Iowa state bystander. [volume] (Des Moines, Iowa) 1894-1916, 1913-04-25
AFRO-AMER|CAN CULL|NCS

1t Is a fact that sr-aws acted upon
by the wind tell in what direction 1t
blows: SO do certain noteworthy Incl.
dents Of racial life Indicate the trend
OF its destiny. We have in mind two
such incidents which have occurred
recently, one in Washington and the
other at Cornell university.
Ambassador James Bryce of Great
Britain created historic incident
and broke all presidents by address,
ing a negro audience, the local
branch of the Y. M. C. A., in Washing
ton a few days ago on the duties Of
citizenship. The audience, an intelli-
gent one, realized and appreciated the
fact that Mr.. Bryce was the first rep
resentative Of great foreign power
to take an active interest in informing
himself as to the progress made by
their people ard giving public express
sion to the information he had &C
quired. He said in the course Of his
address many splendid things. and
among them this: Our progenitors
did your progenitors a grave injustice
IN bringing. them to this country in a
state Of servitude, and it is our duty
to do all in our power to make up for
this injustice" None but good and
great man could have made such a
confession and backed it up with a
declaration that the injustice done us,
as race. should be repaired in so far
as PREPARATION can be made now by the
meeting out of justice and fair treat
ment in all that pertains to us and
our duties as citizens. He was &C.
companied by Mrs. Bryce, and was
given a tremendous ovation. AS he
entered and left the hall the audience
arose while the band played. God
Save the King" The negro people
have never failed to respond nobly to
those who have given them one word
of encouragement or sympathy in their
endeavor to measure UP to the duties
of good citizenship.
On the same that Mr. Bryce spoke.
another historic incident occurred at
Cornell university by the awarding of
the prix 'dhonneur by the Society Of
French Professors of America to
James Bertram Clarke, negro stu
dent at that institution, for French
essay on a literary topic and trans
lation Of French author. He was
also awarded other prizes. He is a
junior in the College Of Arts. Clarke
wrote an article some time since on
the Negro question at Cornell which
caused storm of comment. He Is a
native of the West Indies.
But it matters not from where he
comes. he is negro and he is making
good, as thousands Of young negroes
are doing whenever and wherever they
have anything like fair opportunity.
"One OF the serious problems OF the
day that causes the intelligent par
ents no little though is the selection
of suitable institution for the proper
training of their children-an institu-
ton from which the child will not re-
turn worse off morally, physically and
intellectually than when he entered"
said Prof. J. A. Wilson in an address
at Sam Houston college, Austin, Tex.
After careful observation it is be-
ing a recognized fact that the best
place to train negro youth is in the
church schools. For in these schools
the student is imbued with religious
principles without which no life Is a
complete success. Hence the heart is
trained side by side with the head and
the hand"