The Colorado statesman., 1910-08-27
DENVER, COLORADO, SATURDAY, AUGUST "a 1910.

this truth never be forgotten, that
whatsoever a man or Nation sows,
that it shall also reap. The white
man who murders a Negro today and
goes unpunished is likely to murder
a white man tomorrow and go unpun-
ished. There is but one remedy that
will stand the test of the centuries, the
enforcing of all laws in every section
of the United States without regard to
class, race or color. These outbreaks
on the part of mobs and murderers
not only result in the moral degrade
ton of the whole people, but disturb
and serve as a setback to business in
an alarming degree among both races.
| plead everywhere for equal and ex-
act enforcement of the laws, not only
in the interest of the colored race,
but in the interest of all races, for
without law enforcement our civiliza-
tion will disappear, and we shall as
Nation, become an object of ridicule at
| the hands of other nations.
We are making progress. Perhaps
never before have the Negroes added
to their wealth so rapidly as they are
at present. The Negroes of Georgia,
during the present year, added 47,O45
acres to their land holdings, and in
creased the value of their land hold
ings S636,532. During the past year
the Negroes of Georgia bought over
| $500, 900 worth of city and town prop
erty They paid taxes last year on
/, ,536. 766 acres of land. Through their
real estate purchases and other means
they added in twelve months S1,430,-
900 to their taxable property. Negro
property in Georgia was assessed in
1909 at s2S,272,5SO.
The Negroes of Virginia also dur
ing the year 1909 added 53,452 acres
to their land holdings and increased
their land values $175,740. They
bought S360,000 worth of city and
town property, and increased the to-
tai amount of their property holdings
during the twelve months $971,994.
The Negroes of Virginia are now pay
ing taxes on 1.517,500 acres of land
and last year paid taxes on $26,6OO,-
$50 worth of property From the re-
corded progress that is being made in
Georgia, North Carolina and Virginia,
where records are kept of Negro prop
erty owning, it is conservatively esti-
mated that the Negroes of the Unit
ed States are adding from twelve to
fifteen millions of dollars to their
wealth each year, and that their to-
tai wealth is now not far from $780,
900.
Besides, using very conservative
figure, | think, it is safe to say that
the colored people in New York and
Brooklyn own real estate valued at
more than three million dollars, and
in addition to this have over two mil
lion dollars deposited in the banking
institutions of Greater New York.
AS indicating a very small proper
ton of the business enterprises that
have been started by our people with
in a few months, | mention the in
corporation of the Lee Wholesale
Chemical and Drug Co. of Albany,
and Atlanta, Ga. In the same connec-
ton | mention Ashburn Brothers of
Franklin, Va, who have recently
started shirt manufacturing company
with a capital of 100000 and employ
ing forty persons, with daily capac-
ity of fifty dozen shirts. A Durham,
n. c., textile mill for the manufac-
ture of hosiery has been started with
a capital of $4,000. In November last
the Rocky Mount Silk Manufacturing
Company, at Rocky Mount, N c., with
a capital of $4,000 began the busi-
HESS NthlulS VI S--Aa
Ten years ago, before the starting
of the Business League. there was not
a single Negro bank in the state of
Mississippi. At the present time Mis-
sissippi has eleven Negro banks.
When this Business League was or
ganized in Boston ten years ago there
were only four Negro banks in the
United States: at the present time
there are fifty-six Negro banks. But,
while we are making progress, while
we are organizing business enter
prises of one kind and another, there
are not a few signs that indicate that
the time has come when we must
speak plainly regarding certain unholy
practices which are too fast multi
plying among our people in the or
ganization of these business enter
prises. | refer to the disposition on
the part of certain individuals and
certain organizations to try to get
something for nothing, to try to get
something without paying the price,
the price of hard, earnest, honest ef-
fort. The fundamental difficulty in
many cases is that individuals are not
satisfied to begin in small, humble,
simple way and gradually develop