Omaha daily bee., 1908-11-27

OF the race, every COtOred man OF means, |
should feel the obligation to complete this
building as soon as possible.
Gifts from COlOred Men.
Let me mention a couple of cases in
which colored men have contributed largely
to work of this nature.
A colored man, born a slave In Knox
vile. Tenn, was so much impressed with
the value of the Young Mems Christian
association work among the white, young
men,, that he gave a piece of property cost
ing 5000 to the colored Young Mems
Christian association. He had the honor of
having given the largest gift up to that
time of any individual in the state OF
Tennessee, regardless of color, to the as
ISOLATION movement.
Another colored man, who was born on
the gold coast of Africa, came to this
country at an early age, was befr Ih
ian association and by the use of their
library prepared for a competitive examine
ton, entered the University Of Pennsyl-
vania after winning the prize, received his
education, and is today a very successful
physician in the city OF Portsmouth, Va,
gave $500 to the building fund of their as
ISOLATION a year ago. He also gave 500
for current expenses the first year the as
ISOLATION employed a secretary and says:
The reason l made these gifts is because
owe all I am to the Young Mems Christ
ian association
Many other cases might be cited showing
how the work appeals to reputable colored
men in many sections of the country. There
Is possibly nothing needed worse In all our
cities and towns than well-organized Young
Mems Christian associations which shall
stand for character building in the three
fold way In which the Young Mems Christ
ian association endeavors to do Its work.
1t pays far better to support the secretary
Of the Young Mems Christian association
In a community than to pay the salary. of
a policeman. Homes are made safe and the
community is lifted to a higher level by
life.
Interests of White Men.
AS for the white man, let him remember
In this, as In all other matters, that to do
justice to the colored man Is demanded
not only by the interest of the ,colored
man but by the interest of the white man
also. Sooner or later in this community
every class of citizen will feel the effect of
class. 'Ai1 men up," is a much safer motto
than Some men down." and 1t Is to the
interest of every class of any community
that the members of every other class shall
feel that Industry, sobriety, good behavior,
the conduct that marks a man as being a
good neighbor and a good citizen, should
receive a proper reward, so as thereby to
put a premium upon the development OF
such qualities. l am not speaking OF social
relations; | am speaking Of equality OF
treatment before the law, of equality or OPP
p~oTtunity to earn a living; of equality of
opportunity to earn the respect that should
be accorded to the man who behaves de,
Gently, and is a good neighbor and good
citizen. There are plenty OF difficult prob
lens in this country, plenty or problems
requiring Infinite patience, forbearance, and
good judgment, IL they are to be dealt with
wisely, and which cannot, by any possi-
bility, receive even an approximately COM
plete solution within a short time. What
is known as the race problem is one OF
the most difficult. and II EXISTS In the
north as well as in the south. But of one
thing we can rest assured, and that Is, that
the only way In which to bring nearer
the time when there shall be even an APP
proximately fair solution OF the problem
Is to treat each man on his merits as a
man. He should not be treated badly be-
cause he happens to be of a given color.
nor should ne receive immunity for mis-
! conduct because he hanDeua to be OF a
given color. Let us all strive. according
TO our ability, and as far as the conditions
will permit, to secure to the man of one
color who behaves uprightly and honestly,
with thrift and with foresight, the same op-
portunity for reward and for living his life
under the protection of the law and without
molestation by outsiders, that would be his
IL he were of another color. The avenues
of employment should be open to one as
should be guaranteed to one as to the
other. Each should be given the right to
prove by his life and work what his capaci-
ties are. and should be judged accordingly.
Each is entitled TO the reward which he
legitimately earns II he behaves himself
well; each should be Judged with the same
severe impartiality II he behaves Ill. The
same fair treatment should be accorded
both. and every effort made to give equal
! opportunity to those of equal capacity and
character. 1t is the duty of the white man
to see that exact Justice Is meted out to
would receive II he were not colored: and
upon the colored man IL imposed the duty
to make himself a useful citizen, TO so be
have as to win the respect Of his white
, neighbor. The performance of duty should
be the test applied to white man and
, colored man alike. and each individual
color, but by the way in which he meets
these demands of duty; and the first duty
which each colored man owes both to him
lself and his race is to work for the better
ment. II Is to the great interest of the
white people. no less than Of the ~colored
PR ies Should onIi be- s siSsn the eoU Coiored people eoTili;
and II Is of even greater interest TO both
races that the colored man should steadily
strive for his own industrial and moral up
Teaching by Example.
To teach by preaching is never as good
as to teach by xample No words OF
advice and encouragement on my part
can count In any way compared TO whaI
has actually been done by those colorec
men who have shown by their own sue
cess in life how a colored man can rais'
high his standard of good citizenship. II
Is the colored man himself and no outsider
who can do most for the coiored race
attention of all who care To listen 10 me
TO the noteworthy record Of the town oi
Mound Bayou in Mississippi. stopped
at Mound Bayou a year ago while coins
through Mississippi, Twenty years agC
the place was all wilderness. Now 9
thriving and prosperous town has beer
built, with a thriving and prosperous coun
try round about; and every man in tbs
town. every man In the country round
about, Is a colored man. In the Planters
Journal OF Memphis. Tenn, a white mani
paper, there Is a description I'm an ISSUE
OF a couple of years ago OF Mound Bayou
under the heading Of "The most remark
able town In the south" This papel
describes how the town has been founded
populated and manages purely by mel
OF the negro race. 1t IL a thriving, grow
ing town OF 1000 people. There is not
saloon nor a vicious resort OF any kind u
the town. There are some 5000 peopl'
on the tract OF land OF which the town Il
the canter. This tract includes abou
forty square miles. all OF II owned by tn
colored people themselves. Ten Thousand
acres OF land are IN a high state OF cul
~tivation. There Is a big cotton crop. and
m addition, the colony produces four
I'LL pa ~ "1g aa VIZ