Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1910-04-20
D(NCALF Won FIRST
MISS EDWARDS SECOND

noted orator and statesman. Tie
uame Of Frederick Douglas ID still
held sacred By the black folk. Cold
ridge Taylor is q famous musician.
Henry o. Tanner ID distinguished
painter. Professor Du. Bots is q
teacher of history and economics in
Atlanta University. The noble eff
forts of Booker T. Washington to
raise the standard of his race should
receive the recognition of the whole
world. In fact Professor Besset the
historian has declared that with one
exception Booker Washington is the
greatest man who has been born in
the south in the last hundred years.
And did you ever think that the
negro is compelled to occupy this in
ferior posItion-that he is in the ditch
because some one else has pushed him
in and will not let him out 2 This is
exactly the case. We are apt to look
down on the negro with scorn for be-
ing the root of this problem. But the
negro is blameless. He was not q
voluntary immigrant. The southerner
with the instincts of the Shareholder
still warm in his veins has not yet
adjusted himself to modern conditions
He has taken an attitude of hostility
toward the negro and has pursued
policy of oppression.
The "color line has been distinct
Iy drawn. 1t divides the south into
two definite social castles, one white
and the other black-the white exercis-
ing all sovereignty because of it's
strength-the black. weak, degraded
eager to rise, but held down by the
strength of the other. Feudalism
was debasing, slavery was vitiating
but the freedom of the negro to-day is
worse than it was either under
feudalism or slavery. The negro
must feed and clothe himself and his
family with disadvantage of being
oppressed. He must work out his
own salvation with that handicap
He is a free negro but not a free
American. In spite of the fact that his
rights of citizenship have been written
in the constitution, his right to vote
the protection of every citizen has
. been wrested from him by ingenious
Legislation, fraud and even physical
force From the socalled courts ofjustice
he receives little justice. For petty
offences he is sentenced to unreasona-
bly, long terms of Imprisonment and
exortionate 6nes Hugo Munsterburg
the great German writer on Aneri
can government states that it is almost
impossible to find jury in the south
{ which will convict white man of a
crime committed against negro.
His opportunities for intellectual
advancement are small. Recent re-
ports of the commissioner of education
show that negro schools in the south
have received only one fifth of the
entire sum spent for education, The
amount appropriated for negro schools
in the District of Columbia for the
] next year is smaller than it has ever
! been before with the exception Of
1904 and 1905. In 1904 they received
nothing In many southern cities
negroes are excluded from the public
libraries and their schools are sur
rounded by networks of saloons and
dives, the most morally unhealthful
place for the education of children.
His industrial opportunities have
been equally discouraging For many
years be was not allowed to own land.
The dreadful system of peonage has
been in force. Secret attempts to
renew slavery have been frequent.
Wages paid for negro labor are beg
carly.
The negro can not always feel
certain that his life and property are
in safety. Those dreadful cases of
lynching which have occurred SO re-
Gently are we'll known to all. 1
shall not go into detail concerning the
misery and suffering which this rapid
lY increasing evil has caused. 1t is
bewildering. do not by any means
intend to say that the best people of
the south are directly responsible for
such cruelties. But do you not think
that if the better class in the south
had the right attitude toward the
negro that their influence would
eliminate much of it?
With due consideration to these
facts can we justly accuse the negro
of illiteracy, Incidence, and i'm
morality? The argument which is
often resorted to as justification of
such measures is tn at the danger of
social eqE9 ecessitates them.
When two brought into con
tact with one another social equality
is impossible. Even among the white
race social equality is stupid idea.
coy1tborn oanf1opoo NUOuId no vnoro