The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1904-09-18
| Don't Want My ChiIIuns
to Go to no Town.
FACTS VS.. THEORY
A Concrete, Living Example of the
Possibilities of the Negro Race
An Example For the Emula-
ton of the Negro.

know him? If YOU do, you know how
eager he is to tell it to you-to en-
tighten your dark mind with his sr-
perior knowledge. If you do, you
know how seldom he is capable CT
giving you the enlightenment of
which, he thinks, you stand so much
i'm need. If you do, you know how
seldom his theory is based upon amy
ascertained facts. If you do, yols
know how surprised he is that the
world does not stop its business ana
open its ears to his theory.
The less a man knows about any
given problem. the more apt he is 10
have a theory about it's proper solE-
ton. The more absurd his theory IS
the more ne likes to air it, In als
Essay on Milton Macaulay says
that The poems of Petrarch are much
praised by those who have never READ
them" SO the unwinding OF the en-
tangling problems of modern ne
seems a simple matter to those VINO
have never studied them. The reason
is obvious The serious student ~
these problems soon learns that the
more he studies the less he knows:
he hesitates to pronounce theory TO-
day which to-morrow's investigation
NAV shatter into atoms. So it comes
absolute confidence in their theories
are those who receive their ideas in
some miraculous way-perhapS are
born with them and feel no fear that
to-rorrow's revelation will run amuck
the theory of to-day. And so we
have the world flooded with theories
of the proper solutions of the perplex-
ing social, financial. educational indus
trial, racial problems, promulgated by
those who have never studied them.
Need it be said that so, too. these prob
lens become daily more muddleo!
Bishops solve the saloon problem oy
building more saloons Polit1clans
solve the race problems by holding
out impossible political and social as
pirations to the negro race. Candid
ates for public favor solve the "edu-
cational problem" by Withholding edu-
cation from those who need 1T most.
OH blessed and glorious liberty that
permits every man to have theories
of his own. Oh! thrice blessed and |
thrice glorious liberty that gives him
the privilege of ding-donging his theo- |
ries into the ears of his fellows. But |
theories may come and theories may |
go. but the world ways on forever.
The reader. if any one is found SO |
foolish as to be my reader, will |
readily understand the why's ana |
"wherefores'' of this introduction be- /
fore he has come to the closing words |
of this article.
The best solution OF any problem
is Il real, live example. gold dol
lar purchasing full dollars worth of
anything is the best solution of the
financial problem of to-day. / know
this because 1 never have gold dol
lar. and few of any other sort. Is
not this enough 20 entitie me to MAKE
that statement? A comfortable,
neatly painted and pleasantly stu
ated school house with pretty girl
in ii for a teacher is the best solution
of the educational problem. just us
thees things are occasionally seen, ana
give hope to the despairing breast, SO
is occasionally seen real, live solu-
ton of the NEGRO problem, ana
hope revives that what one average
negro can be, the race can be.
One such negro l have now In my
mind. whose career and life are sig
nificantly interesting. He is large,
strapping man, standing fully six feet
i'm height and carrying his 100 pounds
with perfect ease. His shoulders are
broad his arms long, his hands large,
his feet "a good solid foundation for
the whole. A glance IA. hin, and the
impression Of great, physical strength
and endurance Is the result and the
more you study his form the stronger
the impression becomes. His COM
plexion is yellow. He has full open
face displaying certain lines OF de-
cided strength. His eyes are bright
and frank; his nose is large; his lips
are thick and close firmly together.
indicative of strong will power. Inc
sum total of his countenance is cour-
age. intelligence, trustworthiness and
honesty.
He does not appear in a black frock
coat. elerical-cut vest, celluloid collar
and green derby hat; nor yet clothed
with airy nothings held together oy q
few filthy rags A suit of overallS,
broad-brimmed straw hat. and PAIR
Of brogans is his usual costume
though OCCASIONALLY, Sundays and hoii-
days, these give way to a suit OF de-
cent but not pretentious clothing.
When you meet him, you will hnd
in short conversation that his head |
is full of peculiar theories; and
short acquaintance will teach you that
these are living. not dead, theories |
with him. He has a theory that 1t is
no less dignified and honorable to run
n good corn row than to preach
poor sermon: but some of his more |
enlightened nelghborS regard this rs |
n delusion. He has theory-his |
neighbors think it ain odd one-that |
III Is more manly to face the sun and |
rain and winds to make his own living |
than to sit in the shade or rest under I
shelter and live by the fruits of some |
pouS e'se iapor. He has theory |
! that chicken raised by his own wife |
in his own yard, on his own corn and |
Taught by the light of day is lust as |
Eeet to the taste as a chicken raised |
somebody's else wife, in some |
Us else yard, on somebody's else
and caught by the light of the |
But in this theory too he has
sfortune 20 find himself at adds
lse of his neighbors who do not
kens. He has a theory that
Ter to make today provide
cow than to leave to-morrow
for itself: but this strange
condemned by those of
no know better. Make
g those who know him
will find that these od1
part of his life Seek
working days: YOU will
the Shiny holes of some
ill not find him wallowing