The Washington bee., 1907-07-20

lie WOulu DC dDlC ~ pay uiC lShI,
or the grocery bill, or the doctor,
or many of the other annoyances
that he must look out TO rtoday.
Under slavery the master had to
not only own the tools with which
the slave created the wealth, but he
had to own the slave himself. To-
day it has been found much more
profitable to only own the tools and
hire the worker, as then the work
er must take care of himself, and
if one should die there is absolutely
no cash loss to the employer, and
there are always plenty waiting to
take his place.
From this it is evident that who
ever owns the tools of production
virtually owns the producers, and
if the Negro wants to keep the
wealth which he produces he must
own the tools with which he works.
Today there is opposition to labor
saving machinery because 1t takes
work away from the working man,
but if the working man owned the
machine how different it would be.
The machine would then be his best
friend and it would be impossible
to have too many of them.
The other day John d. Rookie
feller advised the reporters to save
Systematically and to work hard,
for that was the foundation of eY-
cry large fortune But he failed to
tell them, as he could have done,
that by owning the tools of produc-
ton he had not only been able to
save what he had created but also
the wealth that had been created by
millions of his fellow men.
But Rockefellar is teaching. the
people the benefit of cooperation,
and after the President has failed
in his receivership campaign against
the trusts as badly as he has by his
suits the people will begin to iii
vestigate the matter for themselves
and eventually they will come to the
conclusion that the only way to keep
the trusts from owning them IS to
own the trusts. Then the worker
will be able to keep the wealth he
produces and not until then.
THE BUSINESS LEAGUE.
The regular annual session Of the
National Negro Business League.
will meet in Topeka, Kansas, next.
month. From all reports it will be
the greatest gathering of Negro
business men who have ever as
sembled in this country When
Prof. Booker T. Washington con
ceived the idea to organize a bust
ness association of cOlOred men he
became a race benefactor. When
cOlored men are able to conduct
business as other nationalities they
then become a strong factor They
not only command respect, but it
voluntarily comes to them. The
colored American III politics is a
failure This he has readily realiz-
ed. Every colored man in the Unit
ed States who conducts a business
enterprise should allv himself with
this League. Well conducted busi-
ness enterprises are direct tenden-
cies to good citizenship politics is
only an incident, so to speak.
The Bee does not mean that the
colored American should throw
away politics, but it does mean that
he should not make politics the di-
rect object of good citizenship. \
good citizen is a we'll behaved in
dividual. He will study the inter
est of his neighbor He will obey
the law and protect his fellow-citi-
zen. He will vote for good men
for Office, irrespective of politics.
He will pay bis poll tax and accu-
mulate property. 1t is true that
there are some places III the South
where he is enyied. But it is be-
| lieved that all good white citizens
are not dead. The colored man in