Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1905-02-14

New York, Feb. IA. = President
the Lincoln dinner of the Republican
Club of New York. given at the Wal
dorf- Astoria hotel last night. There
were many distinguished guests pres
emit.
The president devoted his address
largely to a discussion of the race
problem in the south. He said in part
"Neither l nor any other man can
say that any given way of approaching
that problem will present in our time
even an approximately perfect solu-
ton, but We can safely say that there
can never be such solution at all UNI
less we approach it with the effort to
do fair and equal justice among all
men; and to demand from them in ne
turn Just and fair treatment for 9th
ers. Our efforts should be to secure
to each man, whatever his color, equal :
ity of opportunity, equality of treat
ment before the law. AS people
striving to shape our actions in ac-
cordance with the great law of right
eousness we can not afford to take
part in or be Indifferent to the oppres-
sion or maltreatment of any man who,
against crushing disadvantages, has
by his own industry, energy, self-res-
pect, and perseverance struggled up
ward to a position which would entitle
him to the respect of his fellows if
only his skin were of different hue.
every generous impulse in us re-
volts at the thought of thrustinS down
instead of helping UP such man. TO
deny any man the fair treatment
granted to others no better than he
is to commit a wrong upon him -
wrong sure to react in the long run
upon those guilty of such denial. The
only safe principle upon which Am
orleans can act is that of all men up.
not that of some men down If in
any community the level of intell
genoe, morality and thrift among the
colored men can be raised, it is, hui
manly speaking, sure that the same
level among the whites will be raised
to an even higher degree; and it is
no less sure that the debasement Of
the blacks will in the end carry with
it an attendant debasement of the
whites.
1.-THE problem is so to adjust the re-
Iations between two races of different
ethnic type that the rights of neither
be abridged nor jeoparded; that the
backward race be trained so that it
may enter into the possession of true
freedom, While the forward race is
enabled to preserve unframed the
high civilization wrought out by it's
forefathers. The working out of this
problem must necessarily be slow; it
is not possible in offhand fashion to
obtain or to confer the priceless boons
of freedom, Industrial efficiency, poll
teal capacity, and domestic morality.
Nor is it only necessary to train the
colored man; it is quite as necessary
to train the white man, for on his
shoulders rests well nigh unparall-
eled sociological responsibility. 1t is
problem demanding the best thought,
the utmost patience, the most earnest
effort, the broadcast charity, of the
statesman, the student, the philanthro-
pist; of the leaders Of thought in ev-
cry department of our national life.
The church can be a most important
factor in solving it Alright. But above
all else we need for it's successful So
luton the sober kindly, steadfast, un-
selfish performance Of duty by the
average plain citizen in his everyday
dealings with his fellows.
THE ideal of elemental justice met
ed out to every man is the ideal we
should keep ever before US. 1t will be
many long day before we attain to
it, and unless we show not only devo-
ton to it, but also wisdom and self
restraint in the exhibition of that de-
votion, we shall defer the time for it's
still further. In striving tct.
attain to so much of it as concerns
dealing with men of different colors,
we must remember two things.
I'm the first place it is true of the
colored man, as it is true of the white
man, that in the long run his fate
must depend far more upon his own
effort than upon the efforts of any out
side friend. Every vicious, venal or
ignorant coored man is an even great
err foe to his own race than to the
as whole. The colored
mans self-respect entities him to do
that share in the political work of the
country which is warranted by his in
diyidual ability and integrity and the
position he has won for himself But
the prime requisite of the race is moral
and industrial uplifting.
"Laziness and shiftlessness, these
and above all, vice and criminality of
every kind, are evils more potent for
harm to the black race than all acts
Of oppression of white men put togeth-
er. The colored man who fails to con-
denim crime in another colored man.
who fails to cooperate in all lawful
ways in bringing colored criminals to
Justice is the worst enemy of his own
people, as we'll as an enemy to all the
people Law abiding black men should.
For the sake of their race, be foremost
in relentless and unceasing warfare
against wbreaking black men. If
the standards of private morality and
industrial efficiency cen be raised high
enough among the black race then its
future on this continent is secure. The
stability and purity of the home is Wit
al to the welfare of the black race. as
it is to the welfare of every race.
in the next place the white man.
who if only he is willing, can help the
7olored man more than all other white
man put together is the white man
who is his neehbor, north or south.
Each of us must do his whole duty
without finching aud if that duty is
national it must be done in accordance
with the principles above laid down.
But in endeavorng each TO he his broth