The Nashville globe. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1906-193?, 1912-08-23
cold Bricks"
want

there has never been a time when the
South was free OF an army OF men
who make it their business to go
from place 10 place and offer to Ne
groes gold bricks" There have
been instances when these schemers
have actually offered to Negroes a
block about the size of a brick, pol
ished in the exact color of gold They
repre- sented these bricks" to be of
pure gold. and many Negroes have
been swindled out Of their hard-earned
cash by these trieksters AS time
went on the true friends of the Ne
gro N the South took up the mater
and exposed these wildcat schemes,
and as the Negro grew in intelligence
he learned better than to spend his
hard-earned cash for a thing of such
great promise. He learned by actual
experience that no one was willing to
give him ten dollars for one, and so
the day of Gold Bricks" passed into
history. That is, the actual block in
the shape of a brick is not offered to
Negroes now, for it is hard to find a
Negro anywhere who would believe
the Gold Brick" story. But those
white men who used to deal in the
gold bricks" are not all dead. They
have not abandoned their old tricks,
but are merely bringing the same
goat to the Negro in sleeps clothing.
New schemes are being invented, but
all for the same purpose, viz, to
swindle the Negro out of his money.
In Atlanta a few weeks ago it is
reported that two white men went
theie with a proposition to organize
Negroes into an association which
they claimed would guarantee their
political rights. and in fact, all other
kinds Of rights. We have not heard
any more of those agents Of salvation
since they were given a little atten.
ton by our alert contemporary the
Atlanta Independent
These schemers appear in various
forms. There has appeared in this
city within the last few days com
pany Of men who represent them
I selves as being the promoters of the
Z Afro-American Insurance Company
They propose to take the Negroes il
their company, not to own a CONTROL
ing interest. but a limited amount o
stock They propose to make Ne
gro banks their depositaries and Il
have Negro agents galore. II is
sweet story, and may be all right. w
will not attempt to say that this ney
and strange love manifested By thes
white men for the Negro race is no
sincere, but it is out Of the ordlnar
to hear Of white man having an o.
F ganization named "Afro-Americsn."
Negroes arc far more intelligen
than they were forty years ago, bu
some Of the most intelligent peopl
in the world are sometimes led int
trap, and II people who have dea
in business for csnturieG can be swli
died it stands 10 reason that n
American Negro with less than hft
, years Of civilization can be gwindle
also We would not be- understood a
: saying that this new-fanRdangled fl
p surance company iE not on III
' square; but We do advise the Negros
Of Nashville TO examine into this thin
/ carefully before taking hold Of
r Negro men Of Tennessee who hay
b money could organize an inGustri
Y insurance company n they woul
!. They owe It 70 their people " %
D On the other hand. q would be pa
/. ing proposition u would BE- MOI
o commendable for the Negroes
+ Nashville and Tennessee 70 organi,
s an insurance company u heir Oy
rather than take bolo n comDsf
With name tbat IS 80 foreign ~ II
promoters thereof. and who baya me
: company's stock 50 arranged that IS
s groes can never hope ~ control a.
It has become q TOO frequent 4
} currence that ouf men 10 public 4
~ fairs allow themselves ~ become b
n n1uch attached ~ M, ,osoa a. -.