Iowa state bystander. [volume] (Des Moines, Iowa) 1894-1916, 1911-09-22

; | greSSlvnesS winch ~ tuc WosSnWoAA
this age. Every one can look thing
are in a hustle. As / lit, II Bole!
makes good it will demonstrate tn
fact chat the Negro is capable of self
government, ard it will be q stronf
evidence Of how the long talked OF Ne
gro problem can be solved. Everything
in Boley is conducted by Negroes, from
mayor to dog catcher. The depot agent
and telegraph operator. hotel manag'
ers, livery stables, banks. real estate
agents, lawyers, doctors. restaurant
keepers, dry good stores, hardware
merchants and everything is under the
direc ton of the Negro; even the tele'
phone operators and stenographers are
all Negro girls and women. No sane
person can visit Boley without being
favorably impressed with the present
condition and hopeful Of the future out
look. / saw only one or two unfavor-
able things while in Boley, but they
were of minor notice, as there were 80
many good things to consider. After
viewing the many things of industry of
that little enterprising city of which |
had heard, exclaimed in my mind,
the saying of that great woman when
she had visited that great temple OF
Solomon, 1.-The half had not been told
me-"
CLEARvIEw, OKLAHOMA.
/ next visited Clearview, another Ne
gro town, though much smaller than
Boley, yet, however, it seemed to have
the Same spirit of progress. The sur
roundings are of such as to warrant
splendid locality. All that place needs
is men of means to establish business
enterprises. met Mr.. ]. E. ThoMp-
son, the wealthiest colored man in that
section, own nine hundred acres OF fine
farming land. having seven hundred
acres in cultivation. He owns and OPP
crates the only newspaper in that Sec
ton. He seems not too busy to take
one around and show him the country
especially if he is looking for location.
Either Boley or Clearview is a desirable
place to locate. In my judgment Clear
view hangs out the better inducement
to those Of small means, both being in
Ofuskee county. l say this because all
have not means to purchase in Boley,
where property is high.
RACE DIFFERENCE.
found the race question very strong
out in that section as is in all sections
of this great commonwealth, yet this
should not be hindrance, for matter
of fact this difference is here, and it
takes time to eradicate its Out West,
especially in Ofuskee county there
seems to be desperate struggle for
supremacy in possession of that county
between the two races. The whites
have been endeavoring to keep
colored from purchasing, or leas-
ing or renting lands in certain districts,
and have organized to that effect, but
by some hook or crook the secret creep
ed out, and it put new life in the Ne
groes and the watchword now is, buy
land and men are in every direction try
ing to lease or rent.
The truth of the matter is, Ofuskee
county is republican politically, but
when che Grandfather Clause" went
into effect, it debarred the Negro from
voting and the county as we'll as the
state went democratic. Since then, the
Supreme Court declared the "Grand-
father Clause" unconstitutional hence
the return Of the Negro to his rights of
franchise as an American citizen. The
democrats use means to discourage the
black man that democracy may hold the
reign of control, and to my mind this
one object, is to discourage Negro emf
grafton into that county that that coun-
ty and state may remain in the ranks
of democracy, but in my judgment, too
late, especially Ofuskee county.
POLITICS.
don't care to drift into politics, but
/ wish to say word respecting the po-
litical situation as l see it, especially
to my many friends in the grand old
state of Iowa, who have had in mind to
vote for the reign of democracy, social
ism or any other new, issues. If you
were in possession of facts as they ex-
ist in that section and other sections of
the South relative to the political situa-
ton Of the Negro, you would discard
the idea Of voting with or for any par
ty whose aim or object is to disrecog-
nize the Negro as an American citizen
endeavoring to blacken his record by
resorting to that hellish and damnable
unwritten law of mob violence, lynch
ing and burning Of human beings at the
stake. May God forbid that any Negro
within the bounds of this great COM
motwealth vote with such 4 party.
Respectfully,
g.. ,...... IS C. w. RODGERS
Senator Foraker's Political
10 NJ, Omen Rnnk