The Colorado statesman., 1912-06-08


any one possessing a white face. The
effect of this artful training is still
| seen in the Afro-American's disposi-
tion not to serve q member of his own
race; 1t is seen in their tendency to
oppose the elevation of a member of
their own race; IT, is Seen in the lack
of class or rank in so-called Negro
society where the alley rat and the
'soiled dove" from the gutter expect
and are given equal recognition and
honors with those who have never
gone astray or been caught In the
cess-pools of vice and corruption!
This breaking down of rank, and
erasing of all marks of class was
begun by the Shareholders for a pur-
pose, and is continued today--for a
purpose by both secret order and
church-the latter being the most
shameless and brazen sinner in this
respect. Her scored doors are equally
open to maiden in her innocence and
purity. and to the woman who has
spent half a lifetime and who contin-
ues her habitation, in the sewers. The
latter is given a more cordial welcome
If she has (and she generally has) the
goods" and is willing (and she is usu-
ally willing) to part with goodly
amount Of same for the glory and
honor of God-through and by the
minister!
This systematic breaking down of
rank, the destruction of ideals and the
wreckage of standards. had fourfold
result The white man had a higher
opinion of himself and a lower opin-
ion of the negro; the negro had
lower opinion of himself and a much
higher opinion of the white man.
There is scarcely a white man in
this country" says our author, "even
including Tillman, Vardaman, and
Dixon. who appreciates and honors
the color of the white man on the one
hand, and despises the color of the
black man on the other, more than
the AfroAmerican himself. He is as
wild over trying to be white as Till
man is over being white"
The institution of slavery punched
all the dark-hued victims in the same
condition and trained them to feel
that they were all equal; it placed the
master class far above this condition,
graded them round by round from
peasant or white trash," to president,
that each grade above remained a
perpetual door of hope, emulation and
inspiration to every white man in the
one below it.
In the course of time and by a we'll
known law of psychology, known as
the law of association of ideas, every
thing in the way of power, honor, .vir-
tue. intelligence and magnifcence be-
came associated in the minds of both
races with the white or master class,
and everything in the way of poverty,
ignorance, helplessness, viciousness
and degradation became associated
with a badge of the black man. These
feelings transmitted from generation
to generation are existing in all their
force in large per cent Of negroes
today, and where they do not manifest
themselves so plainly in the remain
der they are, nevertheless, slumbering
deep down in the heart and mind. 1t
is seen then that as a result of this
baneful training, both races support
and oppose whatever tends to perpet-
uate, or to eradicate the effect of this
training.
Under such conditions the black
man gradually lost pride in himself,
developed contempt for his race and
color, felt that 1t was honorable to
serve white man, and dishonorable
to serve negro.
Hence the idea now prevalent that
no one can do things, no one can
know. no one can be, except he Is
white. During slavery days the ne
gro was trained to carry everything
made on the plantation "to the big
house" or masters quarters, and re-
ceive in return sufficient rations to
keep soul and body together to enable
him to produce more, and when we
recall his conduct today towards his
own race in business we see that he
is still guided by the same instinct
still carrying everything he can to
the big house." or some of its in
maces-Jew, Dago, Syrian, white man,
anyone except to one Of his kind.
What is the effect of this unnatural
policy? This policy of carrying every
hing to de big house"
1t is to make the people of de big
house" richer, more honorable, more
powerful, and the people of the quar-
ters more dependent, more despised,
poorer and more degraded. 1t gives
to the former all that this world holds
dear; it gives to the latter pauperism,
criminalism, degradation.
The white man and the negro are
each bent on keeping up this con-
dition-the former as business pol
Icy, and the latter because by centu-
ries of training he is built that way.
Ephraim is joined to his idols and de-
voted to his white ideals.
The work of correcting this training.
restoring these transferred ideals, i'm
planting a sense of self pride. is a