With time and sympathy
! the differences between men largely
| disappear OF undesirable social con-
sequences, so often dwelt on, there is
no danger The two races dwell
together in every northern state and
no complaint on this ground has been
made. 1t has no more real terrors
than any other scarecrow.
/ Let 1t once be agreed that the negro
! is inferior and that on this account he
maybe deprived of political rights, and
it will not be long before other men
: are discovered who are also unfit to
i hold them, Ignorance is the real dis
! qualification and that is not peculiar
to any color, There are many now
who consider our foreign born citizens
a great menace 20 our government, and
their rights may go next. There are
many who think that only men who
pay a property fax should have a vote
and they would exclude the poor The
moment the doctrine of equal rights is
abandoned. who shall draw the line?
Dazzled by a new ambition we have
abandoned our principles. and are
seeking to deprive a foreign nation OF
its liberty. We justify this by assum
ing that they are our interiors. How
quickly do we learn the truth of Lin
coins words: They who deny free
) dom 70 Others deserve it not them
selves and under a just God will not