Franklin's paper the statesman., 1910-04-30
THE BEAST IN THE NEGRo'S
JUNGLE.
o. T. Jackson continues his article,
giving his opinions of preachets

the Negro's Jungle is "The Leading
Negro Preachers" who work hand in
hand with the leading politicians.
There are ministers in Colorado and
in the United States who are real lead
ers and their influence and powers are
respected by their congregations and
the municipal governments.
This leading preacher who gains
his influence and power by his asso-
citation with leading politicians and
their cunning, makes all Beasts of the
Jungle stand on their hind legs to see
whether his trail leads through the
Jungle.
The contributions to the negro
churches in Denver are reported to be
more than 100000 per annum. About
20 people draw salaries from this
amount contributed from the salaries
of the laboring classes.
Thirty thousand dollars is a larger
amount than all the gross negro busi-
ness will amount to per annum in
Denver. What per cent. is $4,000 of
the communicates wages? What per
cent. is paid in by the negro business
men and their employees? What per
cent. is paid in by farmers and pro-
ducers? The toll over the road to
heaven is high, and the road is not as
golden as pictured by the toll-keeper
who is demanding better stations, new
churches, new and larger parsonages,
big pipe organs, and increase of sal
ary. The Lords work is great and
costs money. The leading negro
preacher has no thought for the finan-
cial condition or the opportunity of
their congregations to earn money In
fact. the poorer the congregation the
closer they can be kept to the cross,
1t is seldom word is dropped from
the pulpit about going out in Gods
Vineyard and earning their tithes by
the cultivation of the mother earth to
the glorification of God, and where the
negro's prayers will be revealed when
he awakes in the morning to find that
he has calf added unto his stock, a
fine litter of pigs, an old hen with
brood of chickens, etc. Such reyela-
tions would give more substantial rea-
sons for him to know and praise God,
than just from an up-to-date dress pa
rade service once week with an
empty stomach.
But the Improvements are neces-
sary in order that we keep pace with
the white churches that are backed
by every opportunity and advantage
supported by bankers corporations
Nd rtn fn, CT ann
churches at any cost. If the money
does not come fast enough, the negro
club houses must be raided, the ten
derloin district stirred up, the boss
g. politician must be consulted, and a
general rattling of dry bones.
The poor negro becomes mystifed;
his emotions are aroused and all hyp-
motto influences are brought to bear.
Poor fellow. He knows not how to
increase his earnings to comply with
increased religious demands and du-
ties. He has no one to lead him out
into the fields of industry, so he just
kneels down and prays, and prays,
ooh, Thou Beast of the Jungle, my
prayer is, oh, God deliver u.s."
Two hundred years in bondage, 50
years free-yet in ignorance, and my
religion more of a mockery and joke
than in days of slavery, With every
opportunity at hand to share in the
division of Gods portion (the earth)
am beaten back by this powerful
beast who blocks the entrance to the
fertile fields beyond the jungle.
Two negro girls will graduate from