The broad ax. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1895-19??, 1914-08-22
BOIey, Okla, Owned Entirely
by AfTO.AmOTlGdnS.
FOUNDED BY 7. N. HAYNES
National Negro Business Leagues Rep
rssentativs Gives Facts and Figures
Which Show Remarkable Achieve
msnts and Capacity Of Our People
For Self Government.
By RALPH ". TYLER.

boley, Okia.-IO prove that Gne
Negro. as a race. Is incapable Of self
government such proud Caucasians as
would arbitrarily assume to serve as
accusers. judge and jury for the race
are wont TO point to that revolution
torn black republic, Haiti II such
would but turn their eyes to the south
west they would behold the existence
In one state aIOne-0klahOma-of eight
exclusively Negro towns that are con-
clusively demonstrating the Negroes
capacity for self government and as
q town builder
Boley. Taft. Red Bird. Langston.
Tatums, BrOOksville. Vernon and Rem
tiesville. all in the state Of Oklahoma.
testify to the innate peacefulness and
the acquired cOnstructiveness of the
American Negro. Boley. with it's $500
exclusively Negro population within
the corporate limits Of the town and
fits 10000 Negro population within a
radius OF ten miles. which population
is direct cUnlributant TO the munich
patty. Is the largest of the eight ex-
clusively Negro towns In Oklahoma
and the largest exclusively Negro town
on the western hemisphere. being three
times the size of Mound Bayou. Miss.
the much exploited Negro settlement
/ spent several days here in the in
tereSt of that wonderfully constructive
organization which DIR. Booker T.
Washington inspired into existence
the National Negro Business league
carefully investigating this exclusively
Negro town. whose stability and order
~ government. carefully and cOnserva-
lively administered. present the con-
elusive proof that the American Negro
is capable Of self government. In
Haiti a standing army. whose mainte-
nance imposes a burdensome tax upon
the cOuntry's limited resources. pre-
serves the life Of the republic and at
the same time contributes to continual
disastrous and bloody revolutions. In
BOley no soldiers patrol its borders,
its streets. or guard its regularly elect
ed officials.
BOley is governed not by force Of
arms. but by the minions Of peace.
BOley has orderly conducted elections
for the selection Of governing officials.
but no armed revolutions TO enthrOne
an executive BOley's taxes are assess
ed by and with the consent Of the
governed and not by arbitrary Off
al
through might. BOley typitirS the con.
structiye propaganda of Booker T.
Washington rather than the drStruc-
tive intrigues which fOncnt Ia the
black republic just beyond Americas
southern sea kissed border Boley rep
resents Negro advancement
Boley at first was but Il mere camp
Of Negro railroad construction hands.
whose foreman was n white man nam
ed Boley. from whom 1t took its nnme
II was founded by T. NJ. Haynes. a
Negro. who is still living-and a valued
citizen Of the town-to witness the
fruitiOn Of his altruistic plans. II was
Incorporated and chartered as a munic-
ipality in 1904. The town, cOmpris-
ing 2GO acres. laid out with broad
streets crossing at right angles. has a
bonded Indebtedness Of but $4,000
and a school district bonded Indebted
ness Of $1,000 This bonded indebt-
edness is secured by property within
Boley whose taxable value is $4,000
and by property within the county
whose taxable value Is $4,000, max
ing n total OF S1.250.OOO in property to
secure the payment Of $4,000 bonded
indebtedness.
This little town here In the far south
west has been called the Million Dol
lar Black City because the volume OF
business transacted here in 1913 reach
ed 100000 and because the value of
the city's realty and the amount its
citizens have invested In business total
$1.OO0.OO0. In 1913 the Negro mer-
chants VI Boley handled $4,000 worth
Of business. her Negro farmers han
died $4,000 worth OF foodstuff and
live stock. her Negro cotton buyers
bought $4,000 worth of cotton. and
Der local pOstOfice did 500. 800 worth
Of business. $25O.OOO of which repre-
scented money passing through the mon
ey order department
Tho one bank-capitaIized controlled
and conducted by Negroes-had indl-
vidual deposits ut the close Of business
Dec. 81. 1918. amounting to $4,000.
This financial showing for a commu-
nity composed exclusively Of people
but half a century removed from slav-
ery-from period when the right TO
acquire aad bold property was denied
them both by public sentiment and
LAWS = splendid attestation to the
thrift and industry OF our race. The
residences. public buildings and stores
Of BOley compare most favOrabIy With
those OF any town Of Ike size whose
controlling population is made up Of
the dominant race. In fact, there are
many white older towns throughout
fte vraef ~ fliia ana araafar atza x,-houal