Iowa state bystander. [volume] (Des Moines, Iowa) 1894-1916, 1914-07-24

Inc tennessee supreme courts de-
c1slon that former slaves cannot In
merit property under the ordinary rules
OF klnship was upheld by the Supreme
court OF the United States.
The question arose over the case Of
John Jones, a former slave, who owned
a farm in Tennessee at the time of his
death, and the construction OF the
state laws of Tennessee, which deny
the right of collateral inheritance to
be in violation of the fourteenth
amendment to the constitution.
John Jones died in Shelby county,
Tenn, possessing n acres of land. He
left no children, but a number Of
brothers and sisters. Marguerite Jones,
the widow OF John Jones, claimed the
property, Will Jones secured quit
claim deeds from the brothers and sis
tiers, turning over to him their inter-
ests in the property. Litigation re-
suited, in which the Tennessee courts
held In favor Of Marguerite Jones.
They held that the brothers and sis
tiers were born in the days of slavery,
and hence could have no inherita BILE
interest in the land.
Will Jones, in his appeal to the Su-
preme court of the United States,
claimed that this decree Of the Ten
nessee court violated the fourteenth
amendment to the constitution by de-
priving former slaves Of their civil
rights as guaranteed to them by the
organic law of the land.
Marguerite Jones claimed that the
state of Tennessee had the right to
say which of its citizens should inherit
the lands Of another citizen dying in
testate, and also that none Of the
constitutional rights of Will Jones had
been transgressed. Under the decision
the land goes to Jones widow
The promise Of Mr.. julius Rosen-
valid of Chicago to duplicate all gifts
for negro rural public schools in the
South is no less notable for it's wisdom
than for its generosity. 1t is not clear
from the dispatches whether this re-
fers only to sums raised by colored
people or by others; in either event,
it is muniflcent enough. But Mr.. Ros-
enwald is accustomed to bestowing
his benefactions both wisely and gen
erously, as witness what he has done
for the Y M. c. A. movement among
the colored people. A number Of i'm.
pressive and useful buildings have
arisen because Of his aid and inspira-
ton. So disheartening has been the
condition of the negro rural school
in many counties they offer a mere
mockery Of education-that the Slater
and general education boards, as we'll
as the Jeanes fund which applies itself
exclusively to the colored rural public
schools, have, been deyotlng them
selves to the task of obtaining better
SUPERVISION, better teachers, and bet
ter conditions. If Mr.. Rosenwald will
now duplicate every dollar raised by
the colored people to improve their
CIOSS-IOGuS q ppASAA0AN oPNA
for their activities-and they give gen
erously in comparison with their small
meaus-has been provided.
The colored population of the South
is making more rapid progress IN
every line than those Of the NORTH
according to the Rev. Simon P. w.
Drew, pastor Of the Cosmopolitan
Baptist church, who, in sermon de-
clared it would be but short time
when colored men desiring to advance
themselves will return to their south
ern homes. He said that labor organ1-
cations in the North are preJudiced
against members of the colored race
and In many trades exclude them
from employments