Iowa state bystander. [volume] (Des Moines, Iowa) 1894-1916, 1911-11-10
IVAKE LOAfERls GO
70 WORK, ADVISE
leading negroes /: |
promjscuous Idling Breeds
Crimina|ity, Say Preachers
and Educators.

Wv VI bS''''@~'T "
and Educators.
.4,anta.-Leading negroes of the
Nv declared that the salvation OF
.ss,r people depends as much upon
~ strict enforcement Of the vagrancy
,svs as upon anything else.
a, declared that loafers ana idlers
.hould be made to 60 to work or be
M to the chain gang. where they Will
ssye to work. They are the criminals,
81 said, and by making war upon
.n.m much criminality can be checked
4 it's incipiency.
Many Of those interviewed. though
nav wish to do away with vagrancy,
s.,;sve that indiscriminate arrests
nav work harm instead OF good. These
stress the fact that to the negro
nacatur street is Just as much OF 2
natural gathering place after working
Aours as is Whitehall or Peachtree for
4. white people Fer this reason,
they say, many hard working negroes
NAV be arrested after nightfali.
charged woth loafng. when they are
4 reality enjoying relaxation after Q
hard days work.
Loafers Usually Criminal.
Rev, P. James Bryant, pastor Of the
wheat street Baptist church. colored.
which has q membership OF nearly
four thousand, said:
In her grapple with the vagrancy
ouestion at this time, Atlanta Ia deal
ins with one OF the most vital ques-
lions affecting our community we'll
being. And she Is to be congratulated
I upon the determined. and yet practi-
cal. busines-like and humane method
Il procedure. AS long % this course
i adhered to and indiscriminate ar
rests prevented, the crowds will prove
l benediction to the business enter
prises, the individuals themselves and
their families who are dependent upon
them for support.
"As q rule. q loafer Is dangerous and
criminal. He who vii not work may
steal At best, II he ID poor and fails
TO work he Is q menace to the COM
munity and q burden ON some mother.
wife, sister or other person. II not.
then he depends upon his wits for .
living.
"All loafers, regardless Of race or
saY. should be run. on OF tho streets
and. made to either work or stay in
doris, or leave the city. The honest.
moral, Christian. industrious colored
people of this community put their
stamp Of approval upon this and every
other practical and impartial enforce
ment Of law and order for the good OF
the community.
Operating 1 Night School. /.
I'VE are operating the Bryant Pre-
paratory and Industrial Night school
At 242h Auburn avenue. to encourage
and better our people for acceptable
service Of every kind. 3s I.
I'VE teach that labor 10 at Ill times
and In all places honorable. Let ~
pull together for q clean. moral, law
abiding Industrious city He who VIII
not work voluntarily should be made
to work, without fear or favor"
W. ]. Trent, secretary Of the colored
Young Mems Christian association.
who has studied problems Of the UNI
employed IN several southern states.
said
II think that II the vagrant law Is
enforced impartially much Of the
crime Of the city, Will be reduced, for
men who are busy have very little
time and less inclination to break the
law. Every able-bodied man ought to
Be employed, and II he Will not work
when reasonable wage Is offered his
place ought to be filled with man
who will. N ~ III sss "A II
We have nothing to hope for from
the worthless. wandering Willies. Our
hope for the future 10 built upon the
men and women whose industry and
thrift, whose sacrifices and prayers
have been responsible for the progress
already made. But on the other hand.
the employer can do much to help the
situation by showing that he Is deeply
Interested In the worker. as we'll as In
the work that he does. Kindness and
sympathy will 60 farther IN bringing
about Just solution than mere force"
Rev. H. Il. Proctor, pastor Of the
FIRST Congregational church. colored.
spoke at length:
i am IN sympathy with the move
ment to put every loafer ID, the city.
% s he white or BLACK. to work. re-
ierred to this in an emphatic manner
40 my sermon last Sunday night, and
as Tar as | can discover there lie not q
loafer on the rolls Of our church book.
TO work is one Of the fundamental re-
eulrements Of nur church discipline
we believe with Paul that he that
% GOES not work should not eat 10 carry
out these principles ii our city regu-
,atons would rid the city not only. OF
'oalers but also OF criminals,
We have ii our church IN employ
ment bureau, and the demand for la
oor 10 Greater than we can supply. Il
? called % the country last week.
a =, ssw hecotton failing 10 the fields.
Z S !, are sending their autonno-
ulles to the towns to bring cotton pick
sls out; and they sued them back
aome ct night notwithstanding this
!, for agricultural and domestic
= Y We see many idlers Ia the city.
: tney Will not work they should be
.,.s 70 work. They must be led,
s.olned ana sheltered. II they do not
~ tnis somebody must. Those who
s 49, become producers are merely
II sonsumners. To consume without pro-
sSsa ns. WIEN e one IL able to do so, is
sneer criminalt.y ?,s
isE \ .e.eS-sr~rs>~~ses@~