Iowa state bystander. [volume] (Des Moines, Iowa) 1894-1916, 1905-07-21
Give the Negro a Chance

The negro In the south has neve
mad fair chance, socially, POLITICAL.
or commercially said Rev. II. 5
Bradley, in his sermon at Trinit.
church Yesterday morning.
The speaker, in concluding ser
man on a passage from the epistle Il
the Ephesians stated that he wished
to point out briefly few dangers
that menace the church of today
Among these dangers he named so
cial caste
Sometimes | am lacking in cour
age to live up to my highest Thought,
he said, "but ] want to indorse what
l heard distinguished, learned and
broadminded minister once say at
conference of clergymen.
THAT man said: If could would
like to see every negro in the land
raised to my own level He was IN.
terrupted by one of his auditors, who
asked if he would really want to be
on an equality with negroes. Another
man present said: Don't stop to an
swer such an interruption as that;
go on with your great speech. And
ii was a great speech, and | want to
here and now indorse it. ...@
This social caste that has grown
up among us has led many OF us TO
believe that somehow because we hap
pened, without any choice or any
merit of our own. to be born with
white skin the Lord loves us better
and thinks a little more of us than
He does anybody with a darker skin.
But | want to say to you that the
man who does not admit and llVe up
to the fraternity of TIE negro-yes,
the fraternity, that is the word
whatever else he may be is not
Christian.
Il am not afraid of race equality,
and I'll tell you my opinion OF the
man WHO is 1t is this, that his social
status must be very, very insecure
that he should be so infinitely scllci-
tous about safeguarding it
DR.. Bradley also referred in strong
terms to the Watkinsville lynchlng,
denouncing the perpetrators OF the
killings and the officials in whose
custody the slain prisoners mad neeh
before the mob got them.
Another of our dangers is too
much democracy" said the speaker,
cit tends in some instances to make
us think that there is no higher law
than our own will, and no higher OH
GERS than cur own selves. We had
striking illustration of that in Geor-
gia last week. and we have had many
in recent years
There were more lynchings in the
state of Georgia last year than there
were in the entire British Isles-yes,
than there were in the British Isles
for the last five years. STATISTICS
prove that.
The men who committed that out
rage at Watkinsville were whlte-llV-
cred towards They stole in, masked
at night, to do that which no one or
them would have dared to do, I'M
masked and in the fair light OF day.
They were not content to wait until
universal man spoke in the WORD
called law. They sneaked in like the
towards that they were and smlrchea
the fair name of the state.
Il lave the heartiest contempt, 100,
for the jailer who gave up his key, be-
cause somebody pointed pistol at
MS lace. OuppOSC l1ot SeeiAiN AAA>N
demanded that he send his daughter
out to them. If that had been the
case the scoundrel, coward though ne
is, would have died first.
..IlI tell yCu these outrages Will not
stop until we get men in office who
are not afraid to die in the perform
ance of duty enjoined by their solemn
oath
The church was filled with people,
and the remarks of DR.. Bradley Great
ed a most profound impression.
The above article appeared in the
Atlanta Daily Constitution OF Atlanta,
Ga, last week. 1t is undoubtedly one
of the most manly and brave speeches
that we ever read coming from so
distinguished a white divine located
in the heart of the aristocratc South
and preaching as he was TO a white
audience. May God bless the real
minister and give us mere Bradley's.
Editor.