Iowa state bystander. [volume] (Des Moines, Iowa) 1894-1916, 1911-12-08
URGES FRIENDLY REL ATOMS
BETWEEN WHITE AND BLACK

1 80
\, JUDGE ". Il. HAMMOND DELIVERS
STRONG Address TO Ne.
oRoEs AT ATLANTA.
Pleading for friendly relations be
tween the races, Judge w. r. Ham
mond delivered strong and interest
Ing address at the educational mass
meeting held at the Central Avenue
theater In the interest Of negro educa.
ton In the south. ~
His speech in full follows:
ITO any thoughtful mind. 1t goes
without saying, and is evident without
argument or insistence, that the well
fare Of both races in this country. and
especially in the south, Is absolutely
dependent upon the frien dliness and
cordially existing between them. The
growth and development Of the organ
ism which we call human society de-
velops and expends certain amount
of force; and whether the best results
are obtained depends on whether this
force Is all utilized for constructive
purposes, or whether part of 1t. or
all of It, for that matter, is destructive
in Its operation. II q part of 1t only
Is constructive, and another part tends
In the direction Of disintegration and
anarchy, then the resultant effect may
be upward or downward, forward of
backward, according to the predomi-
nance Of the constructive or destruc-
tive elements. If there are warning
elements, energy is absorbed in the
conduct Of the warfare, and the or
ganic body of society suffers because
of the lack of the harmonious CO.
operation that is necessary to its
growth and development.
1T follows, then, that the true
phifanthroptst must seek to reconcile
warning and discordant elements, and
bring all into harmonious cooperation
for the general good Labor must
cease to war against capital, and CAPT
tai must learn to have due regard for
the rights OF the laboring man. Every
class and element must learn to re-
spect every other. and all must obey
the golden rule. In this way can
civilization accomplish it's best and
most substantial advance, and in no
other way is such an advance possible
of attainment
THE negro is part of the south's
civilization His organic life is bound
UP with that of the white man in ties
that are indlssoluble. Fanatical utter
ances to the contrary notwithstand-
ing, his elimination from the social
organism Of the south is not possible
All wise men will dismiss the thought,
and seek some other solution of the
race problem. The white man cannot
kill him because he will not submit
quietly to the operation. Neither can
he transport him because it Is too ex-
pensive. And these are the only two
ways by which he can be eliminated
So 1t Is perfectly evident to any sane
mind that he must stay here. and
continue for all time to be a vital
RebA u Odl SAtlllLdllOA 49,
The question of how he came here
Is not at all important; but the ques-
ton of what to do with him, seeing
that he is here, Is vital. But it may
not be amiss to say that we recognize
the hand OF an overruling providence
in the great fact Of his presence in
the midst Of the white mans civiliza-
ton. An overruling providence is one
which overrules the evil designs Of
evil men, and turns them to good ac-
count. Who can name great battle
in the worlds history that hasn't
been overruled and turned to good
account; and yet these battles were
the direct outcome Of the evil and
malignant passions Of men. So, the
evil passions and sordid cupidity of
the slave dealers. who captured these
black men and brought them to our
shores and sold them to our ancestors,
have been overruled by a higher
power, and the great great-grandchil-
dren Of these innocent people have
become the wards OF the American
nation, and we are responsible to
them for the faithful and conscien-
tious execution of this high and i'm
portant trust. Blatant demagogy may
seek to obscure this truth, and try to
make the people Of the south to feel
that thew are under no obligation to
the negro; but true men will recog-
nize it, and will not refuse to set
themselves steadily and efficiently to
the task Of helping him to work out
his salvation and elevate himself to
4 higher plane Of civilization. &.s .@
"The inherent forces in the bosom
Of the white race, which are capable
Of being utilized for the advance of
civilization, will be perceptibly d.
verted and diminished II the white
man harbors a feeling Of antipathy.
toward the, negro, and INDUCES in
acrimonious controversy with him.
What he ought to do is to indulge
himself in the feeling that be must
look for good in the countenance of
his black brother. II he looks for It
he will find It, for 1t is there. A
kindly glance will reveal It. when a
scontemptuous attitude, or a naughty
Indifference will effectually obscure
It. Let the white men seek, by a
recognition Of the many good quail
tiles and characteristios OF the negro,
to encourage him to develop those
qualities and characteristics, Nothing
develops character more effectualfy
than a recognition and appreciation
OF the good that is in the other man;
while q constant, cynical search for
the had and an ,1tfor srnfnooI ~ ~.