Iowa state bystander. [volume] (Des Moines, Iowa) 1894-1916, 1911-10-06

4 N -
minded OF little story they tell about
the elephant and the partridge nest. II
is said an elephant was out grazing
one day and az he walked about IN |
the tall grass he came upon nest OF |
young cartridges. inadvertently he
stepped upon and crushed the mother
bird. The story goes that when the
elephant saw the mother bird was
dead. and that there was no one to
take her place, he became very sorry
and In pity looked down npon the
dead bird and said: Poor thing;
have killed you; | didn't mean to do
It; and poor little orphan birds with
out any mother. ] am so sorry for you.
Now that your mother Is dead you
will have no one to brood you. to
nestle you under her wings; no one to
feed you and teach you the shrill
sweet notes of your kind. ! really feel
sorry for you, poor little orphan birds,
and even II you have no mother to sit
on you, will take her place. Will
sit on you, little birds, ] will sit on
YOU"
cant believe that that kind OF
help did those birds any good. What
those birds wanted was help from
birds like themselves. And what the
negro wants, in constantly increas-
ing degree, Is the help OF his own
kind. don't care how much inspira-
ton comes to us from other sources,
self.help, self-relinnce and strength
must come to US from seeing what our
own people are doing and what they
caa do.
And now, then. In conclusion, want
| to do what one OF my friends asked
me to do by way OF illustration.
refer to R. L. Smith Of Texas. ! have
used this Illustration hundred times
to show our people the wonderful
power Of united effort and how little
| money is required to make a great
race rich. It illustrates just what CO.
operation along race lines in business
is going to do for US, even though we
do not control the great money mar
kets OF the world. Let me show you
how the members Of our race can use
| their money for their own best benefit
and at the same time help and inspire
other business enterprises possibly
| producing negro millionaires within
a very short time.
| Now here. for instance, are three
men-Doctor Washington, Hon. J. e.
Napier and myself-these three men
representing the whole negro race
4 (for the sake OF illustration) SO far as
Interchange Of values is concerned.
Now owe Doctor Washington three
dollars. THAT Is only supposit!on
however.) Doctor Washington owes
Mr.. Napier three dollars, and MT. Ma
pier owes me three dollars. q am
sorry that is not reality.) Remember
4 there are nine dollars owing in that
i debt, three parties Involved. and let uf
/ say that there Is only one dollar In
the crowd and have that dollar
/ (which is a pretty big suppositton)
4 Only one dollar in circulation. Being
anxious to pay my debt to Doctor
Washington. / go to him like an hon
est man and give him that one dollar
on account: that leaves two dollars
which still owe him. Then Doctor
washington hands the dollar over tt
4 Mr.. Napier an account, leaving tws
dollars left on his iad6hts dness to MT
NapisWSa. III
shouI; ~. Then Mr.. Napier comes
and pays me one dollar on accoun
leaving balance due me from M
? Napier OF two dollars.
Now take that same dollar and 6
to Doctor Washington and say I
him: Here is another dollar Of til
two dollars balance I owe you; thi
leaves only one dollar owe you now.
( Doctor Washington goes to Mr.. Maple
!. and likewise cancels another dollar {
: his indebtedness, leaving one dolls
! still due. Mr. Napier gladly comes t
: me and hands that dollar over to m
! leaving balance due by him to me {
: only one dollar. Now, as the matte
: stands, l owe Doctor Washington on
dollar, Doctor Washington owes M
!. Napier one dollar, and Mr.. Maple
owes me one dollar. Now with tia
last dollar Mr.. Napier gave me ! pa
of my entire Indebtedness to Docto
Washington, who in turn cancels hi
Indebtedness to Mr.. Napier, and Nj
! Napier comes to me like good finaY
I cier that he Isl and squares up his er
! tire debt with that dollar.
So you see there has been nine do
lars worth Of debts paid with that on
: dollar. How was it done? Simply b.
keeping that dollar travelling in
> circle as 1t ought to do among mem
bers Of our race. Suppose, instead o
taking that dollar to Doctor Washing
| ton, / had handed 1t to man outsid,
, the circle, one who had no interest Ii
the circle, my debt would not hay,
been paid until | found another dollar
and likewise the debts OF others woult
| have still remained outstanding, bu
see what you can accom- plish when yol
keep your dollars in proper circula
ton!
Now you put the negro grocer II
] that circle. and the negro shoemaker
and the negro furniture dealer. tn,
negro dry goods merchant, the negro
seamstress, the negro doctor put al
: the business enterprises that humanity
and civilization require in that circle
and keep a little money circulating
4 therein, and tell you that every time
dollar goes around 1t will lit each
one Of you dollar out Of debt.
l heartily congratulate you upon
your strong and growing organization
and bid you Godspeed in the good
work which you are doing Long may
the Business league live and prosper
/ ana may IT. continue, IN an eyer-in
creasing degree, to perform it's high