The Washington bee., 1908-09-26

had ever been faithful and true. They
. realized further that the American
Republic, which had been a living
contradiction in that it stood for lib
erty while half slave and half free,
would in time find the words "Liber-
ty, Fraternity, and Equality meaning
less. They realized that you cannot
make a man good and great without
| giving him real liberty-liberty of
body, mind and soul-and that a Re
public cannot be made great until all
its citizens are truly fre. In Re
public such as ours, whose greatness
is alike the wonder and admiration Of
the civilized wirld. there can be no
master and no slave, but the regnan-
cy OF an enlightened conscience must
operate in the control of all its affairs.
The question is being propounded-
shall the people rule =? l reply on the
behalf of ten million Negroes in
America that we shall be pleased and
most fortunate to see the people rule.
! ask the propounder of this question
to whom does he refer as people /?
Does he mean the white people. the
colored people or all the people
ask, do the people rule? Do they
rule where men are disfranchised? !?
Do they rule where minorities deny
to majorities the right 10 ballot and
pass discriminatory laws 10 still fur
ther humiliate and subjugate this ma
jority in its he'plessness?
l ask again,if he means that all the
people shall rule without regard 10
race or color as the organic law of
the land demands? Do the people
rule where mobs wreak their fury and
vengeance on the helpless and go
unwhipped Of justice?
Fully conscious of these injustices
throughout the country, realizing the
untoward conditions among many OF
our race we must go forth to the task
of lifting them to higher efforts and
to a nobler conception of life and its
duties. We must train them out OF
the lower self, out of the ignoble In
to the noble. They must be placed on
the march toward progress by teach
ing them the value of industry, So
briefly, decency and orderliness in
every day life. We must labor to
reform the criminal element of the
race-not that this is more our duty
than that OF any other race with its
criminal element, but that the crimes
of this element are made to reflect
upon the better element of the race
in a greater degree than is true, II
any other race.
| We save ourselves by rescuing
| these. The humanitarian phase would
suggest that we help a weaker bro
ther. More vitally essential, however,
that the work of reformation is the
work of prevention, and this must be
accomplished by the proper trainn-
ing OF the youth of the race. Our
| boys must be taken from the streets
and from idleness which leads to
crime; and developed in brain, body
and soul that they may form a better
type of American citizenship, and
become indispensable to the progres.
of our American life
The superior man takes his place
naturally in the ranks of the aspiring
| and successful. He thus helps society
and by this uplifting influence he IN
turn is strengthened by the elevated
companionship which it brings.
i We work for larger things than
mere individuals. We work for larg-
er things than race or country. We
work for all humanity. This is d
! great age-an age when only super
Tor mental ability gives rank place
and power. and he who is best pre-
pared will find his way to leadership
self reliance and just appreciation
| by his fellow man.
Let us resolve that we shall stand
| for better things in life-that by &
sane, positive, conservative policy We
shall be ever advancing and teaching
! the race a lesson of moral strength
| and lofty endeavor which leads tc
achievement.
The problems of our large cities
the tenement house question, the
reaching out for those whose Iivs are
not touched by the refining influences
should and do appeal to your great
|