The Colorado statesman., 1912-02-03

Judge Hammond of that city recently
spoke in part as follows:
The negro is a part of the south's
civilization. His organic life is bound
up with that of the white man in ties
that are indissoluble. Fanatical ut
terances to the contrary notwith-
standing his elimination from the So
cial organism of the south is not pos
sible. All wise men will dismiss the
thought and seek some other solution
of the race problem. The white man
cannot kill him because he will not
submit quietly to the operation. Meth
er can he be transported because 1t
is too expensive. And these are the
only two ways by which he can be
eliminated. So 1t is perfectly evident
to any sane mind that he must stay
here and continue for all time to be
vital part of our civilization.
"The question of how he came here
is not at all important; but the ques-
ton of what to do with him, seeing
that he is here, is vital. But it may
not be amiss to say that we recognize
the hand of an overruling Providence
In the great fact of his presence in
the midst of the white mans civiliza-
ton. An overruling Providence is one
which overrules the evil designs of
evil men and turns them to good &C
count. Who can name a great battle
in the worlds history that hasn't been
overruled and turned to good ac-
count? And yet these battles were
the direct outcome of the evil and
nf
evil passions and sordid cupidity OF
the slave dealers, who captured these
black men and brought them to our
shores and sold them to our ances-
tors, have been overruled by higher
power, and the great-great-grandchi
dren of these innocent people have be-
come the wards of the American ma
ton, and we are responsible to them
for the faithful and conscientious ex-
ecution of this high and important
trust Blatant demagogy may seek to
obscure this truth, and try to make
the people of the south feel that they
are under no obligation to the negro;
but true men Will recognize it, and
will not refuse to set themselves
steadily and efficiently to the task OF
helping him to work out his salvation
and elevate himself to higher plane
of civilization.
THE inherent forces in the bosom
of the white race, which are capable
of being utilized for the advance of
civilization will be perceptibly divert
ed and diminished If the white man
harbors feeling of antipathy toward
the negro, and INDUCES in acrimoni-
GUS controversy with him. What he
ought to do is to indulge himself in
the good feeling that he must look for
good in the countenance of his black
brother. II he looks for it he will
find it, for it is there. A kindly glance
will reveal it. when a contemptuous
attitude or naughty Indifference will
effectually obscure it. Let the white
men seek. by a recognition of the
many good qualities and characters
tics of the negro, to encourage him to
develop those qualities and character
istics. Nothing develops character
more effectually than a recognition and
appreciation of the good that is in the
other man; while constant, cynical
search for the bad and an utter re-
fusal to see the good not only hides
the good from our vision, but has
blighting effect upon the man who car
ries within his own breast the con-
sciousness that he has not been appre-
ciated. We do great wrong to the
man whose good and true qualities we
contemptuously or indifferently refuse
to recognize. No man liveth to him
self
There are many white friends of
the negro who have a sincere desire
and purpose to do him full justice,
and who make an honest effort in that
direction, but who seem to be unable
to accomplish much, or to meet with
gratifying results In their efforts. They
are easily discouraged and turned
aside from their purpose, and are
ready to throw up their hands and
say: What is the use?' They are
prone to lose faith in the negro and
say: Ephraim is Joined to his idols;
let him alone They feel a strong
sense of duty, but they have no in
spiration OF hope. Their efforts are
consequently mechanical and listless
and lack the enthusiasm that is essen |
tial to success. The trouble with |
these friends of the negro is that they
have failed to attain to a recognition |
of the best qualities of the negro |
character. They do not rightly ap-
prehend and appreciate him. They |
look for certain qualities which they
say he ought to possess, and not find
ing them, they overlook others which |
he does possess. They form their es-
innate of him by looking at him in
bulk, whereas. in order to get cor
rect estimate of him, they ought to
look at the individual members OF the
race who have made the greatest ad-
vance and accomplished the best re-
suits. There are negroes, and plenty