The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1905-02-14
DISCUSSES THE. RACE 1,sfa j lias
QUESTION AS he SEES iii

WInu' Jul "a peopIe Win great Quallf
ties in which we<haYc The Irightto feel
Just pride.
All good Americans who dwell in
the North must, because they are good
Americans, feel the most earnest
friendship for their fellowieountry.
men who dwell in the South. friend.
ship all the greater because 1t Is In,
the South that We find in It's most
acute phase one OF the gravest prob.
lens before our people, the problem
of SO dealing with the man Of /, one
color as to secure him the rights that
10 one would grudge him II he were
another color. To solve this problem
1t Is, of course, necessary to educate
him to perform the duties, asfailure
10 perform which will render him a
curse to himself and to all around
him. ,.. .g,, !, Ss-., ! .is,.;t ~. a
Most certainly all clear.sighted and
generous men in the. North apprecl.
ate the difficulty and perplexity OF
this problem, sympathize With the
South in the embarrassment of con.
ditions for which she is not alone re.
sponsible, feel an honest wish to help
her where help is practicable, and
have the heartiest respect for these
brave and earnestSmen Of the South
who, in the face Of fearful difficulties,
are. doing all that men can do for
The betterment alike Of white. and
black. The attitude of the North to.
ward the negro is far from what II
should be and there is need that the
north also should act in good faith
upon the principle Of giving to each
man what is justly due him, Of treat.
Ing him on his worth as a man grant.
ing him no special fayors but denying
him no proper opportunity for labor
and the reward of labor SBut the pc
cnliar circumstances Of the South rem.
der the problem there far greater and
far more acute.
Neither | nor any other man can
say that any given way Of approach
ing that problem will present in OH
time even an approximately perfect
solution, but we can safely say that
there can never be such solution al
all unless we approach it with the eff
fort to do fair and equal justice among
all men; and to demand from them II
return just and fair treatment fol
| Others. Our effort should he to Sc
cure to each man, whatever his color
equality of opportunity, equality o
\ treatment before the law. AS a peo
pie striving to shape our actions Il
accordance with the great law o
righteousness we cannot afford t,
take part In or be Indifferent to til,
oppression OF maltreatment of an,
man who. against crushing disadvan
tnges, has by his own industry, en-
ergy, self-respect and perseverance,
struggled upward to a position whicl
) would entitle him to the respect Of hi
J fellows, If only his skin were of a dii
fcrcnt hue.
Every generous impulse in us rt
volts at the thought OF thrusting dow
Instead of helping UP such a mar
To deny any man the fair treatmeil
: granted to others no better than he
to commit wrong upon him
wrong sure to react in the long ru
upon those guilty Of such denial. Th
only safe principle upon which Amel
leans can act is that Of "all men up,
not that of ''some men down." II j
any community the. level Of INTEL
sence, morality and thrift among th
colored men can be esraised. 1t Is h,
!, namely speaking, that the same lev.
' smong the whites will be raised I
: an even higher degree; and 1t Is II
r less sure that the debasement OF th
blacks will in the end carry with
' an attendant debasement Of til
; whites.
The problem is so to adjust II
u relations between two races of dl
ferent etl.nic type that the rights I
S neither be abridged nor jeopardet
S that the backward race be trained {
c IL at it may enter into the possessic
r Of true freedom, while the forward ra,
is enabled to preserve unharmed Il
/ high civilization wrought out by /
. forefathers. The, working out of th
y problem must, necessarily be slow;
y is not possible In offhand fashion
J obtain or to confer 1.-THE pricele
= o1ons Of freedom, Industrial etlcienc
y political capacity, and domestic, N
y rality Nor is 1t only necessary
2 train the colored men; lit Is quite
q necessary to train The white man, I
= 2 ea his builders rests "a wellnigh Il