The Colorado statesman., 1912-06-08
RACE IDEALS
"oLD HICKORY" COMMENTS ON
BOOK OF GEORGE w. MURRAY
OF SOUTH CAROLINA.

by ex-Congressman Geo. w. Murphy
of South Carolina. 1t bears the sub
title: Effects, Cause and Remedy for
Afro-American Troubles" The book
forms profound psychological study
of the traits, peculiarities, habits and
customs of the negro In America. In
order that this investigation into the
genesis of our troubles may be
studied by a very large number Of
people, we purpose to give a detailed
review of same, and later on crit
ical analysis of some of the authors
differences and conclusions. Our au-
thor starts out with the proposition
that in passing through two and
half centuries of training for the ben
eft of others the Afro-American de-
veloped traits and tendencies at va
rance with Natures laws, these
traits, characteristics and tendencies
being classed rs a disease. In order
to establish the truth of this propo-
sition, that the negro has traits and
dispositions at variance with Natures
laws, the writer compares the negro
now In secondary state of free
dom-with man In the original state
of freedom; he compares the feelings
and dispositions of the negro of to-
day with those of man not cursed by
slavery or its effects. After defining
the term ideal" as being a mans
highest conceptions of persons, places,
things or qualities, often unattainable
but always desirable, the author lays
down the proposition that in a state of
fraa1nn1 a
their human ideals, their highest con-
ception of man, in themselves. And
this finding of the ideal within the
race forms the basis of race-pride.
self-appreciation and self-preserva-
tion, and is seen not only in man, but
in animals. To lion no animal
is as beautiful as lion. nor is there
any effort to make himself any
thing other than a lion. A China
mans Ideal is a Chinaman. The In
dams highest conception of man is
an Indian, and so on with all races
except the negro-he alone looks for
and finds his ideal outside of his own
race. AS each race finds its highest
ideals of man within itself 1t paints.
pictures and models man in the phys
scriptions of man are all made to en-
body the elements that make up this
ideal. And, further. when men reach
the point-and all races inevitably
reach it-of avenging themselves on
God for having made them in his i'm
age. they reverse the process, and in
variably picture their gods as having
the same identical qualities, Inca
ments, features, etc, as they them
selves have. And by subtle proc
ess of idealistic exaggeration these
gods are made to 5ecome nothing
more than an expanded replica or
shadow of the races that imaged
them. That is, the Chinese god or
angel is like the Chinaman. the Jap
anese is like the Japanese. the Afri-
cans like the African, the white mans
is like the white man. The Afro
American alone Of all races presents
a radical variation from this natural
law. He alone has and yearns to have
a God. angels. ideals, dolls, etc, en-
tirely unlike himself. And one of the
surest ways of jolting his religious
faith is to show him the picture of a
black angel or a black god! A bust
ness genius some years ago hit upon
the idea of selling pictures of col
ored Christ to Negroes. A lady ac-
quaintance of ours-a devout Chris
tian, too-saw one of these pictures
of a black Christ and exclaimed: "If
that is Christ, I'll pray no more!"
Seeing, then that some mighty
force has operated to differentiate the
Afro-American from other races in
the matter of ideals, feelings, dispo
tion-differentiated him not only
from other men, but has made him
ashamed of himself and his kind thus
reversing If not abrogating a law of
Nature and of Natures God-the au-
thor next seeks to determine the ex-
tent of this variation from man in
natural state, and thus measure the
depth of the disease. Like some great
surgeon examining with skilled fingers
the body of a suffering patient, and
saying to him, Thou ailest here and
here" our author diagnoses with rare
penetration the manifold Weaknesses
frailtles and ailments of the Afro
American, and what is more. gives
their cause and remedy.
In giving the symptoms of the Afro
American disease, the writer states
that when a white man buys a doll
or picture embodying the lineaments
OF his race, he does so with a two
fold object in view: to amuse his of
spring and to keep before its eyes
such an ideal that will foster and
develop pride of race. The Afro
American unmindful of any similar
purpose as the latter, buys a doll or
picture as nearly like that Of the
white man as he can find. and in
time the offspring begins to think
there is something wrong or degraded
about itself, and begins to form ideals
foreign to its own race. Photograph