Iowa state bystander. [volume] (Des Moines, Iowa) 1894-1916, 1909-12-31

great in the conception and promulga"
ton OF practical and ussfui ideas;
great IN tho ability to state with clear
pea and prsciaions hin siaWa sspon ths
financial. sociological. economic and In
dustrial questions. to the consideration
Of which he has devoted years of pa
tient study and application: great as q
scholar and thinker who has revolu-
tlonized modern accepted theories as to
the solution Of the problems which he
has worked out with mathematical ac-
curacy and which touch humanity the
world over at every point
Not many Negroes In the United
States are cognizant Of the fact that in
the British colony of Sierra Leone, on
the west coast of Africa. there resides
colored man who occupies the posi-
tion Of postmaster general Of that col
ony and who Is president Of the gov
ernment bank there, which receives
and disburses hundreds Of thousands
of pounds sterling annually. James
Carmichael Smith Is many sided
man and an intensely busy man. Aside
from his official duties he has found
time to write in the past few years
eight or more valuable books on hnan-
cial, economic and industrial subjects.
Their literary value Is attested by the
leading Scottish and English newspa-
pers and by journals devoted to the
discussion of these questions and the
highest authorities on economics in the
world as we'll as by leading hnanciers
and sociologists In Europe. Asia and
Africa. There is but little If any doubt
as to the accuracy Of the writer's
knowledge Of his subject.
Mr.. Smith gets right at the kernel Of
his subject in the following vigorous
and drastic sentences: 1--WE must get
down to the facts and realize the mag
nitude of the financial power controlla'
BILE today by small groups of men.
some of them the most villainously
unscrupulous specimens of the human
race, and these money kings effectively
rule the men who nominally govern
the nations" This Is neatly put and
is as incisive as it Is true to the facts
as they present themselves to every
observant man who has watched the
trend Of affairs in financial circles in
the United States.~
Mr.. Smith was born in 1852. From
June. 1876, to August, 1850. he was
chief clerk and storekeeper of the I'M
perial' treasury and tommissariat de-
partment in the Bahamas; member Of
the board Of education. 1886 to 1902;
postmaster, 1889 to 1893; justice Of the
peace, 1890; member OF Bahama house
Of assembly, 1882. 1889 and 1896; re-
signed in 1897; assistant postmaster
general, Sierra Leone. 1895; justice Of
the peace. 1897; acting postmaster gen
eral, 1897. 1899 and 1900; acting cura-
tor of institutes, Sierra Leone. from
January. 1890, to January, 1900; post
master general and manager, Of gov
ernment savings bank, 1900; acting
collector Of customs. October, 1902. to
April. 1908; acting colonial treasurer
in 1906 and postmaster general in 1909.
The race may well feel proud Of this
able and scholarly representative. who
has trodden paths which few If any
members Of 1t have thus far ventured
to do, either in Europe or America.
We greatly suspect that our friend
Mr.. Smith had said the last word on
the subjects covered ia his eight or
more books and numerous pamphlets
which he has written ON the money
question and kindred questions grow.
ing out Of It. II John G. Calhoun, who
doubted the abilityt OF the Negro to
conjugate d Greek verb was in the
flesh and read one Of Mr.. Smiths
books he would probably acknowledge
4 the truth Of the famous utterance oi
/ the polished African Terence:
Homo sum; humanl nihil 4 me
alipntlff Snufn \ Il IS e