Iowa state bystander. [volume] (Des Moines, Iowa) 1894-1916, 1911-10-27

The season is upon us when the col
lege and university throw open their
doors to the young men and women Of
the race. Many are returning to de-
vote another year to knowledge, while
thousands for the first time will seek
the ways of wisdom. The educational
institutions in the south have done
more for the negro people in forty
years than educational institutions
have done for any people before In
an hundred years. AS we count the
seasons and mark the achievements of
the people since the close of the Civil
war, we marvel at the revolution,
by the books and consecrated army
OF teachers. Everywhere, in the south
the preacher and the teache- ought to-
go among the people, pick their bright
est youth and urge. them to seek a
school of training. In this way we can,
build up a leadership, not with respect
only to certain relations sought to be
established, but particularly with re-
spect to. scholarship. to science. to art
and to the professions. sight must
not be lost Of the preparation the
great mass OF people ought to have In
the trades. II agriculture. particularly
agriculture, and the. household econ
omy.
To: us 1t is encouraging to note that
much Of the silly debating that got into
the life or the race ten or fifteen
years ago about education, its need
and kind, has passed out. What the
negro needs is education; the kind
he needs no man can establish. Booker
Washington was never wiser than In
his refusal to set metes and bounds
for the training Of colored men and
women. His opinion is our opinion
and the accepted rule of all who study
with serious mind the situation IN
, the south.
What is education? AS many an
swers to this riddle as there are phil
osophers in the council we have had.
But It Is safe to say that education.
whether the spirit or method OF It,
gives the power to see two stars
where we saw only one before. and
makes two hollis of cotton to grow
where only one grew before. Educa-
ton, they tell us, means service. and
he is not educated who does not serve
his fellowman. That Is true. but edu-
catica means also individual emancipa-
ton. not only out OF selfishness, but
also out Of poverty. It Is poor educa-
ton that gives the man or the woman
no power to lift himself up. Cclored
people can afford to disregard the
warning IDEAS and op:n ,ons regarding
education and insist upon inc children
getting hold OF useful knowledge. that
lbs, knUw1e1ge rnat wiiit help ns al for
ward to a wider life: and to a higher
place in the higher life OF the co,In-
TRY. Any education that does this Is
1.-THE proper education. The education
that does not do this Is no education at
all. Editorial: New York Age. y.
Governor Northen In a recent ad-
dress before the Evangelical Minister
Hal union Of Atlanta holds that religion
lis the only remaining SUFFICIENT solu-
ton Of the negro problem. This seems
strange when one looks at It from the
inegro's standpoint. It would seem
that the real problem Is not Of the
negro's making but Is a by-product Of
white prejudice. II religion is the
solution then whose religion? The
NEGRO has religion enough to spare and
the evidences OF his passive submis.
sion are written on every page OF his
contact with white people. Clearly
1.-The governor means that the religion
Of the white people Is. detective insofar
as 1t pertains to according the negro
those rights and privileges which are
guaranteed BY the fundamental law Of
| the land. We are at one with the
governor that only religion can cure
the evil. but how can we get at the
people with this pure and undeflled
[-brand of religion. True It is in the
Bible, but the people have become 50
accustomed to, having their thoughts
made for them that possibly they
would not understand such raw truth
even though 1t should be found In the
Bible. It is plainly UP to the white
preacher to do some real plain talk to
their congregations concerning the
teachings Of the Bible along this line.
When brought to a test can enc really
depend upon the preacher to say the
plain truth about the teachings ef the
Bible on the race question? We rather
think not. The preacher prefers
passages which are not discordant
with the sympathies and prejudices Of
his hearers and really there Is more
solid dollars In that kind Of preaching
tnan any other. Why blame the poor
preacher for being human? He is not
really able to be martyr.
Love ye one another" The elias
ticity OF this friendly relation has
been stretched to such an extent that
lit has been broken In two distinctive
parts. The stronger end Is alive and
energetic and It preys upin the weak
end most terrifcly. It's common
occurrence to some Of our leading
preachers, teachers and business men
preaching and trying to impress the
man that Is not a professional one or
IN business. But he with all his in
fluence, wealth. ETC., will turn his
hand from one Of the brothers Of the
weaker end. when he Is in neets YET
he has EXCEPTIONALLY received his
wealth from him. Treat your brother
as yourself. II you Will not help him
u let him alone. Don't pull him down..
Palestine Plaindealer. .{