The broad ax., 1913-01-18

determined to send General C,,r
Sehurtz South to investigate and >.
port to Congress on conditions tbo-,
General Schurtz reported that sl,r..,.
practically existed and that the orl,.
solution Of the difficulty was epfr,r-
ehisement for the Negro.
II was not until yielding to the do
mands Of justice and necessity that N,
former slave was given the right %
vote. Starting out about 45 years AGO
with full citizenship rights and none
of the results Of progressive enterprisa
the Negro has surpassed in aebieve.
ment and development the most san.
culinary expectations of his most ~,
dent admirers. The marvellous aebievs.
ment Of the Negro in material wealth
and the facility with which he has
adapted himself to the requirement.
of Anglo-Saxon civilization is enougb
to entitle him to justice and fair treat.
ment and the favorable consideration
Of the American people. As a citizen
he has been frugal, industrious and m.
triotie. As a voter he has exereisaI
his franchise in the way he thought
best subserved the interest of his peo-
pie and in harmony with the majority
Of the voters Of the country. As !,
soldier he has exhibited a courage and
fortitude never surpassed and has re,..
er hesitated to offer up his life on the
altar of his eountry's honor.
In the face of a record unparalleled in
the history of race progress, in spite
of the cheerful heart and spirit of good
will, the Negro has maintained THROUGH
all his struggles against hostile eopdi.
tions and unfair exaetions. There has
been and is today a persistent, vieious
and insidious attempt on the part of
the Southern White man to humiliate
him and deprive him of his civil and
political rights. This attack startiDo
in the Southland had steadily spread
until every section is affected bv the
horrible propaganda of race prejudice.
This unholy work Of arOusing race an
tipathy has been prosecuted with sueB
wanton afrontery that today there is
more bitter feeling directed toward the
race than ever before since our emaD-
eipation. There is not the least valid
excuse for their action. The same mo-
tive aetuates the leaders in this move
ment today that Influenced them in
1865 and 1868. Arouse wide spread
prejudice against a race, deprive them
of their civil and political rights and
you not only expose them to the law
less element of every community, but
you take from them all stimulous for
racial or Undivided advancement.
This without doubt is the end at
which our enemies aim. And yet the
great mass Of our race sit silently by
and do not even protest against such
brazen injustice. There was a time
when the Negro was loud in his protest
against lynehing and every attempt to
take from him his vested rights was
resisted. 1t is barely pos
Sible that he has listened to the song
Of patience and submission" until it
has lulled him to sleep. When the
children Of Isreal were treated the most
cruel by those who would enslave them,
the Lord commanded Moses to agitate,
then he agitated, and the Lord came to
heir rescue. 1t is fear that our re-
igiOus training has tended to make US
TOO humble and submissive. In these
lays Of oppression and injustice We
need militant religion.
1 admire the fighting courage of
christian in "Pilgrim's Progress. p" He
actually dared to fight old AppOlyon
himself, and when Appolyon knocked
Inn down and was dancing with glee,
cried out: "Rejoiee not over
ne, o, my enemies, for if fall shall
Use again"
Our churches seem to have stopped
inging that battle hymn. "Must
e carried to the skies on flowery beds
( ease, which others fought to win
be prize and sail through bloody seasi
ure I must fight If 1 would reign, in
rease my courage Lord" 1t is not
early so easy to rob a fellow while
e is awake and alert and ready to
ght and make a noise, as it is to rob
he fellow who is asleep or is afraid to
i've alarm.
Wealth alone will not check the as
lults on our rights or restore the lib
rty we have permitted to be taken
way. For what advantage is wealth
ithOut civil and political ibertyf He
stupid man indeed who does not
allie with Shyloek as he stands be-
IRE the bar Of Christian justice and
'aves the Law, when they deny him
s rights he says: "Nay take my
Re and all Won do take nv housa when