Iowa state bystander. [volume] (Des Moines, Iowa) 1894-1916, 1911-12-29
The SALVATION OF
THE COLOREO MAN
IS IN THE SOUTH

NE OUlUnEU MAN
IS IN THE SOUTH
The colored people OF the south are
living In the midst OF their friends.
This Is q point blank statement. and
It can be backed up by facts, not so
much in words. but in the very uispo-
sition OF the colored people to remain
In the south, those who are doing well
and do not run to the north. Compe-
tition is SO great In the north that 1t
freezes out those that really don't I'M
derstand the underground methods
that are being carried on there. Not
withstanding the great opportunities
and advantages that the colored peo-
pie have In the south many Of the
well-to-do ones among them pick up
bag and baggage and 60 elsewhere
among theoretic friends In the north.
east or west. Fifty per cent. OF the,
colored people in the south today
have been to some other section of
the country to live. Many OF them
have stayed in these parts as long as
one or two years and some even
longer. They have gone to these
parts with capital and with the inten-
ton of investing their capital and To-
eating permanently. Some have gone
to attend the various universities and
colleges and others to seek employ
ment. We are free to 60 away If we
so desire. but the fact is that IS per
cent. of those who 60 away from the
south. either to the north, east, or
west. return; they return with all
they have and die and are buried here.
Is the climate so rigid away from
the south that colored people cannot
stand it? Is employment so scarce
that the people cannot ind anything
to do? Are colored people so few in
these other sections that the southern
colored people cannot find any associ-
ates? Do the whites OF the north.
east or west drive the southern col
ored people away? Then why do
these folk almost invariably return
home to the south? There are SO
many ways to account for this home
returning. but what cannot be lightly
put aside Is, that among the many rea-
sons for the return OF the colored
people to the southland is, that in the
communities where they once lived
they can always count on getting a
hearing and employment from the
white people among whom they have
lived. Where there have been rela-
lions Of personal nature between a
white man and colored man and the
two know each other well. 1t has been
demonstT time and again that that
coiored man can get assistance from
that white man when q member Of his
own race Will refuse him. Then. too,
a colored man will go to white man
before he will to member OF his
own race. the exceptional cases not
withdrawing. The individual cases
that are known point to thousands of
other cases In which are concealed in
bosom confidence and which bespeak
In deeper measure the genuine
friendship that exists between the one
man and the other In the south H
With the present form Of sentiment
well founded In the south toward the
colored man, his white friend con-
serves to the good OF both, through
condolences well guarded With all
one may say about the cordial rela-
tons existing between the races in
other sections Of the country. this
one thing Is true, nowhere else in this
country are the races required to
meet each other day after day, face
to face. In the offices. homes. shops
and other thoroughfares in anything
like the numbers. as In the south; and
this Is one manner in which the test
may be applied for the necessity OF
race friction.
4 There is less race friction in
Charleston today than there is in New
York. The reason for the general
freedom from an every day occur
renee Of race trouble in the south to-
day. is the deep rooted friendship
that the individual white man feels
toward the individual colored man
and vice versa. This is a view OF
the situation from mere glance and
without taking up long line OF evil
dence.
1t is time that many OF US who talk
about the north and its many superior
advantages for the c0lored people
wake up to the truth Of this question.
The only salvation Of the colored man
today liz In the south. The times
are Hike those days Of old Pharoah.
the Egyptian king, who held the Chill
dren Of Israel In bondage. The Israel
ties wanted to go away Of their own
accord, but had to wait until Gods
appointed time, They stayed in the
wilderness and worked out their own
salvation. under good leadership and
constant devotion to God, the real
friend Of all man kind
At any rate, the man who thinks
that 1t is better for him In the north,
ought to 90 there and stay, there we
viii have q reason to believe ne is
sincere "A. B. Polite. IN Charleston
Messenger. 2
9LEME THEM ON THE PRINTER
II < x s