The Twin City star. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1910-19??, 1912-10-19
STEADY ADVANCE
OF COLORED men
Efforts to Maintain Rights Of
Citizenship Noted

sbVssV W Wss~u u"0usV ~
Citizenship Noted
WORK FOR BETTER RESULTS.
Optimistic View, Of Course, Taken BY
Afro-Amerieans In Respect TO Their
Duty to Make Every Reasonable &c.
fort to Conserve the Best Interest Of
The Race.
By education. long experience and
constant effort to maintain his integ-
rity as an American citizen the Negro
is at last taking his rightful place In
the ranks Of all political parties with
earnestness Of purpose and desire In
30 doing to conserve the best interests
! Of the race In all sections Of the coun-
try.
II the highest ideals of our demo.
cratic form Of government are ever to
be realized all fair minded men. wheth.
er In the south or other sections Of the
country, must show their willingness
to accord to the Negro the political
rights which the constitution provides
for all citizens without regard to race,
color or previous condition Of servi-
tude. This Ia all the Negro asks Of
Democrats. Republicans. the third"
party or any other political organiza-
ton.
This attitude Of colored meu is In
line with the views recently expressed
by Colonel Henry Watterson. editor of
the Louisville (Ky.) Courier-Journal.
Mr.. Watterson says:
"A new generation Of blacks has
come upon the scene. These blacks are
better educated. In the north they un.
derstand the situation. What do they
owe the Republicans? In our opinion.
nothing.
TT they ever expect to help their
brethren In the south this is good
chance to do it. because to the white
people in the south they must look for
substantial help and real advantage,
and everything which allays race pref
udice and brings the two people nearer
together in friendly and neighborly in.
tercourse will insure to the profit of
the weaker in the life struggle.
'The Courier-Journal has never
sought to- make party profit out of
the Negro. 1t is his friend and his
neighbor. his fellow citizen and his
fellow Christian. The whites cannot
prosper II the blacks languish. We
are, whites and blacks, in the same
boat, and we must sit fair and row
steady II we expect to be happy and
make progress.
''The white man should want nothing
Of the benefits Of government for him
self and his children which he Is not
willing to allow the black man for
himself and his children. We are
mutually dependent. We are bound
to live together. We cannot get away
from one another; hence good work
ing and living understanding is the
basis of the common interest.
"The black people long ago learned
that some politicians had no use for
them except to vote them. Through
forty years they have been paying
debt they but half owed. In the
meantime the whites Of the south
have been aiding them I'm substantial
ways. II they should turn about now
and vote the Democratic ticket in the
north or divide their vote they would
be pursuing wise policy. BY this
action they would be In position to
assert at once their intelligence and
their independence. The Columbia
state Of South Carolina opens It's
doors and welcomes the col0red
voters In and says In doing 30 Il
follows the advice Of Alexander Ste
phens, General Gordon. Senator Zeb
Vance and Matt Ransom of North
Carolina and others. There In nothing
new or strange In the opposition we
are meeting with In our effort to ally
ourselves with the different political
parties. says Bishop Alexander Wal
ters. We have always met with strong
opposition In our endeayors to better
our condition. When the Negro asked
Aot UunliT'sUh iutO thC utAny Tue Ut
ginning of the civil war he was told
that he was not wanted: that II was
q white mans war. Even the great
Lincoln at first threw his weight
against allowing the Negro to tight.
bleed and die to save the Union and
break the shackIes from his own
ankles and wrists. Did the Negro give
up because he was not wantedi
mo: he was told that he was making
fool Of himself to offer himself to
The nation. IN enter the army. to die
10 help people who did not want
him. He was driven like dog from
The Union camp. but the Negro had
sense enough to know that he would
better HIS condition by being admitted
10 the army. allowed to fight for his
country and his freedom. no he persist
cd in his efforts and was finally ad-
mitted."