Franklin's paper the statesman., 1911-11-11
The Statesman'S Platform

The Negro race is the most dis
loyal of all the peoples Of the earth
If this is not true at least it appears
to be true to US, for We see more OF
it's shortcomings than we do OF any
other race With the certain knowl-
edge that we are linked together be
cause of race prejudice, Negroes are
so disloyal to each other, SO enyious,
so cursed with stupidity and so
damned by obsequious seryility to
whites that they persist in dis
crediting each other as If only over
the fallen bodies of their brothers can
they go on to success. We are no.
the wisest people on earth, but we
know too we'll what our environment
is to do this. Down in our hearts we
know we malign, misrepresent an
injure our brothers for the satisfac-
ton it gives our meaner natures.
Neither love of justice, nor any other
good motives actuate us. Slavery
left its impress upon us in the child
like dependence we exhibit; it de
bauched us by destroying family ties
and substituting the children of pas
sion for the offspring of love; it i'm
poyerished us by taking our labor
without recompense; but in nothing
cid it do us such grievous injury as
it did when it set up within on.
hearts the suspicion and envy which
down to this day lead us to destroy
each other, even If in so doing we
wreck our own fortunes.
In business, in church, in lodges,
IN politics-it is the same. Worst O..
all, we are not content with the evil
we devise ourselves against each
other, but eagerly lend ourselves to
any plans which white people make
for our undoing. BLACK SOLDIERS
FOUGHT FOR THE CONFEDEh
ACY! NOW, FIFTY YEARS AFTER,
BLACK MEN ARE THE INFORM
ERS, THE TRAITORS AND THE
SOPHISTS WHO VIE WITT
WHITES IN THEIR ZEAL TO DE
STROY US. Not day passes with
out its illustration of this thrice
damned activity.
For instance, Negroes and Negro
papers have We'd with whites in their
insinuations against Booker 7. Wash
ington because of the Ulrich incluent
They disregard entirely his previous
blameless life, neither does his greaj
usefulness save him one whit. He Is
Negro, and since he is getting VI
in the world the whole pack of mon
grel towards pile on him to pull hin
down. At the same time they crinSe
in sychophantic alteration before
white men whose moral obliquities
are proven, and not presumed.
1t is Negroes and Negro papers
that lead off in fulsome prase o.
white business and professional men
saying of them what may be true
but which inevitably is taken tC
mean, and what is intended to mean
that they are to be preferred before
the men of our own race who com
pete with them. How different is the
attitude of white people and papers
is shown clearly in the unanimity
with which the action of the Denver
Chamber of Commerce was endorsed
in resembling it's vote on the member
ship of a Negro.
Where Dr. Westbrook has docu
ments to prove that he was solicited
10 join the chamber, not once but
three times, and where he can fur
ther prove that he was accepted in
the manner all other applicants were
accepted, which action was afterward
rescinded, the white press, with one
accord, put the burden of initiative
on the applicant, ignored the accept
ance and chronicled only the final re
fusal They even added a faxed
history of refusal of the same appli
cant some years ago When white
papers feel the demands upon them
tor loyalty to their own people sc
keeh1y that they will publish false
hoods to make their side of a case
stronger, what shall we say of Ne
groes and Negro papers that do what
they can to make their lies the more
widely known? Shame can never
mantle the cheek or sadden the heart
of one so craven, so cowardly, so dis
loyal!
This sort of treachery makes Judas
seem like a saint by comparison. He
received thirty pieces of silver fol
his betrayal, while they expect moth
ing.
1t takes real manhood for Negro
to maintain self-esteem with all white
America scorning him. 1t takes 8
high degree of moral courage to re
sist the prosecutions which we must
undergo daily, the deliberate accusa
ton of everything bad and denial OF
everything good. Therefore it is toe
much when a lot of inconsiderate Ne.
groes join in condemning him when
possibly he is guilty of no wrong do
ing, or for them to deny him just re.
ward for merit.
Somehow a new spirit must be ere.
ated in the race whereby it will feel
hurt when one of us is injured and
we will all rejoice in the success of
one. The toadies and the bootlickers,
with their servile alteration of all
things white, make us seem less