Iowa state bystander. [volume] (Des Moines, Iowa) 1894-1916, 1913-01-17

Does the negro in our country have
q fair chance as compared win the
native black man in Africa, the home
OF the negro? asks Boofler I. WASH.
ington, who, in the Century Magazine
discusses the question. is the Negro
Having a Fair CHANGER" In the midst
Of the preparation Of this article, met
Bishop Isaiah B. Scott OF the Metno-
dist Episcopal church, one OF the
strongest and most intelligent Color
ed men that l know. Bishop Scout
has spent the greater part OF his lie
in the southern states, but during the
last seven years he has lived In Ii
IBERIA and travelled extensively on the
west coast of Africa, where he mas
come into contact with all classes OF
European white people. In answer
to my question, Bishop Scott dictated
the following sentence. which ne au-
thorized me US use: y
THE fairest white man that j have
met in dealing with the colored man
is the American white man. He un-
derstands the colored man better DO
cause of his contact with him and he
has more respect for the colored man
who has accomplished something
Basing my conclusions largely on
conversations which have had with
native Africans, with negro misslonar-
les and with negro diplomatic ohclals
who have lived in Africa, especially
on the west coast and in South Africa,
| am led to the conclusion that. all
things considered, the negro In the
United States has better chance
that he has in Africa.
In certain directions the negro mas
had greater opportunities in the states
In which he served as slave than ne
has had in the states in which he has
been for a century or more Tree
man. This statement &c borne out oy
the fact that in the south the negro
rarely has to seek labor. but on the
other hand, labor seeks him. In all my
experience in the southern states. l
have rarely seen a negro man or wom-
an seeking labor who did not IND IT.
In the south the negro has business
opportunities that he does not have
elsewhere
Reduced to it's lowest terms, the
fact is that large part of our racial
troubles in the United States grow out
of some attempt to pass and execute
a law that will make and keep one
man superior to another, whether he
Is intrinsically superior or not. NO
greater harm can be done to any
group OF people than to let them feel
that a statutory enactment can Keep
them superior to anybody else. NO
greater injury can be done to any
youth than to let him feel that be-
cause he belongs to this or that race,
or because of his color, he will be ad-
vanced in life regardless OF his own
merits or efforts.
Make yourself agreeable to man
and he will want to borrow money
from you. Make yourself agreeable
to a woman and she will want to mar
ry you.
The American negro is progressing.
When he was given his liberty. prac-
tically half a century ago, only three
per cent of the blacks could read and
write. Now 6S per cent of the negroes
are educated. The negroes are rapid
ly acquiring farms in the south and
are making good farmers, thanks to
the education and training at such in
situations as Tuskegee. OF the TO-
100000 negroes in the country 1,000,-
900 reside in the north.
You can't Judge a woman by her
looks when she looks as If she didn't
know you were looking.
The negroes of Guthrie, Okla, sup
port wlde-awake library. It was
established by negro club women in
1908. In city of fewer than $500 ne
groes, this library has had 1900 visits
in one month; has loaned $50 books
in the same length of time, and has
added to its shelves 765 volumes
The report of the third quarter Is
as follows: Registered visits, 1000;
books loaned, 1000; books added, 265;
members to date, 800. Since the
opening in 1908: Registered visits,
27,056; books loaned, 1880; books do
mated, more than 1000. The library
maintains Young Mems Christian
association, children's story hour
club and lecture course on domestic
science and home making for our
women. There is no such institution
in the state doing so much for race
uplift. Mrs. ]. c. Horton is the IL
brarian
In recent ten days campaign the
negroes of Baltimore, Nd, pledged
$31 900 toward Young Mems Chris
tian association building. This is an
other one Of the cities to cover the
$4,000 offered by Mr.. julius Ros-
enwald, the Chicago philanthropist.