The Colorado statesman., 1912-06-01
LIFE CONDITIONS OF The
NEGRO IN The CITY AND
IN The COUNTRY

ing In rural districts over conditions
of living in city districts. The coun-
try districts have their charms and
their disenchantments and the city
districts have theirs. Some people
prefer the one and some the other,
but which of them is best Is a ques-
ton as old as the everlasting hills of
Jacob and as young as the last hill
thrown up by a ground-mole. In his
address at the Carnegie hall meeting
of the Men and Religion Forward
Movement DR.. Booker T. Washington
said:
80 long as the negro in the rural
districts is fed upon the old worn-out
theological dogmas, instead of getting
from the pulpit inspiration and direc-
ton in practical work of community
building, connecting religion with ev-
cry practical and progressive move
ment for the improvement of the
home and community life, so long
will he forsake the land and flee to
the city. If we would save the negro.
81 per cent of whom, as l have said.
live in the country. he must be taught
that when the Bible says: The earth
Is full Of thy riches 1t means that the
earth Is full of corn, potatoes, peas,
cotton, chickens and cows, and that
.hese riches should be gotten out by
the hand of man and turned into
beautiful church buildings and a
righteous, useful living.
When l was in London, England.
recently, 1 found that the churches
and other phllanthropic agencies of
that city were spending $4,000 an
nually. not to keep people on their
'eet and help them to make greater
progress in positive, constructive d.
rections, but to save the drunkard
The gambler, the loafer, the pauper
and the destitute after they had fallen
into the ditch. Happily the negroes
in America have not as yet fallen
INTO the ditch; and pray that, as a
result of this great forward move
ment, way may be provided,
through the negro church and Sunday
school, that the negro while 1t is yet
new. fresh and vigorous race, may,
as the old plantation hymn puts 1t,
be kept from sinking down" In the
considered, is at his best in body
mind and soul. In the city he is
usually at his worst. Plainly one of
the duties of the church is to help
keep the negro where he has the best
chance"
This view of the question is as
plainly and bluntly stated as posi-
bic; there are no frills on it; 1t is
'educed to a matter of everyday life
and the commonplace things of It,
such as better health conditions and
'ood and air and water. and the like;
things that go a long way towards
making life worth living, but by no
means Of affording it opportunities
or the higher cultivation of the mind
hat has cravings of its own indie
oendently of the cravings of the body,
which insists upon having the daily
portion of corn pone and bacon and
green's, and such other lumber as
make blood for the heart. But the
country life is a failure that does not
furnish more than this, which does
lot provide the intellectual food the
mind must have or wither. leaving
d
only the blood of foodstuffs in 1t, out
of which may come all manner of saw
age thoughts and acts that are beast
!y in the eyes of men and the law.
The farm conditions of New Eng
land and the west have been brought
70 the highest possible condition Of
acceptability as to schools and
churches and homes, with libraries
here and there. but the inducements
have not been sufficient to keep some
and daughters of farmers from desert
Ing the old home for the attractions
and advantages of city life and the
greater opportunities for making for
tunes and enjoying to the most the
cravings of the mind for refined as
sociations and entertainments impos-
sible to be had at any price In the
country districts of the best sort Nor
have those conditions, on the other
hand. been strong enough to allure
from the cities the labor required by
the farmers of New England and the
west, even at wages that make farm
Ing Improbable to the farmers when
conducted on the largest and most ex.
pensive plan. Farmers within a hun
dred miles of New York and Phila-
delphia are unable to keep their
grown children on the farm or to Sc
cure the necessary labor at fair wages
to take their places properly to con.
duct their farming operations.
Farm conditions In the southern
states are worse still, and less attrac-
tive and remunerative than In New
England and the western states. That
1t is best for the negroes that they
stick to the country districts as
laborers and buy farms of their own
as fast as they can is admitted by all
who understand the race problem at
all; but, during the past twenty years
there has been a steady movement of