The Nashville globe. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1906-193?, 1911-09-15

We have no doubt as to what the
result in this election will be, but
we merely call attention to few
things that have happened in the
past that the Negroes of Nashville
may not be led astray nor frightened
with threats by those people who are
trying to make us believe that we are
on the verge of a great calamity.
Losing Our Business Grip.
1t is a sad omen to see so many
Negro business men selling out their
enterprises to white men. In the last
three months, we have had three con-
Germs to change hands in this man
ner, Two of these were sold outright,
and in the other case the business
was turned over to a white concern
to do the work while the Negro
merely keeps an office. The white
people get all the money for labor
and percentage of the net earnings.
This shows that a screw is loose
somewhere. Many arguments might be
made as to the causes that led up
to these changes, but no argument
can refute the fact that these changes
have ben made. 1t is not reasonable
to believe that if these men had been
meeting with success they would
have been made. 1t is not reasonable
none of them have made a fortune
uron which they can retire.
There ought to be some remedy for
this, and there could be. The first,
essential to success in business is in
the man having knowledge of what
he is trying to do; then having it we'll
settled in his mind that he is going
to succeed in that one line of bust
ness. 1t is not necessarily required
that man open a big business to
succeed. He can have as great sue
cess with a peanut stand as he can
with bank, and will be looked upon
in the commercial world with the
same respect and confidence. The
biggest concerns are not those always
that are making the greatest success.
In truth, there is greater danger in
handling big enterprises than there
is in handling small ones, but the
men who are conducting a business
on small scale do need to be en-
couraged, and to understand that if
the proper methods are adopted in
small matter, it can be developed into
one of great proportions. Starting
with a glare of trumpets and big
mass-meeting is one of the first signs
of mans inability to do business.
The people do not owe any man
their patronage. When they have a
dollar to spend, it is their privilege
to spend that dollar wherever they
please.
Another thing the man in business
should look out for, is to keep pace
with the rapid strides of the CONNER
cial world, and to see to it that he
gives as good service as his competi-
tors. These things are necessary, if
one would succeed
Coming more specifically to our
subject, we wish to call the attention
of our men to one thing No man
succeeds in business who does not
continue in that business for at least
twenty-five years. In fact, no bust
ness is well established in less time
When a man establishes a business,
he should have in mind first of all
things, his posterity. He should re-
member that as he succeeds in his
line, so will his children succeed in
whatever line they pursue; for of all
places in the world, when the boy is
young, he likes to go to his fathers
shop, and while there, though in ten
der years, he makes a careful study
of the surroundings. If it is inviting,
he will continue to visit that place
as the years go by. The reverse side
Of this question needs no discussion,
for no boy will spend many hours
around clap-trap shop of any
kind. Another reason why our Ne