Iowa state bystander. [volume] (Des Moines, Iowa) 1894-1916, 1907-11-22

are more important. We here deal
with ten millions of people-double
the population in Scotland--recently
not men but slaves--the very last
slaves held by member of our Eng.
disappearing race-who were not only
suddenly made freemen, but also en-
trusted with the ballot.
| Proud Is the boast.
Slaves cannot breathe in Britain! II
their lungs
Receive our air, that moment they are
| free.
They touch our country, and their
| shackles fall
! But where the poet liberator stops,
| his part flushed, the statesman's work
only begins. The, shackles fall, but
the citizen fails to emerge. How is
| the slave to gain selfcontrol, wisdom's
root, when all his days he has been
! controlled by others? Arise and
walk" was once said to the lame, but
a miracle-worker was required to ef-
! feet this instant cure 1t is the neces-
sarily slow development of the slave
into the citizen which propose to lay
| before you tonight.
In one respect the problem is unique.
The Negro is called upon to rise in the
scale from slavery to citizenship in
the presence of a civilization repre-
sentative of the highest-his short
comings, back-slidings, failures, can
not but be numerous and discourag-
ing. and the contrasts between whites
and blacks in many respects such as
to produce the belief in the minds Of
their former masters that the end
striven for is unattainable. Once a
slave, always slave. so far as the
Negro is concerned. is their natural
conclusion.
Here we have between four and
five millions of slaves, formerly held
In ignorance, unable to read or write,
without churches. schools, or property
of any kind, and yet called upon to
perform the duties of citizenship, their
former masters surrounding them in
censed at their elevation How were
the Negroes recently slaves to be
made fit as citizens?-a problem that
the one fundamental requirement, for
without improvement Of the black
race no satisfactory solution was pos
sible.
After period of fifty years we are
toni yht to inquire whether the Ameri-
car Negro has proved his capacity to
develop and improve; this l propose
to answer by citing facts.
The first question the ethnologfst
will naturally ask Is: Has he proved
himself able to live In contact with
civilization, and increase as free
man, or does he slowly die out like
the American Indian. Maori Or Ha-
waiian? The census answers that the
total number Of Negroes In America
In 1880 was 6,5S0,793,
In 1900 was 8,S40.7S9.
Increase in twenty years, 2,259,9 1876,
equal to 43.3 per cent, almost double
the rate of increase of the United
Kingdom and within three per cent of
the increase of America. white and
black combined. The Negro race num-
bers today about ten millions. 1t does
not increase as fast as the white in
America because there is no black I'M
taking only native whites
and blacks. their relative increase
must be about equal. There is no
trace of decline here. but a surprising
ly rapid rate of increase, one OF the
surest proofs of virile race calculat-
ed to survive in the struggle for exist
ence. The first test, therefore, we
may consider successfully met.
Now for the second: Scotland's
proud position among nations rests
chiefly upon the realization Of the ia
nous declaration Of John Knox, Il will
never rest until there is public
school in every parish in Scotland
which finally led to the noble enact
ment which proclaims that, mo father,
of what estate or condition that ever
he may be, use his children at his own
fantasie, especially in their childhood,
but all must be compelled to bring up
their children in learning and virtue"
You will agree with me, am sure,
that the second test of capacity to
reach the standard of citizenship is
the passion for education, the desire
to be able to read, write and cypher.
Before the war this broad avenue to
all progress was closed to the slave.
Let us see whether he has taken ad-
vantage of the door that opened after
slavery was abolished.
The census of 1870 and 1900, thirty
years apart, compare as follows as to
illiteracy of the Negro males of voting
a ge: ri. -. u@
Total number 1870, 1,032,476; Hitter.
ate, 8G2,243; per cent, S3.5.
Total number 1900, 2060,302; Hitter
ate, 97G,610; per cent, 47.4. .< #.
Thus in thirty years illiteracy has
fallen 43 per cent. At same rate of
progress, it is today 1907) not one
half as great as in 1870,
In considering the southern prob
lem, we must never forget that the
''pcor whites are an element compli-
eating the situation, the attitude of
iisiis,--ssaaSs--ta. the black being iataasesz-
hostile-far beyond that Of the former
slaveholding aristocrats.
In 1860 Negro schools were almost
unknown, it being unlawful to teach
the slave. In the year 1900, 1,O9G,734
colored youths attended public school,
and 1913 attended higher schools of
learning. The warfare against ignor-
ance goes on apace among both whites
and blacks. For twenty years after
the war progress in providing Negro
!!s3s. tbs -'c t. as was very slow
but since 1880 there has been spent
by iAe states n !he;: SUPPORT, $i03.:
SU7, ,S30-about twenty-five millions
starling In addition to this all over
~. s:. tSt eIS IS lSrTCtidiT-s : .tiif
tional school buildings and extending
the term for keeping them open each
year beyond that fixed by the states.
the additional cnst thereof hetnp do.