The Colorado statesman., 1905-05-27
DOCTRINE OF scoRN.

makes in his lectures and other
public addresses is a spirited de-
nunciation of the doctrine of scorn,
which many people black and
white, inject into every considera-
tion they give to the relations of
the races in the United States. He
says that white man who scorns a
Negro because he is black is white
man with narrow soul, and like
wise, Negro who scorns a white
man because he is white is Negro
with a narrow soul. The one who
is broad enough to recognize the
soul smallness of the other, and to
refuse to scorn because of natural
differences, is the better man, and
the one destined to reap rewards in
the years to come. This is not only
beautiful teaching, but correct
logic. Race scorn can never safely
supplant the spirit of justice and
reason. There is a certain amount
OF contempt for the Negro every
where in this country, because of
his conditions and his present igno-
rance. In the most liberal COM
munity in the North or West, there
is a lurking prejudice that whis-
pers its cowardly scorn for the
Negro and his attainments, and
that same spirit increases and
spreads to disfavor opposition, op-
preston and contempt as we travel
further into the sections of mixed
habitations. But after all, this
whole evil is a natural evil. 1t
would exist the same if the posi-
tions of the race were absolutely
and entirely reversed, and the
whites would be the victims such
as the blacks now are. The mutual
scorn entailed by such unusual
conditions, when one race of men
abuse and oppress another because
of past conditions, color or any
other cause, are in no degree cure
for the evil. They portend moth
ing good for the future, and do not
do justice to either race in any of
the relations forced upon them by
virtue of their being citizens of a
common country and subjects of a
common government. To properly
realize these wise truths and to re-
fuse to scorn because of them, is a
Christian attribute that must be
attained by the best of both races,
If race differences in America are
ever to disappear. Upon the one
side men pirate about the inferior
ity of the Negro, while upon the
other we wall about the lying con-
tempt and cowardly assumptions
OF the white man. The race press
teens with savage thrusts at the
white man, while the white man in
sists that the Negro s rights are not
to be considered the same as his
own. But what good is done
What justice is accomplished upon
either side of this unequal range
OF hate and rage? None at all.
The evil continues and the hate
goes on. The best way to cure in
justice is to do justice. We used to
hate all white men because we knew
them to be prejudiced, but we have
conquered the feeling. Now we en-
deavor to prove to those we come in
contact with that, if they are pre-
judiced, we are better than they.
We succeed in this endeavor when
ever we show better Judgment,
greater influence, shrewder capa-
bilities, higher principles, wiser
tendencies and finer sense of jus
tice, and thus practically humiliate
our proud and better situated ad-
versary. And the practice works
for good. No man can be beaten on
high moral grounds, and retain the
arrogant conceit that he once had
in himself. The way for the Negro
to rise is by proving his worth by
actual comparison and contact.
1t is the actual worth of our great