Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1910-01-29

themselves out Of employment entire
ly or will the conditions adjust them.
selves and viii the biblical faith OF
the black mammies be realized. when
they say that God is in charge and In
His own time. he viii so arrange IL
that where one door is shut, another
door will open?
We shall see. It is evident though
that this question is one that will
engage the attention of the thought
fUl Afro-American leaders Of the
country Already. the agitation is
well under way i'm Philadelphia and
the colored clergy there have become
aroused to the seriousness of the si.-
dation.
Rev. Lyman b. Tefft, D. D.. Pre-
ident of Hartshorn Memorial College
of this city, a gentleman OF rare abil-
iJy and possessing a far-seeing acu-
men. asks us for our ideas as to the
remedy for the threatening aspect Of
affairs.
For our part. we have been Sc
riously embarrassed by the worthless.
ness of the average member of the
/ rising generation. White and color
ed youngsters are budding into man
hood with cigarette or a cigar IN
their mouths and an appetite for IL
quor that surpasses all human under
standing What can be done about
it? Is the material in the race de.
teriorating2 Are the youngsters OF
to-day i'm possession Of the same ster-
ling qualities as their ancestors?
These are the questions that seem to
b confronting the student of human
nature and the professor of political
economy.
The deterioration ia the material
of both races is the subject OF con.
ment by both white and colored
employers.
In the Southland. the artisans Of
the colored race Of the Old School are
dying out and the colored young men
disdain to take their places They
do not look to the trades. They
scorn this kind of employment and
choose the easy life OF a hotel bell
man or the nomadic life OF hoteI
waiter
1t may be that the elimination of
the younger element from the en-
ploymeut where the tipping practice
is I'm evidence and where the money
thus secured is used 10 spend upon
the butter fly girls" or az the gam.
ing table viii tend 10 direct their
efforts and abilities TO other fields
of employment and open their eyes
60 the dangers ahead Of them in the
struggle for a legitimate livelihood.
We should not forget though that
the colored men of ability have been
steadily encroaching upon the white |
mans field OF professional endeavor.
both I'm medicine. law. finance and |
commercialism. The attack or rath- |
or the retaliating blow is coming
from the rear. he is crowding the |
Negro out OF mental employment. |
We cannot see that we have over
much TO fear from this last effort to
throw the black man upon his own
resources. We have too many color |
ed men of exceptional ability wearing |
white aprons, when they should be |
i'm charge Of their own Offices. earn /
ing an independent livelihood. They
lack the nerve TO go out and make |
place for themselves. but prefer the /
easy route of a steady salary rather /
than going out among their own peo- |
pie. Where worth makes the man
and lack OF it the Fellow"
The colored people Of this country
viii be guaranteed a competency and |
permanent success. II they Will en.
gage ia the following pursuits: farm |
ing. commercialism. finance, the
trades and professions. Il seems to /
us that the place 20 start this agita I
ton is In the homes and in the school /
houses. where boys and girls rang 1
ing from the ages Of ten and upwards .
may be Influenced and brought to
see the need Of change In the races
condition
We need contractors in every /
branch of industrial pursuits aud
these contractors will need highly
skilled workmen. We should teach
these young people that there is no
royal or easy road to success and
that the more difficult the task, the
greater the reward Colored young
folks are constantly lodging hard
work They are looking for some
thing easy.
AS a matter of fact, no man or
woman, who will balk at labor or
hesitate in the face of difficulties will
make a brilliant success. There can
be no standing still in this life. The
man, who performs a given service