Iowa state bystander. [volume] (Des Moines, Iowa) 1894-1916, 1912-05-24
AFRO-AMER|CAN Cuttings


save American cities. said Mr.. Rob
ins. To the problem Of the bad eie-
ment remaining In American cities II
added the Immigrant and his problem.
Europe 10 giving to America its from
tiersmen, some good. some bad. Tnen
he added concerning 1t all: Unless
the Christian church can, right here
and now, come out into the open and
put up a fight that 10 fight It Will
never conquer these evil forces. And
II It does not fight 1t will have no
message thereafter that ID worth de-
livering to anybody"
No wiser conclusion has been reach
ed By any of the churchmen and re-
formers who have in good faith crap
pied with the supreme problem OF hui
man government than that Of Mr.. Rod
ins'. II society cannot protect Itself
from the vast mass OF people whose
tendencies, dominated by their appe-
tltes and thirsts and the weakness
that allow these to make outcasts and
criminals. are naturally downward.
The morality of Africa and Asia and
Europe in parts has been I'M
dermined and destroyed in the
past by the evil forces OF society
yielding to the lusts Of the appetitss
and thirsts and animal passions for
slaughter and disregard OF the rights
and interests of the weak members OF
the race. Certainly, If America shall
70 the way OF the countries before 1t,
with no power in Its Christian philos-
ophy of the home. the church, the
school and the state, to hold the evil
powers In restraint, then certainly
Christianity VIII have no message
when the failure comes, II 1t should,
to deliver to anybody.
The bad men OF the past have
sought isolation In large measure, to
live their Wild, savage lives on the
frontiers OF civilization: but there are
NO more frontiers: civilization has
come upon them BY the way OF the
railroad and steamboat and telegraph
lines, and bad people In the large CEN
tiers have got to be held In check or
they win destroy civilization itself.
Everywhere, white men realize the
rrav,tv Of the situation. and are fight
inr II with salvation armies, Chris
tian associations. temperance organ
izations, social purity societies. and
the earnest work Of the churches IN
settlement work. and the ike, In
which personal interest In the people
:. made a leading factor: but among
onr mamie this IN far from being true
There "a here and there q desire, q
movement to stem the rising tide of
Fast and reckless living. but It Is al
mo.t imnerceptible In its influence
ana invisible In its work. The swing
a fhe large cities IA distinctly away
erovn fha Chrastian philosophy Of high
Mora thint,ne ana living. and towards
the fast life OF the dance gardens, tho
80 onan caSAa the saloon life OF the
,rae., ana the SAMPLER. and the sharp
nrac4ices az tn Nsht.anxsrsd In Ill
dt.rtsnna "a ret thu money needed to
-, sseha neae that ktils.n
There Il med among the negroes "
tha larra cities of the republic for
auch active work @ the whites are
dc,,x "a stem the tide steadily ris-
ins ~ fast and reckless living, among
ira vouns and the old. We have said
thls before. hut we are constrained to
repeat It from time to time 'lest we
/ forget Nav York Age. IT, "m<
| IN this enlightened and progressive
| age II seems disheartening to see men
who have had all of the opportunities
AFFORDED by the college and university
for enlightenment devoting their time
and strength to irving to throw mud
and tn mil somebody down instead OF
tvvirg tn helm somebody IN.
| There ia a class of so-called college
men who seem to think IT a part OF
their duty to try to weaken every
movement that has for its object the
progress of the negro race. They
stand nj, at a far distance and throw
stones They very seldom do any.
thing ia build M an individual or work
IN the direction OF constructive prog.
/ ross. Their whole idea seems to be
+o ."throw mud" 2.s@ F"-..
| This attitude we are glad to say is
! only assumed by a comparatively
small number OF college men and that
1 numher is growing beautifully less
every wear For the most part, the
! mon and women who are coming out
| of the colleges and universities are
exhibiting a broad and generous dis.
nosition to hely lift somebody up and
| "a helm construct something. s-s