The Washington bee., 1908-03-21

He pointed out, in the clearest man
ner, that all rights, whether of lib
erty, property, or the franchise, in
democracy, or monarchy, were pred
licated upon the fulhlment of ones
duty to society In touching on the
rights to enjoy the franchise of a
democracy or republic, he pointed
out the necessity of the better pre-
pared element of his race taking a
more active interest in formulating
the plans and policies for the train
ing of the adult as we'll as the youth
in the duties of civic virtue.
An opportunity. not only for OBJ
servation but for action" said he,
lies at our very door today, and
you, my friends, need only to look
into the columns of the daily press
or to walk about the streets and OBJ
serve the groups OF unguided and un-
prepared men discussing the quadren-
NAL selection of men to represent the
Capital of this great nation in a ma
tiOnal convention to name its Chief
Executive. / have listened with
growing impatience to our many or
ators and thinkers who demand, and
Justly so, that our race be standard
lied by men like our own Frederick
Douglass and our Booker 7. Wash
ington, but so long as you permit the
submerged, because neglected, masses
OF our people to remain in ignorance
of civic duty and race pride, you
must expect to be rated by their
standard, and so long as you neglect
to give your time and your service
to their moral, mental and spiritual
uplift, you cannot complain of the
rating given your race. You cannot
get away from your people; you
should not want to get away from
them, and | do not believe that you
do; but | do know that unless you
men and you women too, make your
influence felt for civic righteousness
/ in your local situation now and at
all times, that your rights will be re-
stricted and your standard as citi-
zens will be rated just in proportion
as you permit the unprepared, and
, in faG too many instances, unfit rep
resentativeS of our race to be led
into a barbaric demonstration of de
mand for privileges, without the
thought of performing, or the record
OF having performed, any of the sim
pier civic duties.
My friends, he continued, THE
unlettered and untutored of our peo-
pie are not to blame; it is rather you
and /; they are ready to respond,
not to words and idle vaporings
alone, but appeal to you and to me
to teach by example, as we'll as by
precept, the social, moral, and civic
virtues that will make our rating as
a great race, growing up within
greater nation and an integral part
thereof, respond to standards as set
for all people who may we'll demand
the rights and privileges and recog-
nitions which must follow the fulfil
ment of every civic obligation.
And, finally, my people, in all
matters affecting the rights of human
kind, if we would enjoy them as we
should, we must demand by conquest,
in the meeting of every social, civic
and moral obligation, and not accept
them as any temporary bequest as a
patrimony for having been used, and
| can join you in voicing what we all
believe and know, that the future of
the individual, the race, the natioC,
and allhumanity is absolutely secure
if we only do our duty"
The Widows Pension Bill has pass
! ed the House and Senate, and gives
the soldiers widows $I2 instead of
$S; amended, so that no proof of
dependence be required.
Upon recommendations of the Su-
perintendent NJ. P. and Commission
ers, the cab stand at Sixth and B
streets northwest will go; also the
The H. E. African Baptist Church,
First street between D and E, was
destroyed by fire last week; covered
by insurance.
Payment by the Government of
millions to ex-slaves of the South
and heirs was asked of the House
! Committee on Banking and Curren-
cy last week by Representatives of
the Freedmen's Savings and Trust
Company.
The Commissioners will not tax
old-book dealers of the District of