The semi-weekly messenger., 1904-11-04
Chr Nlrssrrlger.
EFFORTS TO FORCE SOCIAL
EQUALITY.

1noSe people Of the norIn VINO are
trying by precept and example TO
bring about social equality between
the two races are making rapid prog
ress. Every day or so We read OF
some new performance along this
line. News of the latest and most
disgusting performance Of this kind
comes from the city Of Chicago.
On last Saturday Mrs. Henry w
Magee, residing on Union avenue, q
fine residential section Of that city
gave an afternoon tea to her friends
among the white women and the
negro women OF the city. women
of the two races mingled on terms
of perfect equality at this social
function ard were alike waited on Dy
white girls It is said the negro
women were more handsomely dress
al than their paIe-faced sisters pres
ent, It might be thought that the
jealousy Of the latter in this mauer
would have a tendency to dampen the
zeal for mixed afternoon teas by the
white women of Chicago. But ther,
those fanatics who declare this affair
the launching of a national move
ment for bringing the whites and the
negroes into closer social relations on
equal terms will hardly be baked by
such a small matter.
a Chicago dispatch to the New
York American, giving an account or
this social gathering OF white and ne
gro women says the crusade Of WhlchI
it marked the beginning was organlz-
cd in the form OF a society called ''The
Fred Douglass Centre" Although
the society was formed some months
ago. last Saturdays performance was
the first of the women's social equal
itv functions TO be held under its aus
pices. Miss Cecilia Parker Woody, a
white woman. OF course-no negro
woman would have ever thought OF
such a thing-is the founder and pres
idant of this society. Permanent
headquarters will soon be opened. we
are told.
Whenever and wherever there is
an attempt made to bring the two
races together on equal social terms
the movement comes from certain
white persons. Such people rightly
consider themselves not whit better
than negroes and they put a correct
estimate on themselves. In fact there
are many negroes, both men and
women, who are much more respect
able and who have more self-respect
than they. The negroes do not wish
to force themselves upon the white
peopIe and would never think Of do
ing 50 unless put up to it by such
white people. In fact it is their ma
ture to shrink from it and they never
place themselves in such position even
after solicitation until their natural
inclinatfons and desires have been
vitiated and their principles of race
exclusiveness contaminated by social
intercourse with these Jewellers"
brought about by the latters' solici-
tation.
Take the average negro of the south
and let him go his own way. let no
vicious or designing white man put
false notions in his head and he will
give no trouble along the lines of So
cial equality. All he wants is to be
let alone and allowed to pursue his
own course and live out his own life
in his own way. He is docile. trac-
table, good humored, good natured
and easily controlled. This was his
character as slave. This would be
his character now as a free man.
were he let alone. He has respect
and in many cases veneration and
love for his old master and for the
latter's descendants. This is undoubt-
edly true of the ex-slaves, and where
it has undergone change in the sue
ceeding generation it is because of
the changed nature of his education
81 and social conditions wrought by
the white, people. But. to the regret
of all men OF both races who desire
to see continued the true friendship
of the two races who are destined to
many generations to come. the old
NO SUBSTITUTE