Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1903-08-27
THE LILY WHITES IN The NORTH.

the LILY WHITES IN Inc NUhtH.
1t is out of the ordinary TO find an
Iowa paper pleading for an AL white
town, hut that is the burden of the
leading editorial in a recent issue of the
Waterloo Courier. Admitting that Wa
terloo has a considerable colored popu-
lation OF fairly good citizens, the Cou-
rier favors discouraging negro colony
in Waterloo and calls attention to the
effect of the recent baseball games IN
which negro players took part. as en-
eouraging negro immigration. If Wa
lerloo does not want them" continues
The Courier. their coming here should
be discouraged. The race question is
assuming a threatening character in
various parts of the country: the an
iagonism is certain to increase rather
than diminish. The exodus of negroes
from the south and even from portions
BIZ Illinois, Indiana and Ohio is grow
ing. Let Waterloo keep perfectly white
and as long as she can. But this con-
Tition can not long be maintained II
negro baseball teams are invited here
10 stand on an equal footing with the
white teams. 1t acts as an advertise
ment for others to come. and even the
least encouragement to 4 negro settle
ment in this city should be discounte-
eanced.'
Perhaps the Courier is right and an
Infusion of negro population into a
lorthern city is detrimental to its best
interests. There is something, how
wer, in the proposal to deny the right
If residence to any respectable citizen
IN account of color that jars on a de-
ient sense of right and justice. The
denial to an honest black man of the
,eanv of his race are disreputable and
dishonest violates the fundamentals OF
: democratic government. It is wrong in
principle and all that Is wrong in the
distract can never become righteous
n practice. No city desires the de-
,rayed or idle among its citizenship and
discrimination against the dishonest
Ind absolute is duty communities
1--we themselves. The negro, however,
a a citizen of the United States under
he constitution and entitled by the
fundamental law to the rights guaran-
PED to all Americans. His color should
)e no bar.
There is a difference between turn
ng men away because they are bad
and turning them away because they
are black. The one is justitiable pre-
caution for the defense of society; the
nther 81 direct appeal TO race prejudice
and the forerunner Of riot. 1t is but
step from encouragement" of immi-
ration to forced emigration. The flame
nj race prejudice, easiest kindled, is the
hardest to subdue. There is dragons
tooth in every sentence that urges dis
rrimination against color or race.
There are but two practical plans of
dealing with the race question. The
negro must be bond or free. He must
remain q citizen or revert to his old
condition of servitude, If he is to con-
tinue in citizenship he must be ac-
corded the citizens right to live hon
orably wherever the flag floats. There
is certain to be an increase of negro
immigration into the north and the
north that pledged it's lives for the
black mans freedom must take up its
burden unfiinchingly. 1t is no question
OF desire, but of duty. There is no pale
In this republic nor likely to be. Tho
lilly white" policy is not an adaptable
one and untitled to northern intellect
and sensibility. The north must take It's
quota OF the colored race and do the
best 1t can with it. Exclusion is prac-
tlcally confession that the declaration
Of independence is a falsehood and the
constitution a fraud.