The Denver star., 1914-03-07

lem Of Manhood Rights as II Relates
to Afro -Americans-Trus Meaning Of
Emancipation.
BY FRANCIS II. WARREN.
Detroit, Mich.-My interest was
much aroused when l read the an
nouncement in the daily press OF this
city that the Rev. Dr. Eugene Rodman
Shipper. pastor Of the First Unitarian
church. Woodward avenue and Ed
| mund place. would preach a sermon on
lude to the general celebration of Lin
coins birthday. and l at once deter
mined to hear that sermon.
! ! was first to arrive at the church.
4 good sized congregation turned out
! to listen to this learned divine talk
upon this burning subject just one
month after the now famous DR., Joel
T.. Spingaru addressed mass meet
ing of 1,5oo people ut the Second Bap-
| tiSt church
Shows Oneness Of the Human Family.
DR.. Shipper took for his text the
| chapter of Acts. He hath made of one
blood all nations of men. He in part
said:
| The anniversary of the birth of Abra-
| ham Lincoln brings to our attention the
| so called race problem. Lincoln wTestled
| with the problem that our atten ion is
| called to today. Emancipation in his time
related to the freedom of man to do what
| he pleased with his own person and labor.
! freedom to go and come and move about.
| Emancipation today means a different
| freedom. 1t means the freedom OF the
| Negro to enjoy all the civil rights and t.
| receive a Just administration of the law.
I There has been reaction toward greater
| prejudice, and race prejudice Is now found
| north as well south. The north can
no longer point its finger Of shame at the
| south.
| A young woman possessing a trace OF
| Negro blood was employed in largC De-
| troit esta adjustment for three years, Civ
| ing satisfactory service, before ii was
| learned that she possessed Negro blood.
| when she was Immediately discharge. 1
| shall not make further comment on the
| act, but the problem has become national
| in it's scope. The Negro has beer polit
| ically disfranchised in some states. 1t is
! said that some of them will sell their
votes for a drink of liquor, but this Is
not a Negro popularity. There are hun
thing. II there is to be discrimination in
permitting people to vote it should be
rational discrimination based upon edu-
cation or other like qualification, but not
upon race color in this democratic ma
ton.
Country Should Be Ruled by the People
Whites don't want to be ruled by the
blacks. Neither do the blacks want to be
ruled by the whites. We want neither
,,l..h- LII nnlr rtyt
Of all the people. as Lincoln advocated in
his great speech at Gettysburg lndustri-
ally the Negro faces many hardships.
Even if he has the slightest trace OF Negro
blood he meets with ostracism and exclu-
sion from many fields Of employment.
Many employers would employ Negroes.
but their workmen interpose serious OBJ
jections to working with their colored
brethren. which is a grave wrong against
humanity.
In the face of such conditions it is no
wonder that so many Negroes find their
way to criminal lives. No colored man
may now go through West Point or An
napolis Notwithstanding there is no law
to prevent. 1t is simply the fact that
state. There are at least nine great col
IeEes north OF Mason and DiXOn's line.
where life is made miserable for Negro
students. The refined and educated Negro
meets with many difficulties when trav-
cling and he is often denied the courte-
sizes and accommoda tions due refined peo
pie, while white man. though he be in
ferior, is made entirely welcome and ac-
corded every courtesy.
Negroes have souls as well as we. How
any one can willfuy njure one with such
impunity is simply inconceivabe I am
not concerned with the question Of social
equality. That takes care Of itsef. Ev-
cry man has the absolute and Inherent
right to select his own associates, and
that question does not enter into the dis
cusson. Due to the agitation Of enemies
of the race. for the first time discrimina-
tion is being practiccd against Negroes In
the governmental department.. I know
from personal experience there has been
no friction between the white and colored
employees at the nations capital who
have worked side by side for more than
generation. President Wilson promised
Just and fair Christian treatment to the
Negroes before his election, and those OF
us who admire him most expect the most
, from him and faithful performance OF
his promise.
Make Lincoln's Ideals Effective.
The failure to give the Negro civil JUS
tice was nothing to the failure to give him
legal justice. The defender Of lynching is
the defender of murder The Negro suf-
fers through no fault Of his own He is
what the great God Of nature has made
him. They are now preparing to build
great $2,G00G1 monument to Lincoln. This
will he erected OF marble and cement, but
the truest and most lasting monument
that could be erected to the memory Of
the greatest of Americans would be to
carry into effect the simple ideals which
he advocated while on earth.
The Negro has proved his fltness for
American citizenship. has proved his brav
cry and heroism by receiving seventeen
| Carnegie prizes for heroism during the
| past year. He owns billion dollars In
| property. He has dispelled ignorance and
| is now 60 per cent litcrate and lie is alto
gcther as fit as any other class Of our
| complex citizcnry. The spirit OF love is
bound sooner later to prevail Lin
| coins religion was love Of God, love of
| man. We will do well to follow his noble
| example in both word and deed
Thus twice within the space OF one