Franklin's paper the statesman., 1911-05-06
Back to the Farm

The time has come when the Negro
in America is maintaining his compe-
tition in the world of labor and OF
trade at the cost of greater and great
er energy. So long as the dominant
race could delude itself with belief
in our inherent inferiority, it paid us
little attention; but now that it real
ICES our possibilities, it is paying us
the compliment of active opposition
to our further advance. Through
schooling and apprenticeship we are
preparing ourselves for classes of
work different from that of the older
generation.
Yet the truth must be recognized
that we are meeting opposition in
finding employment in these new lines
and in fact are being eliminated in
trades we have always had. The BAR
ber, the waiter, the janitor, the labor
er, all have cause now to feel the COM
petition of white men, and this loss
has not yet been compensated Tor.
Only a few days ago here in Denver
one of the sky scraper managers, al
ter promising the head janitorship
and janitors to the race, retracted
and employed white. A bank allied
with the same interests has elimlnat-
ed several of it's colored help. Col
ored domestics are now Sharlng WITH
foreign and even American women
the work in the home. Wages Tor
white railway employees are pelns
raised to correspond with the IN
creased cost of living, but colored are
eking out an existence on the same
wage scale as has always prevailed
and that, too, with the travelling pub
stances of our elimination might be
indefinitely multiplied. Yet none Is
so hopeful as to see increased oppor-
tunity sufficient to Offset them.
The wage Garner is the support OF
the business and professional man.
II is therefore no remedy of this con-
dition to urge more business enter
prises, nor better patronage OF such
as we have. Our task is to give 10
the mass of our people better living
If they could be accepted in the trades
according to their skill, it would ne
sufficient to give them better training
in schools or shops. But since color
is a bar to employment, regardless OF
skill. we must go further. 10 oul
mind. it is written on the stars that
the Negro must go back to the farm.
II and it alone offers us living under
such circumstances that color does
NOT count. 1t is true that the Negro
farmer is subject to murderous at
tacks, such as are common IN the
south. but the cities have shown us
spirit just as unkind and UNJUST COL
ored farmers have been evicted from
their farms by whitecaps and UNJUST
administration of the law, but SO nave
their city brethren. There is not
single undesirable feature OF country
life which arises from prejudice, Dut
that has its counterpart in the CITY.
But the country has this advantage,
that the product of the black mans Ia
Dor is not tainted and is received in
the worlds market in competition
with any mans Not so with the col
ored mans labor in the city. Not only
is it discounted by whites, but by even
the race itself
The race has come to realize that
it must be sharers in the land and is
assiduously buying city property. This
is a most commendable effort, but
lacks the assurance of a steady in
come for the owner. The same in
vestment in farm land creates oppor-
tunity 1t makes employment. 1t
sweeps aside all middlemen between
the Negro worker and the position. He
is his own boss, with the absolute as
surance that his labor will be pro-
ductive when intelligently applied.
The city Negro lives his life in rent
ed house and is buried with little or
no estate. Mayhap he owns house
which he leaves to shelter his family,
but they must still battle for bread.
In one case in a thousand he saves
money enough TO leave a competence.
The 5000 which will make first
payment on city home will secure
government homestead of $50 or 32O
acres, put a cabin on it and set the
farmers feet on the high road to in
dependence, with the same expendi-
ture of labor and brains he now
makes for the profit of his city en-
ployer.
There is now a strong agitation for
the national government to relinquish
10 the states the public domain. That
will mean that land which under pres
ent conditions costs about $500 per
acre. payable in installments. will cost
5000. The Negro must wake up
now. He must repair his failing for
tunes. He must see that the sands
in the hour glass of his opportunity
are running low. He must stop the
folly of clinging to the husks of pleas
ure in the city before he starves.
Especially do we commend this art
icle to the women, for thanks be to
God. cur women have the foresight to
see what should be done. and they
Will do it. They are credit to us
end would be to any race. Let the
women say that the families can do
as well on the farm RS in the city.