Franklin's paper the statesman., 1911-11-05
An Unreasonable Position

When The Statesman undertook to
discuss Social Equality two weeks
ago, it said among other things:
From time to time the good
sense of the American people in
dealing with the Negro problem,
suffers temporary paralysis, and
usually it will be found that from
some angle the question of so
cial Equality" has been thrust
into the discussion. When
white person is found big enough
to be just to our race, he is
solemnly warned that justice is
but the fore-runner of social
equality and that intermarriage is
the inevitable consequence"
The Denver Chamber of Commerce,
an organization which is presumed to
represent the business interests OF the
city, composed of business men who
are presumed to think clearly and dis
passionately, has refused admittance
to DR.. ]. H. P. Westbrook, one of our
physicians, because he is a Negro,
an act which is an apt Illustration OF
the mental alteration we spoke OF.
That the Chamber refused him after
first inviting him to join and accept
ing him through its board of directors,
only makes it seem the more pitiful.
The threatened resignation of twenty
persons whose southern blood could
not submit to a Negro being fellow
member of a commercial organization
was teh excuse for reconsideration
and the Doctors rejection.
dor md hn
southerner's point of view. Judge
Taney's ante-bellum decision that
Negro has mo rights which a white
man is bound to respect, has been his
abiding faith. For this the southern
er permits the wheels of commerce
to rust in his section; for this has per-
petrated every kind of injustice and
oppression with and without law; for
this he has gone into all parts of the
world as a missionary until the whole
of the United States and even Eu-
rope reflects his opinions. Believing
him to be beyond reason, we see no
good of combating his position. But
what shall we say OF the great major
ity of members of the Chamber of
Commerce who have been relatively
free of the virus of race prejudice?
is just this trait in the majority that
is the most discouraging. 1t is more
like the mob spirit in which hundreds
counterfeit the feelings and actions of
the few who lead and think.
The Chamber of Commerce need
not be reminded that it has not made
inquiry into the social life of it's men,
bers after the manner of the purely
social clubs. 1t has one Japanese
member and in the past had one Ne
gro member, who was DR.. P. E. Sprat-
lin Its professions as set forth in the
daily press are that it is for the uplift
of Denver commercially That it is
considered from that point of view is
evident in the freedom it has enjoyed
from personal aim adversions, even
when it's course in the freight rate
question, has seemed to need explain
alton. Therefore when a Negro Of
fers to do what he can to make Den
yer great, the attempt to enlarge up
on the social side of the organization
so that it outweighs the business
purpose it serves, seems to us unfair
and farfetched. 1t is true that the
Christian church which weeps might
lily over the slain Armenians and per
secuted Jews is stony-hearted and
silent when whole communities OF
Negroes are tefrrorized by armed
mobs in the United States. But
theirs is sentiment. The Cham
ber is business. What we cannot see
is how hard-headed business men can
refuse the offering, small though it
be, which the Negro makes on the
altar of business, when his gift is
attended by no conditions which can
reasonably lessen its value. We can
not see how they can permit their
organization to seem Mortified when
a Negro doctor applies, yet suffer nc
qualms of conscience at the presence
of men who have gotten their wealth
in immoral ways according to well
authenticated report.
One lay of light illuminates this
situation which otherwise would be
gloomy indeed. The evident violence
which white people do to reason, do
TO justice, do to wholesome sentiment,
in their endeavor to thrust the Negro
further down, is the best kind of evi-
dence that they fear our competition.
We have looked upon them as race
occupying a superior position, able to
help all the other races and still
maintain their lead.