The Grenada sentinel. [volume] (Grenada, Miss.) 1868-1955, 1906-02-24
ECONOMIC FUTURE
OF THE NEGRO
Their Increase in Property Has Not Kept
Pace With Their Increase in PopuIa-
tom Some Serious Questions

i favorable local conditions? How ha
this acquisition of property kept pac
with that OF others about them, an
how far does it represent only tn
lcrumbS from the rich mans table
How great a proportion is held by tn
exceptional few and how much of tn
total is traceable to the gifts and be
quests OF white ancestors? To wha
extent does this increase mean tn,
holding OF their own, or actual, pos
itive progress in the face of slowly bu1
steadily increasing white competition:
In how far is it attributable to the
training and steadying influences Of
the period Of slavery? In what pro.
portions do the older and younger ele.
ments of the race. respectively, con-
tribute to the total wealth of the
whole? These are some of the con-
sideratiOnS which must be taken into
account in an estimate of the future
based upon something mere tangible
and stable than a skillful Juggling of
figures or fiatteringly expressed senti-
ments of goodwill.
The greatest asset in possession of
the negro OF 1855 was the great sal
lent fact that at that time, in the
section in which he lived, he was prac-
tically without the competition of the
white man. Today the most porten-
tous figure that looms upon his eco
nomic horizon is that of his white
competitor. But even in 1865 he was
slowly receding before such competi.
tion In the North. To me the most
significant utterance at the New York
Convention Of the National Negro
Business League last summer was the
note Of warning sounded in Mr.. Wan
namaker's address. He recalled the
fact that Philadelphia once had
number OF negro business men in
whom the local business world took
pride. But, he said, many of them
lost their business before they passed
away. AS an old business man | am
speaking the fact; they lost their busi-
ness because the Swiss, the Germans
and others who were American white
men did that same business better
than they did it. Their color had not
the least thing to do with it,
In an address in Brooklyn last snm-
mer Mr.. Samuel r. ScottrOn voiced
the apprehension of thoughtful,
man, not dazzled by the
outer show OF the Oft-prOcIaimed
marvellous progress" of his people.
At the same time he gave an insight
into the economic position of the ne
gro in New York half a century ago.
He spoke Of what his race had lost to
the foreigner, and said that not ne
gro had left child "in an enlarged
business of the same line." with
all of us" he continued, the busi-
ness dies with the fathers. II it were
at the top at any time in the past IN
any line of industry, why are we at |
the bottom of it today? That's the
question. He declared that these
changes were not due to our prejudice,
and asked that if they were used as
l basis of calculations, what could one
say OF the future of the American |
legrO?"
From Chicago, Boston, Springfield.
places in Kansas, Ohio, Indiana and |
)ther states comes the same testimO- |
~, in the main from negro witnesses. |
Mrs. Fannie Barrior Williams strikes |
he keynote when she explains how
he Swedes have taken the janitOr SER
'ice away from the Chicago negro.
she says it was by "Organking and
men for the work in such a
vay as to increase the efficiency and
he reliability of the service. The
American negro must learn the Signif-
canoe of these two words, 'efficien-
Y" and reliability" if he expects
o save himself from sinking to con-
itiOn OF economic Servitude. Mrs.
Williams: too, says that color preju-
ice is not behind this loss Of place by
he negro i'm Chicago. She says the
Oreigner has driven the negro out of
he barber'S trade i'm the business dis
riot, and that the "shoe-polisher has
Implanted the negro bOotblack, and
ow does business in finely-appointed
arlOrs with mahogany finish and elec-
ric lights" Thus" she says, "a
lenial occupation has become a we'll
rganiZed and genteei business with
apital and system behind it. Al
ed Fl. Stone in Manufacturers
ecOrd.