The American eagle., 1905-12-17

| Christ? We in this day should lay to
heart the noble sentiment of Garrison:
| Behold! My brother Is man, not be-
| cause he is American Or Anglo-Saxon
or white or black, but because he is
| fellowman.'
1t is upon this broad platform of hui
man brotherhood and the equality of
all men that the black man in this
country is to stand and claim every
right political, civil, industrial and so
cial, which the white man claims and
every Christian gentleman should x
| pect, In claiming these rights, the
Negro is to appeal to the conscience
of the nation, which at present is
scared. He is to claim these rights, not
as mendicant or as an alien, or as be-
ing a toiler useful to white men, but
his claim must rest upon the fact
that he is a man, a brother and citi-
zen. His claim must be made, not
with vulgar bragadocio, but with the
quiet strength of a freeman's assur-
ance that he "will be heard, with hui
mility, but not servility; with courage,
and openly, not timorOusly and slyly,
since his cause is just.
In every part of this land, north,
south, east and west, there are men
and women, both white and Colored,
thinking deeply and honestly on TINS
Negro question, and they have the
spirit of Garrison in their heart. They
believe in God and the brotherhood OF
man. a brotherhood which includes the
Negro without any reserve. Now, how
can these kindred spirits get together,
and, like the abolitionists OF a former
generation, change the sentiment OF
the nation.
Would Organize Anti-Caste Society.
I. for one, should like to see organ
lied in st. Louis and throughout the
country a society known as the Amerl-
can Anti-Caste Association, it's object
being to break down all barriers be-
tween Negroes and all other Amerl-
cans, with all distinctions based on
race or color annihilated, and the re-
moving forever of every black law
from the statute books throughout
the land. Such a society would pro-
duce a sentiment and an atmosphere
in the nation which would enable us
to see clearly to settle many other
yexing uuestions-as the labor and I'M
migration questiOns-for to be wrong
on one fundamental human question,
is to be befoSged in respect to all.
The membership of this society to
be composed of all races and creeds,
the humblest and the greatest, provld-
ing they believe in God and the
brotherhood of all men through Jesus
Christ; providing also their characters
are untarnished and they are willing
| to contend uncompromisingly for
these purposes in peaceful way, ex-
posing with honestly and courage all
shams and wicked race prejudice, and
everything man, institution or teach
| ing. which prevents our becoming, In
spite of different race stocks, one hap
py people in this goodly land OF ours,
where our fathers, black and white,
suffered, and toiled, and fought, and
died, that it might come to us rich
heritage.
And to make this organization felt,
and an educating force toward these
objects, this society could issue an or
gan named and edited, SO as to stand
for a fearless championship of the
equality of man, that no man shall be
bound only as he breaks the law and
binds himself by crime, or fails to en-
ter the free door of opportunity by his
own want of merit and virtue.
In this day of racial antipathies,
diplomacy, trimming, trucking ana
trying to make headway by crafty
piling up of dollars, such an organlza-
ton would have at the start a hard
road to travel and the mob might
annoint it with it's wrath, but that
would only glorify it and seal the
movement as being from God.
81 will leave in the midst of thee
poor anI afflicted people, and they
shall trust in the name of the Lord"