La Junta tribune., 1908-10-17
SATURDAY. OCTOBER IT. 1895
STATE OF THE COUNTRY.

AT the recent session of the Colo
RADIO Conference Of the A. NJ. T..
church. held In Colorado Springs.
Rev. w. II. Prince. pastor OF the A.
81. E. church Of this city. but now
presiding elder OF the Pueblo district.
read an article on the State OF the
Country" which Is as follows:
To the Bishop and Members of the
Colorado Annual Conference OF the
African Methodist Episcopal Church
Your committee submit for your
consideration the following report:
The word country refers not only
To the mountains. rivers. lakes and
plains. but also to its people. their
manners and customs. therefore to
know the state of the country is
highly important. ~ II takes cogni-
zance of the material. intellectual.
moral and social conditions of the
people.
The war pulse OF the country Is
normal aud her treaties with foreign
powers are guarded carefully: hence
peace Is within her gates. Though
this year is marked with appalling
disasters; the floods OF Kansas. G eo-
riga and South Carolina. the forest
fires OF California and Minnesota. an
the burning OF the school building
near Cleveland. Ohio. in which many
children's lives were lost. make a
ghastly page upon the first decade
OF the twentieth century.
This country today is actuated by
problems, each Of which is very sig
nificant and complex and they all
give force to the activities. aspira-
tins and restlessness OF our times.
viz. the so called Negro Problem"
Capital and Labor" and Party SUI
premacy." These problems give rise
to three general subjects. thus--the
material. political and sociological
state Of the country.
The material condition OF our coun-
try presents a very pleasing aspect to
her millions OF inhabitants. The
SPiSHaiu PbOouSAioho Va thS eAs
farms through out the country as
sures US that no famine stalks at the
nations door. The estimated value
OF grain crops this year is $4,000
900 900. an increase Of $4,000, 900 over
last year The increase alone aver
ages s. to every man, woman and
child in the country. Cotton, sugar
and iron products are not second in
this pleasing estimate. so may we
say. blessed Is the nation whose Go,
is the Lord
But our own state Colorado. be-
cause nine-tenths of its fruit crop
was lost. caused by the late cold
waves in the spring. and the staple
crop of the Arkansas Valley, sugar
bcets. is cut off fifty per cent. caus-
ed by the continued drought just az
seed time. millions of money are lost
To the farmers of the state.
The political state OF the country
has given rise to five different
parties-thc republicans. democrats.
luutpHhufntSt SptlstiSlS anu p'pHipi'
tiouists. but of course. the official
plum lies within the grasp OF one OF
the old partics-the democrats or re-
publicans. though the final result Is
vested in uncertainty.
The present campaign is fraught
with three vexing features: First.
what to do for the negro: second.
what to do for the lator union; third
what to do for the combines.
/, The democrats have made some
concessions 10 the labor leaders.
which II they are victorious. will
mean annihilation Of negro labor In
many mining and mechanical employ
ments.
The republicans have inserted =
negro plank In their platform. to
which your committee gives hearty
approval and accepts 1t as an effort
to redress all past wrongs and to
see that justice is done.
Yet, we do declare that since the
negro is a taxpayer. a business and
an industrial factor. and, an unswerv-
ing patriot in the protection Of
American rights and institutions, that
there should be no cause for negro
plank in either party's platform. for
he Is an American citizen by actual
cultivation. possession and constitu-
tional grant
Nothing special should be asked 10
him or any other class Of our cfti-
sens: NO special privilege should be