Montana news. [volume] (Lewistown, Mont.) 1904-191?, 1908-04-09
SOCIALISM AND NEGRO QUESTION

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class through the capitalist system Of
charity.
The present system in its charity
gives the negro its old clothes and adj
vice on ways and means about how to
live, but never allows the negro an op-
portunity to put this advice into prac-
tice.
Recently an unjust body Of negro
bishops assembled in the city Of WASH
ington, to consider what is called the
Jim Cfow-Car-LIaw. 1 never heard
about the negro conditions in politics-
They did make a few resolves about
the Jim-Crow- Car Law and placed them
in the hands of the Interstate Com
merce commission. That has the re-
gulating Of the railroad by the govern
ment under it's control.
These resolutions have accomplished
about as much as they will be able
to do. If there is any action taken
on them it win be q surprise to me.
Under a system Of cooperative OWL
ership Of such enterprises as railroads,
would you not have voice pertaining
to what kind of service you receive
from themf
Railroads would be operated for the
best service for all the people. II 10
were necessary to have seperate cars
for negroes and whites in the south,
and the negroes were granted the sams
accommodations as the whites, we ven
ture to say that 1t would be probable
that no negro would register a single
complaint against such conditions.
Under the present system of the own
ership of railroads by a few, the par
ties that have all the railroads in their
possession must own the government
also. In owning the government Il en-
ables them to have less laws enacted
favoring any kind Of prejudice for the
gain of dollars.
The less expense railroads have to
undergo in accommodating negroes, tas
greater the dividends. This makes my
point as plain as it can be made.
The perverted economic condition 10
what gives people the opportunity to-
carry their htsle antipathies on that
they have against us on account Of
our color. Nature allows you to keep
anything in your possession so long az
you can provide ways and means to
protect ii. IL there were not means
for keeping race prejudice in exist
ence, would it not be easily EXTERN
inatedf
Socialism in its philosophy intends
to make all the people more human
and intelligent. II the people were
more intelligent and less brutal, there
would be but little race prejudice.
Some of the most atroeious crimes,
that are committed by my people in
the south, which make my entire soul
thrill with terror to think Of them,
are caused by negroes being kept down,
to the condition Of a beast.
III they knew better they would new
er commit these crimes and every one
Of these crimes places a stigma upon
us as q race.
We that reside in the north, NAV
think that this disgrace does not reach
us on account of such crimes not be-.
ing prevalent here. 1t is a mistake.
IL does effect our standing as a race
Of people.
IL is duty that owe 20 humanity
and my race to cooperate with those
that are tryin 10 improve society, with
ideas that have some real and substan-
tial foundation, and I think il is the
duty Of every man, and there is only
only one way of doing II intelligently,
that is by unprejudiced investigation.
] feel very grateful TO the Montana
News and its editor for the space it
allowed me in its paper, to put forth,
my ideas pertaining to this problem.
that | have tried TO eucidate TO its
readers, cOuched in the simplest Ian
guage at my command, and sincere
ly hope that II will be of some service
toward inducing my people TO give this
philosophy some consideration.
1 remain yours, Comrade, under both
eongenial and difficult circumstances
for the revolution,
J. T. DowELL,
Great Falls, Mont.