Iowa state bystander. [volume] (Des Moines, Iowa) 1894-1916, 1911-09-08
Z thief, and ordinary liar, despoiler


Ing by that means to develop his real
sentiments. He turned on me with
much feeling. and began defense OF
the colored man such as have rare
ly heard. Being familiar with the GUS,
tomary jargon OF the racial hater, I
insisted that the race was base,
vicious, inferior. and every epithet I
could summon, but he taking me seri-
ously protested against such abuse
and told me In detail all about the
Tuskegee school, It's worth to the
county, how prosperous the colored
people are, and really gave me much
valuable information which could
not have otherwise gotten. We part
ed, he never learning who was. nor
Of my purpose Of stealing the march
on him. / had a fair chance Of row
with him on the subject in his man
~ defense OF the colorad people. The
moral Of It all was that the worthy
negro compels respect and protection.
Just conditions like these will bring
the negro into his own. II there Is an
exception to this rue. 1 have not
found 1t. II the colored people Of
one section can do this, 1t can be done
In the thousands OF others. The light
is breaking, and the negro Is solving
the problem made BY the white man.
AS time goes on, there will be white
friends who with growing boldness
will proclaim these things from the
housetops, and reaction favorable
to the negro Is as sure as the coming
of the darkness Of the night.
The negro must cease to crouch
and to crawl He must quietly and
without show vindicate his right to
live and to prosper, and the friends
will come from the best whites who
will come into control Of this country.
write as white man who believes
in the negro. know him, have made
him study for years, and especially
during recent years, have labored for
him In ways In which he could not
for himself, and expect to continue to
do so, as God gives me opportunity.
am not writing in q patronizing way.
but of genuine man for whom
Christ died, my brother in black, and
wish to say that there are two
things to which the colored man must
cling, and these are he must hold fast
to nature and to God. He must stick
to the soil. own the soil, and cling
close to God. Every people that has
done this has become great, and am
among those who believe that the
negro has great future. But must
not be betrayed into giving the rea-
son why think So Gods hand 10 In
the history of the negro, and Gods
hand Is guiding that mighty people.
There ID however one apprehension
and that am frank enough to state,
and that is the recklessness Of many
thousands Of negroes concerning the
laws Of health. On the upper levels
OF the race, these are generally OBJ
served, but among the masses, these
are often neglected, and the back
bone Of the race is giving way under
the sway Of such negligence. Good
health cannot be preserved, nor
morals either, where mean whisky is
drunk, patent medicines are indis-
criminately used, morphine and co
caine are taken houses are unventi.
lated, surroundings are unclean, un-
wholesome food is eaten, and vicious
indulgence Is practised. A pig pen
near country dwelling is a breeder
Of untold diseases. Nor Is this the
only nuisance to which homes are
exposed alike in the country and the
crowded haunts OF the cities. am
In position to know that the negroes
on the lower levels Of life are dying
at an alarming rate throughout the
south. The morality among the in
fants OF this class is terrible, due to
many causes for which the parents
are responsible. While on the upper
levels the negro Is advancing with as
tonishing rapidity, on the lower
planes. he is dying at rapid rate.
This is not 30 clear to any as to
those who have studied conditions,
and know whereof they speak.
As q friend Of the colored people,
! wish l might reach the ear of every
one and din these things in it. till
they were needed. MY contention Is
an equality Of opportunity to every
man. The negro asks for nothing
more He wants a square deal, and
must have 1t. To him the gateways
Of appeal and means OF redress are
closed. But there are those who can
be heard in his behalf and will be.
The struggle in his behalf must be
shifted from the negro himself to the
whites. They must take up his
cause, bearing on all that pertains
to life and liberty, and they are do
ing 1t, and will do more and more.
But the negro must do his share. He
can in the way imperfectly outlined
In that which have already said.
He asks not to be made dependable
creature, not ward but merely to
have the way cleared for him. He
asks not that fish he given him, but
flsh-hook. That must come, and
will come. Then II he fails, the fault
will be his. For that reason, ] write
with the Utmost candor about his re-
spect for his self-preservation.
But my article has already grown
too long, and must cease. MY heart
10 full Of this subject, and while l
could write much more, wisdom ad.
monishes me to close. I have not
written for popularity, but for the
good Of the colored people, All may
not agree with all that have writ
ten, but have jotted down the ra-
a,,l4a ~ inuasfi rAfiOn and study md