The Grenada sentinel. [volume] (Grenada, Miss.) 1868-1955, 1905-06-24
MISSISSIPPI NEGRO
BUSINESS LEAGUE
AT GREENVILLE
EXTRACTS FROM THE CHAIR.
MANS ADDRESS.
he Says No One Understands the
Negro Better Than Southern
White Man.

The Negro Business League of Mis-
sisSippi convened at Greenville laSI
week. The attendance was very large
and some very creditable addreSSe.
were made and excellent papers read
The speech Of the chairman, Charles
Banks, published in full in the Green
] vile Democrat, has some good thought
in it, and wholesome suggestions tC
the people of his own race. We take
from it the following excerpts:
The Business League does not Offer
itself as panacea for all the ills OF
the race, nor the So-called problem.
found, more in the newspapers, both
North and South, than elsewhere.
We are rather inclined to the opinion
that if we come up to the full measure
OF ideal citizenship, dealing rightly
and justly with all mankind, be wor-
thy, useful and almost indispensable
citizens, the problem, if there be any,
will pass as the dew before an ap-
preaching summer sun. speak with
special reference to economic and in
duStrial conditions. We have no more
social problem than the Italian, Chi
nese or other race variety. The Anglo
SaxOn'S society Is above par, to bor-
row commercial term, because he
has made it SO and places that valua-
tc yalo
tie or no valuation upon ours, some Of
us even try to get away from our
selves; if we do not care for our own
society no one else cares for it.: the re-
suit is, it is below par. 1t is up to rs
TO improve our own conditions social
ly. | do not mean to intimate that
we are to improve for the purpose Of
being received socially, by others, but
that we shall have a higher, better
and more ideal standard among our
selves. The Jew, German, French
man, Englishman, japanese, Hunga-
rian and Du6chman have each accom-
pliShed enough 70 be proud of them
selves. SO lei sste american negro ac-
compliSh enough in every sphere, that
he, himself, will be proud of his
achievements, and others will hardly
look upon him with diSdain.
THE negro has been styled, and in
a large measure, justly so, an imitator:
sometimes even making the imitation
to apparently outclaSS the genuine.
Accepting the allegation, | venture
the assertion that he will, in time,
learn the foreigners improved methods
of farming, if there be truly improved
ones, and quite likely see the foreign
brother one better. There is another
feature TO be considered in
connection with the displacement of
the negro in the South by foreign
labor. The native SOutherner. one to
the manner born, must sooner or later
realize that it is very much to his own
interest, to the interest of his chill
dren and his children's children's in
tereSt to continue the services of his
old friend, to use the term of Bishop
his brother in black.
y 1t is 10 his interest to as
SiSt the black man in coming up to
the new requirements. No one thor
Oughly understands Southern white
man better than a Southern negro;
no one understands Southern negro
better than Southern white man.
1t is to the negrO'S interest to help |
the Southern white man make Of this |
a greater section Of the union than it |
is: it is the Southern white mans IN
terest to help the negro TO higher
and general usefulness. !
Bred and reared amid the anarchistic |
and socialiStic influences across the |
sea, the emigrants now being Songht, |
Is gathered from our daily papers,
will bring some of the seeds of dis
order to this country. NJ trouble
nay Immediately arise, especially |,
while they are 50 few in number. but |
when enough are here to cultivate |
sufficient lands and fill the oil mills,
and saw mills of the South,
TO observe that they have displaced
5he negro, and that the dependence
'Or labor is upon them and not the
negro, pray, tell us, what will the
harvest be? Ask Chicago and other
cities of the North possessed with
arge foreign population and labor.
The fair land of the South, with it's
cotton fields, orange groves, sugar cane
ieldS and pine forests has been hith-
,ruo immune to strikes and labor
roubleS, characteristic of other Sec
ions of our country. Since the prin-
ipal labor of the South has been the
bony hued sons of Ham for 10, these
many years, is it not fair and reason
BILE to assume that he will be proper
ionately as agreeable laborer in the
uture as in the past? Again, there
5 another side of this great question,
'ut / realize it is more up to our
White friends than my people. /
nust therefore leave it to them to ,
iscuss; in passing, however, | will
imply state that % years of occupa-
ion by the emigrants now being
ought to supplant the negro will
make some unpleasant changes in the /
hancery clerks Office and among the (:
7holesale and retail dealers in Dixie" ]