The broad ax., 1912-08-24


RGToN SaBEF0RE 9HE INA
TIoNAL NEGRO BUSINESS LEA,
CUE. CHICAGO, "WEDNESDAY
EVENING AUGUST q, 1912
'There is a tide in the affairs OF
Amen, which taken at the food leads on
70 fortune Omitted, all the rest Of
their lives is bound in shadows and
miseries." These words from Shakes.
% peare have an especial application to
our race at the present time. The men
and women Of our race OF this genera.
tion hold IN their hands the future of
the generations that are to follow.
This is In an especial sense true Of
the Negro business men and women.
IF We do not do our duty now In lay
ing q proper foundation for the eeono-
mic and commercial growth, our chill
dren and our children s children VIII
suffer because Of our inactivity or
shortness Of vision.
r. I'want to say while I am on this
subject, that have been surprised and
delighted at the progress which has
d been made by 0olored business men
IN Chicago. As I drove down State
r Street the ether day for mile and n
= half I am sure that tEOlthirds Of the
places of business I saw were con
Quoted by OOlOred men, If they were
not owned by Oolored people they were
at least patronized by them. I was
equally surprised and delighted when
I drove down Wabash Avenue and
through some Of the adjoining streets
to discover what handsome houses
many of our people were living in. As
I have had chance to, visit these
houses I have been pleased to find how
handsomely, even artistically, they
were furnished and carefully and
neatly they were maintained. It
would be = revelation almost mir
aele, to our- people Of forty years ago
to see the kind Of homes in which
their children and grand children we're
beginning to live In fact, it would
astolish . good many of our people
In other parts of the country even to-
day TO see the progress Of the ColOred
people IN Chicago. lido not think there
e is a1largs city IN, this country, where
there Is a community Of Coloreds peo-
pie living together in such numbers as
you do here which has made 50 rapid
progress IN so short time, or where
the opportunities are7so good. II
All thiso imposes q heayy1Fsssonsi-
biity upon you. WHO live here ana en-.
JOY these opportunities. Ina section
OF the city-Where the. Colored people
are m the majority, tits the ,Oolored
People-rWho sTsrrespOnsible for coAdi-
tiOns IN that portion of the city. r.
there Is drunkenness, II there ID gamb-
ling, If there IL crime the CoIored DeoJ
pie will be held TesPonsiblssbeeanse this
IS q recognized, sColored .community.
You win net escape this responsibility
BY ssymg that the persohswho main
tains the saloon ibaWhite-man, or the
man who runs the gambling place Il q
white Eman. You might say this In
SONS place down South, but you can
not say it IN Chicago.
NoWI do hos know anything about
yOur local political conditions and I do
not mean'to say anything about them.
What I do wish 70 emphasizes partieus
LAZY 70 members OF my race Who HAVE
come here from the South, where they
have Had little or no share in The gov
eminent BY which they are e0Gtroned,
that here IN Chicago q new AID grave
responsibility rests upon them in that
respect And this resp0nsibility ex-
tends not merely to 5your' own people
here In Chicsgo; but e extends 70 the
race everywhere. re- rests upon the
Negroes Of Chicago, with the magniR- |
eent opportunities before you, to dsm-
Onstrate J to the rest of the world to
Whit extent q Negro community like
this amid AL the temptations Of a
great city, esnf make itself - united,
progressive, lSE-a6ddiRg Community, |
one that VIII be looked up 70 and re- |
speeted, OnsRhfsA the world can point
20 as = model
In order to accomplish this we must
unite ourselves with an the forces IN |
this ely that are striving for better
things. We mnst unite an the best sls- |
Eens among ourselves. The local Basi-
nes League can exercise 8 wide in
auenee N tina direction. It can do this
By putting III influences behind tie msn
on the business Who Is really trying to
Do sood thing.