The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1914-05-09

their condition that as race their
moral progress has been disappoint-
ing" Further comment is unneces-
sary. Let us pass on, for there are
other possible explanations, for in
stance, the churches and schools main
tanned for them by wealthy Protes-
tants; secret societies with their cere-
monies and dress parades for which
the colored man has a peculiar fond
ness, and then there is the religious
prejudice of the colored preacher who
thunders out his insensate vitupera-
lions and villifications of an institution
SO often too sublime for him to COM
prehend, and finally the scandal of the
backsliding Catholic who brings more
grief to the missionary's heart than
all his other troubles combined
Industrial Versus Moral Progress.
In conclusion, let me quote at
length from an article appearing In
America" last fall, because consider
it one of the best estimates | have
seen of the contrast between the in
uuOIA AA1 anu L1O1 p4OS4 GOD VI NAC
Negro and his present needs from a
Catholic standpoint.
"The industrial progress of the
colored race in the United States has
been strikingly emphasized in an
address recently issued by the Ma
tional Negro Business League. In 60
years the four and one half million
Negroes of the Civil War period have
increased to ten millions who own
$700,000,000 worth of property and TO-
100000 acres of land. The insurance
companies represented at their an
nual convention carry risks exceeding
$10,000,000 and their banks and in,
dustrial institutions are numerous and
well established. Their school at.
tendance is constantly growing and
Negro illiteracy is now reduced to
300. Other figures could be added
to show that their material and edu,
cational progress has been rather I'M
devastated than exaggerated. This
development in half century is
highly creditable to the Negro race
and also creditable to the white com
munities in which they live. Outrages
on the Negro and f1amboyant utter.
ances of notwithstanding politicians
are featured in our newspapers, but
we hear nothing of the general en-.
couragement shown to the thrifty
Negro, and the tone of the principal
Southern newspapers which dis
countenance injustice, advocate fair.
play to the colored people and encour
age their industrial advancement. But
there is side to the picture of the
present status of the colored people
that the Negro Business League does
not disclose. Despite the success oil
those Negroes who cling to the farm
the one place where they can com
pete with their white neighbor with
out serious danger of discrimination
the vast majority are fleeing from il
to the cities, where they are prone to
learn the vices of the whites rather
then their virtues. And in town and
country the lesson of vice is nearest
to them. f.. His religious guild
ance is now monopoliZed by the col
ored preacher, who has usually very
little of religion or morality to i'm
part, either by word or example. The
Negro birth rate is decreasing, while
infant mortality is not, and vices are
rampant that were unknown under
slavery. BY natural increase there
ought to be much more than 10000.
900 Negroes, and fact that large
proportion of these is not Negro, but
merely more or less colored, is
eloquent of many evils which their
present education is not calculated to
eradicate or lessen"