Iowa state bystander. [volume] (Des Moines, Iowa) 1894-1916, 1912-05-31
LIFE CONDITIONS OF THE
NEGR0 IN the CITY AND
N the COUNTRY

From time immemorial II has been
fashionable to exalt conditions OF liv-
Ing in rural districts over conditions
of living In city districts. The coun-
try districts have their charms and
their disenchantments and the city
districts have theirs. Some people
prefer the one and some the other,
but which Of them is best is a ques-
ton as old as the everlasting hills OF
Jacob and as young as the last hill
thrown up by a ground-mole. In his
address at the Carnegie hall meeting
Of the Men and Religion Forward
Movement DR.. Booker T. Washington
said:
so long as the negro In the rural
districts is fed upon the old WORKOUT
theological dogmas instead OF getting
from the pulpit inspiration and direc-
ton In practical work OF community
building connecting religion with ev-
cry practical and progressive move
ment for the IMPROVEMENT OF the
home and community life. 20 long
will he forsake ne land and fee to
the city IF we would save the rsgro.
80 rer cent O. wNc-,. pc hnve said.
live In the cc-rfrv he must he taught
that when the Bible SAYS: The earth
is f"I' ~ tbv riches. It mems that the
earth is full Of corn, potatoes peas,
cotton chickens prd cows. and that
these riches shouId he gotten out by
tie hand Of man ar' +~rned 'ntn
beautiful church buildings and a
righteous, useful living.
when I was in London, Fng'ard.
recently. ! found frat the churches
and other rh'lauthronic agencies OF
that city were srendirg $4,000 an
nually not to keen peor'e on their
feet end help tHan to make gree or
progress in positive crrs.r""t've o.
rections. but to save the drunkard
the gambler the loafer. the pauper
and the destitute after they had fallen
into the ditch. HAPPILY the negroes
in America have not as yet fallen
into the ditch: and pray that, as a
result of this great forward move
ment, way may be provided.
through the negro church and Sunday
school. that the negro while 1t Is yet
new, fresh and vigorous race. may.
as the old plantation hymn puts It.
be kept from sinking down." In the
rural districts the negro, all things
considered, Is at his best in body.
mind and soul. In the city he Is
usually at his worst. Plainly one of
the duties Of the church is to help
keep the negro where he has the best
chance"
This view of the question Is as
plainly and bluntly stated as posi-
BILE: there are no frills on 1t: 1t is
reduced to matter of everyday life
and the commonplace things of It,
such as better health conditions and
food and air and water, and the like:
things that 90 long way towards
making life worth living. but by no
means Of affording it opportunities
for the higher cultivation of the mind.
that has cravings Of its own indie
pendently of the cravings Of the body,
which insists upon having the daily
portion Of corn pone and bacon and
greens, and such other lumber as
make blood for the heart. But the
country life is failure that does not
furnish more than this, which does
not provide the intellectual food the
mind must have or wither, leaving
the man an animal with brain, with
only the blood Of foodstuffs in 1t, out
Of which may come all manner Of say.
age thoughts and acts that are beast.
ly in the eyes Of men and the law.
The farm conditions Of New Eng
land and the west have been brought
to the highest possible condition OF
acceptability as to schools and
churches and homes, with libraries
here and there, but the inducements
have not been sufficient to keep some
and daughters Of farmers from desert
ing the old home for the attractions
and advantages of city life and the
greater opportunities for making for.
tunes and enjoying to the most the
cravings Of the mind for refined as
sociations and entertainments impos
sible to be had at any price in the
country districts of the best sort. MOI
have those conditions, on the other
hand, been strong enough to allure
from the cities the labor required by
the farmers Of New England and the
west, even at wages that make farm
ing improbable to the farmers when
conducted on the largest and most ex
pensive plan. Farmers within hun.
dred miles of New York and Phila.
delphia are unable, to keep their
grown children on the farm or to Sc
cure the necessary labor at fair wages
to take their places properly to con.
duct their farming operations.
Farm conditions in the southern
states are worse still, and less attrac
tive and remunerative than in New
England and the western states. That
It is best for the negroes that they
stick to the country districts as
laborers and buy farms of their own
as fast as they can is admitted by all
who understand the race problem al
all; but, during the past twenty years
there has been steady movement Of
negroes from the country districts to
the large cities Of the south, while
hundreds of thousands Of them have
gone to Pittsburgh, Philadelphia, Bos.
ton and Chicago, where their condi.
tions Of living are harder, more din.
cult even, than in the cities Of the
south. Here the cruel Moloch grinds
them to powder; only the best OF
them survive, one In ten perhaps, and