The Appeal. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. ;) 1889-19??, 1905-07-29


to equal treatment in places Of public
entertainment according to their be-
havior and deserts. & s. sl 5... u.
We especially complain against the
denial of#equal opportunities to us in
economic life; in the rural districts of
the South this amounts to peonage
and virtual slavery; all over the South
it tends to crush labor and small bust
ness enterprises; and everywhere
American prejudice, helped often by
Ubiquitous laws, is making it more diff
ficult for Afro.Americans to earn a
decent living. II Il III Y sss.. ....->
Common school education should be
free to all American children and COM
pulsory. High school training should
be adequately provided for all, and
college training should be the mOnop-
oily of no class or race in any section
Of our common country. We believe
that in defense of its own institutions,
the United States should aid common
school education, particularly in the
South, and we especially recommend
concerted agitation to this end. We.
urge an Increase in public high school
facilities in the South, where the
Afro-Americans are =, almost wholly
without such provisions. We favor
well-equipped trade and technical
schools for the training of artisans,
and the need of adequate and liberal
endowment for few institutions OF
higher education must be patent to
sincere well-wishers of the race.
We demand upright judges in
courts, juries selected without dis
elimination on account of color and
the same measure of punishment and
the same efforts at reformation for
black as for white offenders. We
need orphanages and farm schools for
dependent children, juvenile reforma-
tories for delinQuents, and the abOli-
ton of the dehumanizing convict-lease
system. =, ~
We note with alarm the evident re-
progression in this land, of sound pub
lie opinion on the subject of manhood
rights republican government and hui
man brotherhood, and we pray God
that this nation will not degenerate
into mob of boosters and oppressors,
but rather will return to the faith OF
the fathers, that all men were created
free and equal, with certain unalien-
able rights.
We plead for health-for an oppor-
tunity to live in; decent houses and
localities, for a chance to rear our
children in physical and moral clean
illness.
We hold up for public execratiOn
the conduct of two opposite classes of
men; the practice among employers
Of importing ignorant Afro-American
laborers in emergencies, and then af-
fording them neither protection nor
permanent employment; and the prac-
tice of labor unions of prescribing and
boycotting and depressing thousands
of their fellow-toilers, simply because
they are black. These methods have
accumulated and will accentuate the
war of labor and capital, and they are
disgraceful to both sides.
We refuse to allow the impression
to remain that the Afro-American as
sents to inferiority, is submissive un-
der oppression and apologize before
insults Through helplessness we may
submit, but the voice of protest of ten
million Americans must never cease
to assail the ears of their fellows, so
long as America is unjust.
Any discrimination based simply on
race or color is barbarous, we care
not how hallowed it be by custom, ex-
pediency or prejudice. Differences
made on account of ignorance, immOr-
atty, poverty or disease may be legti-
mate methods of reform, and against
them we have no word of protest; but
based simply and
solely on physical peculiarities, place
of birth, color or skin, are relics OIL
that unreasoning human savagery OF
which ne world is and ought to be
thoroughly ashamed.
We protest against the Jlm-CrOW
car, since it's effect is and must be to
make us pay first-class far for third
class accommodations render us open
to insults and discomfort and to cru
city wantonly our manhood, woman
hood and self-respect.
We regret that this nation has never
seen fit adequately to reward the
black soldiers who in its five wars,
have defended their country with
their blood and yet have been sys-
tematically denied the promotions
which their abilities deserve. And
we regard as unjust, the exclusion OF
black boys from the military and
naval training schools.
We urge upon Congress the enact
mert of appropriate legislation for Sc
curing the proper enforcement OF
those articles Of freedom, the thir-
teenth, fourteenth and fifteenth
amendments to the Constitution of the
United States.
We repudiate the monstrous doc
trine that the oppressor should be the
sole authority as to the rights OF the
oppressed.
The Afro-American race In America,
stolen, ravished and degraded, strug-
Cling up through difficulties and op-
preston, needs sympathy and re-
ceives criticism; needs help and IS
given hindrance, needs protection and
is given mob violence, needs justice
and is given charity, needs leadership
and is given cowardice and apology,
needs bread and is given stone. This
nation will never stand justified be-
fore God until these things are chan
ged.
Especially are we surprised and as
t0nished at the recent attitude OF the
church of Christ-on the Increase OF
desire to bow to racial prejudice, to
narrow the bounds of human brother
hood. and to segreSate black men III
some other sanctuary: This is wrong.
unchristian and disgraceful to the
twentieth century civilization.
OF the above grievances we do not
hesitate to complain, and to complain
Mir ignore.