Iowa state bystander. [volume] (Des Moines, Iowa) 1894-1916, 1911-12-01
HUNTING THE MAN
FARTAEs1 DOWN

On the goth OF August, 1910. I
sailed from New York city for London,
England. had been given leay OF
absence OF two months from my work
at Tuskegee, on condition that would
spend that time in some way that
would give me recreation and rest.
AT one time 1t occurred to me that
should like to spend my vacation in
the West Indies, looking into the con-
dition OF the portion of my race in
that part of the world. After consid-
ering the matter. however, l finally
came to the conclusion that could,
perhaps, learn more In Europe than
anywhere else about the problems In
which am particularly interested. l
concluded that In Europe would be
able to get an outside view, so to
speak, OF my own country and by MAX
Ing comparison with what was able
to see there, with what knew of con-
ditions at home, should be able to
get clearer and more comprehensive
view of the situation of my own PEG.
pie In America than I could In any
other way.
Having settled upon Europe as the
place to take my vacation, determin-
ed to carry out a plan l had long had
IN mind of making myself acquainted
with the condition of the poorer and
working classes In Europe. particular
ly IN those regions from which an ever
increasing number of immigrants are
coming to our country each year.
The best way to get acquainted with
an individual, or with people. accord
Ing to my experience, is to visit them
at their work and in their homes, and
In this way find out what is back of
them.
So It was that determined to make
use OF my stay in Europe to visit the
people in their homes, to talk with
them at their work and to find out
everything could.
was curious, for one thing, to
learn why 1t was that 80 many Of
these European people were leaving
the countries In which they We're born
and reared, in order to seek their for
tunes in new country and among
strangers In distant part Of the
world
The majority of the people who
reach this country as immigrants from
Europe are, as one might expect, from
the farming regions. They are farm
laborers or tenant farmers. Further
more, there exists, as discovered, a
very definite relation between the con-
dition of agriculture and the agricul-
tural peoples In Europe and the extent
of emigration to this country. In 9th
er words, wherever in any part of
Europe found the condition OF agri-
culture and the situation of the farm
laborers at their worst, there almost
invariably found emigration at the
highest. On the other hand, wherever
visited q part Of the country where
emigration had, In recent years de-
creased, there quite as invariably
AONAAu AA0Ik In0 oltudS1OA Va ku0 AoA
ION the soil had improved.
What Interested me still more was
the fact that this Improvement had
been, to very large extent, brought
about through the influence Of schools.
Agricultural education has stimulated
an intensive culture Of the soil; this
in turn has helped to multiply the
number of small landowners and slim
ulate the organization of agriculture;
the resulting prosperity has made
itself felt not only in the country. but
also in the cities.
Another matter in regard to which
I hope to get some f1rst-hand informa-
ton during my stay abroad was what
l may call the European. as distin-
guished from the American. race prob
lem. knew that In the south of Eu-
rope, number of races OF widely diff
ferent origin and characteristics had
been thrown together in close contact
and in large numbers. suspected
that in this whirlpool OF contending
races and classes should find prob
lems-race problems and educational
problems different to be sure, but
quite as complicated, difficult and in
teresting as in our own country.
There was another thing that made
the trip ! had outlined peculiarly at
tractive to me. II believed that /
would find in some parts OF Europe.
peoples who In respect to education.
opportunity and civilization generally.
we're much nearer the level Of the
masses Of the negro people in the
south than ! was likely to find any
where in America, / believed, also,
that II went far enough and deep
enough, should find even IN Europe
great numbers Of people, who in their
homes, In their labor and in their
manner Of living. were little. II any,
in advance Of the negroes In the
southern states. wanted to study at
first hand, as far as I was able, the
methods which European nations were
using to uplift the masses Of the peo-
pie who are at the bottom In the scale
OF civilization. ls ..#
One Of the first things learned in
Europe was the difficulty Of mea1tng
the ordinary man and seeing and get
ting acquainted with the matters Of
everyday life. I soon discovered that
the most difhcult things to see are not
the sights that every one goes to look
- - II nru rH1n III ho<