Iowa state bystander. [volume] (Des Moines, Iowa) 1894-1916, 1910-01-07
Estimate Of the
American Negro
brsve Is . Soldcr. SEN Re1aat and Pro
Gesske as . Cltlzea. Brilsat b ScAol
srshp, tAe Negro Mas kspt Pace
NnA tho Growth Of ke Co,aty ],
Which Gase isn freodsm.
D. n. 3. DoDsoN.

II ID ~ N. 3. DODsON.
Within recent years there has come
to our nation commanding great
ness. reaching and influencing human
thought and action to the uttermost
parts Of the earth. 1t has come through
the valorous achievements Of our sol
diers on foreign soil and Of our sailors
on distant seas.
In the winning Of this new glory that
now illumines the path OF our national
progress. In the opening Of new and
wider channels for the distribution Of
the products Of our farms and fac
tories and in the acquiring Of all the
rich fruits Of our wonderful war with
Spain the Negro race has played its
part with distinction to itself and with
honor to the Dag Of our country.
AS we enter the portals Of inevita.
BILE fate and assume our position as
leader among the nations Of the world
we may well pause for moment and
pay just tribute to our black broth
ers, whose gallant conduct In the
Spanish-American war has added new
interest to the pages Of our national
history.
The liberated under Abraham Lin
coin became nberators under William
Mckinley.
The Negro should not feel sensitive
upon the subject of slavery, for It has
been the condition at one time or an
other Of most Of the human race from
a period 30 remote that we knew Of It
by both tradition and legend before it
became recorded history.
The Negro Is not a problem" He
is man made by God In his own
image with mission to perform. The
trouble is white men do not seem to
know the Negro. and. not knowing
him. they Judge him BY false stand
ards and attribute to him mental and
moral limitations which do not exist.
The white man has failed TO observe
the slow. steady, sure advancement OF
the Negro. Silently the Negro has
been widening his sphere. The white
man needs but to have hls prejudices
against the Negro cauteffxed by truth
ma lii nroes iGnes sAnes of TIE intel
lectuai and Industrial achievement
OF the Negro blasted BY the dynamite
OF facts and figures to become the
warm advocate Of the Negroes rights
and privileges.
A study Of the progress Of the Negro
reveals him in new light, and from
passively tolerating him we begin to
champion his cause and to seek his
advancement. The more we learn of
the ambitions and aspirations Of the
Negro the more absurd becomes the
schemes Of deportation. repatriation.
absorption by intermarriage and other
political and physical nostrums for
the solution Of the so called prob
lem" which at regular intervals are
seriously presented for our considera-
tion.
During the Spanish American war
the Negro soldiers who fought at San
Juan, Siboney and Santiago covered
themselves with glory and advanced
their race in favor and regard among
their countrymen.
II any fear 10 entertained that the
Negro may be unable to enter the
charmed circles of art, Edmonia Lew
is, known on two continents as a
famed sculptor. who chiseled q bust
OF Colonel Shaw. Longfellow and John
Brown, 'The Death Of Cleopatra
1.-THE Old Arrow Maker and His
Daughters ''The Marriage Of Hiawa-.
tina" and "Hagar In the Wilderness,
dispels our fears, while Henry o. Tan
ner. son Of the eminent Bishop Tan
ner, points to his Daniel In the Lions
Dem" to his "Annunciahon and to
his 1.-THE Raising Of Lazarus" In
these paintings we see expressed q
genius and an art that have won the
applause Of nations. In 1897 '"rhe
Raising Of Lazarus won for Mr.. Tan
ner the third prize In the salon Of
Paris. The French government bought
from Mr.. Tanner .The Raising Of
Lazarus" that It might be preserved
In the museum Of Luxemburg.
" True art bows at the feet Of genius
without consulting geographical bound
aries or racial peculiarities. II we
think the Negro has no genius for me-
chanics he tells us that Biddle univer-
sity was built BY q Negro. Massive
bridges, spacious residences and many
imposing public buildings In all sec
tions Of the United States are the
products Of his thrift and industry.
Patents have been issued to Negroes
sf5rs locomotive smokestacks. tire extin-
guishers, cotton cuitivators, life pre-
servers. rotary enginess ventilators for
railroad cars, automatic railroad
switches. telephone transmitters and
for many other useful and valuable de-
vices. II we think the language OF the
stars and planets unintelligible to the
Negro we point to Benjamin Banneker,
the great Negro astronomer. 55
In 1861 In New York Wendell Phil
lips In closing stirring lecture upon
Touissant L'Ouverture did SO with this
superb sentence: when truth gets a
hearing the muse Of history will put
Phocion for the Greek, Brutus for the
Roman. Hampton for England, Lafa.
,yette for France. hoose Washington
as the bright consummate flower Of
her earlier civilization and John Brown
as the ripe fruit Of her noonday. and
then. dipping her pen III the sunlight.
will write In the clear blue 4 boye them
ail the name OF the soldier, the states
man. the martyr. Touissant Is;Ouvers
ture,r