Iowa state bystander. [volume] (Des Moines, Iowa) 1894-1916, 1912-02-16

amusements of the inhabitants up
yonder-things about which they
know exceeding little and. for the
present at least, concern them and
their hearers infinitely less--while
they ignore the affairs Of earth. the
habits Of their audience and the In
habitants around who are unreached
by church influences. They delight
to harp on the fact that there will be
no pain or cause for weeping in heav-
en- and then they remain silent on
the sins Of whisky drinking. adultery.
stealing murder. gambling and the
like, which cause SO much pain to be
experienced and so many tears to be
shed down here. More Is preached
about "our duty to the pastor" than Is
preached about our duty to our fell
bowman. Too much Is said about the
immaculate Wilderness Of the robes we
are going to wear up yonder and not
enough about the need Of a plentiful
use Of soap and water right here, and
right now. Too often, more effort Is
used to get donation for "our rally"
from those without the church than
there is to get up a moral and re-
ligious rally to get within the church
those who are without But why con-
tinue?
There are preachers who will
preach long and loud and much
against circus-going, dancing and like
q 70 hAo thin
take money from the church, while
graver wrongs are ignored II the
doors of them are good financially.
And too often the quality Of crime
Is greatly lessened II a negro be the
criminal. There Is too much Of my
race, right or wrong, am with my
race"
Too often the Emancipation day
orators are pernicious wind TANNERS
simply that and nothing more.
The time and occasion furnish an
excellent opportunity for creating q
desire for civic Righteousness and bet
ter citizenship. But IL 1t always so
used? No; most often the occasion
is used to recount the negro's attain
ments-real and fancied-to tell how
much land and how many mules and
horses, and houses he owns and to re-
count the number of big men, preach
ers, school teachers, lawyers, doctors
and the like Of which the race can
boast. Seldom will the speaker strike
at the evils which beset the race and
hinder its progress. Such course
| would not be popular. consequently
there is in the majority of cases a
tendency to please rather than to be
helpful.
l do not pose as high priest" for
my race. I am fully satisfied merely
to be counted one Of them. But I do
take the liberty to assert that 1t Ia
not enough for US to curb and control
our passions as individuals, but we
must seek to curb and control the ten.
denotes to crime and lawlessness
among our people. To do this we
must preach a doctrine which will
reach the life, heart and better ma
ture Of the people. Real missionary
work must be done-not merely the
work Of q salaried financial agent
but real missionary work. To such
there must be the courage Of Moses
Of Joshua and Of Paul. Instead Of
shielding or condoning crimes com
mitted by negroes, we should and
must be willing helpers in bringing
them to Justice.
In this way, and this way only
will we lead, or rather force the
white man to respect and enforce the
laws Of which he IL the author, and
at present, the only one who can ad.
minister them.
believe that the separation Of the
two races in the south at the present
time will be harmful to the white
race and none the less so to the ne.
gro To separate them will evident.
ly interfere with the Divine Plan"
Under the circumstances, the white
people are and must be our teachers
1--WE should cooperate with them
and seek their cooperation in all
things tending or looking forward to
the betterment OF each or both The
best interest Of the one is, in the
end, the best interest Of both. 1--WE
are workers together with God
With that belief and to that end. we
should work.