The McDowell times. [volume] (Keystone, W. Va.) 1904-1941, 1915-09-03
.fs he Negro C;tizess!
sf Raleigh County
". Virginia
lEE EVERY cOL0RED MAN
g kfm tHD PONDER NELL

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M DEAR FELLOW CITIZENS:
- You are the wisest, the most high.
minded, the most farsesing and faithful
Of people, but will you know, Oh, vair
men, that faith without works. b dead.
There are but lew of you who can give
. most interesting street corner talk on
the Negro's shortcomings You -1car
point ont with ststesmanlike exactness
= <5nss s~hat ousnt to be done 10 relieve tn.
embarr sssng situation into which he j,
'sssshing. You can very eIoquentiy de
scribe what the other fellow ought to do
bus desire 10 inform you that ''tnos
art the man."
In the mining and Timber campo yor
!. psy he found, straight of figure. lar.
Ind strong Of body, some OF you, ths
very picture Of physical perfection, bul
what Is your place in the great industrie,
wa,exe Jon serve? Are you like the mule
IN the mines. removed and only . tenn
porEry Inconvenience ensues, or are you,
by your fsithfulness, so worming POUR
selves into the mining and lumber inter
ests Of this country that your removal
will cause snch disaster that your per-
-snsnency s assured?
As you, well dressed and fashioned,
p6sesen the streets, and sit in the NOV
ing picture shows are you like the pet
c4ts that can he dispensed with, causing
no Inconvenience save few individua n
tears? Or, are you so linked and tied
with the interests of the county thar you
must be consulted whenever . chautau-
.ape sopsss, an electric railroad line is
proposed or any project of large import
10 coDtemplescd? These things are being
discussed at the meetings Of the Negro
Civic League Of Raleigh county.
Have you ever stopped to consider how
much the county would suffer, il by some
miracle you were all removed? Is il not
possible that under ordinary circum-
stances, in . few short months, Austria
Hungary, Ireland and Italy, might be
ss1sie 90 ali your place-:
What Institutions, other than PENAL
Ife'npendent upon your What indus-
1Es<s ere you controllIng2 What necess-
It'-s of life are you supplying by your
dIrrctione In fact, could not the county
spare y9u With but little inconvenience
70 iiself@- II you were gone. the stores
would repan, the mihe- would continue,
the logging camps would stay open, the
hanks would continue 10 do business, the
c.wt-, tie srhooIs and infirmries would
Bf ~ disturbed, in fact, the whole po-
lirtraf and industrial machinery of the
county would hardly miss your going out
These are some II the questions discuss
ed at the meetings of the Negro Civic
League.
The county jail is full Of prisoners the
majority Of whom are Negroes; ysn do
not know whether or not they are there
V,dus Process Of Law, for you have no
part IN the machinery Of justice, not one
OF you sit on jury 10 pass upon the
character OF yoH brothers conduct. Not
one cf Jon hold a plsce A. an officer in
your comfy to spprehend single GRIM
insl or n protect an innocent unfortu-
nktx. -
For thirty years in this county you
have trusted pour destiny into the hands
Of white people. How well they have
performed the trust may b. seen on ever
hend- Won do fiot hold q single place
is'sbe county ss mine foreman, log in
spsctRrs csnmissary clerk or any other
posifion of honor and trust. Then judg.
ing the fntnre by the past, rre you will
ing To trust the destiny Of your sons and
daughters in the same hands? Are your
sons and daughters who are now in school
preparing themselves 10 take their places
m every field Of human endeavor. 10 h
confined 10 the tasks Of bewine wood and
drawing waser7
Are you willing that white men sboult
gov rich selling you soods, handing
ycur money and conducting every line
OF industry, while your own sons remain
poor, waiting on he table, tending I'M
bors-s and blsckins his booss7 Are yor
sstisfed 10 have the white girls ri.s =
sssDosrsphers, bookkeeps, clerks and
millinen while Jour educated dauehser
wish their clothes, nurse their bsbss'
sndrcook their food?
There q no dishonor in vsshins clothes
blaefinf bpes or sending babies OF borus
but Il 80 can do thee thinss for som<
60 - Why nos Do them Tor osssslf7 I
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