The Denver star., 1915-06-05

AoCW ~ VSOVof t0toFmAtooH V00ooFuso0
Our Achievements In Education and
Wealth Nay De cavss Of Apparent
Prejudice Against the csIsrsd Pepu-
iation In Ouoksys state.
- RALPH ". TYLER.
Columbus. O.-It is perhaps to the
disadvantage Of the colored man that
white friends know more about the for
eign born citizens who are In our midst
than they do about the colorsd race.
which, like the poor. We have with us
always, and have had with us since
1920.
1t may well be that an unconscious
ness Of what the colOred man has done
and il doing rather than any innate
of the apparent discriminate tion the race
suffers from in Ohio.
Any time there exists within a speci-
fed domain a goodly number of people
of any race or nationality who. I'm all
things for mutual progress. are one as
the hand. but In all things socia. are
rs separate as the fingers on the hand.
there develops a problem to invite the
serious and helpful attention OF all
those who are willing to vouchsafe ex-
act justice without regard for race or
color.
There are l1l.4j2 colored persons in
Ohio. all native born Americans. These
people are not decreasing In numbers.
but. on the contrary. are increasing
They increased IL per cent In a decade
They are not all black-these people
whose earlier ancestors. as Cowper
said. were forced from home and all
Its pleasures: Africa's coast they left
forlcrn to increase II strangers treas
ures. o'er the raging billows borne"
OF the total colored population in Ohio
of III. AZ, 30.240 are mulattoes and by
strange form OF evolution the mulat-
toes have increased since 1870. when
they formed 49, per cent Of the total
coiored population. until now they
form 35.2 per cent Of the colored popu-
lation
In contradiction to the southern
states. the colored population in Ohio
is most largely urban. and the urban
population In increasing at a rapid rate
each year. Cincinnati. Dayton. COlum-
bus and Clev elaud showing the largest
per cent Of increase Of any cities in the
state. OF the total colOred population
In Ohio s2.2sc Il urban. while only
~. l79 u rural. while the back to the
farm movement has not caught on to
any very appreciable extent with the
colored race. still Of the eighty eight
counties In Ohio but twelve report no
4
farmers In the state who own farm
property to the value Of &6,90l. .121-
This Is an increase In the value Of
farm property owned by colored farm
ers in Ohio Of &2.0O3. .790. or CO., per
cent. since 1900. Even the avowed en-
emies OF the race must admit this In a
commendabie showing and one which
gives fresh concrete evidence of prog
rcss on the part OF the rural colored
population. One other commendable
and noteworthy fact respecting col
orcd farmers In Ohio In that they are
most largely owners rather than mere
tenants. for Of the l,94S In the state
I.3ll are actual owners of their land.
1t is surprising that the race In Ohio
has made such phenomenal progress
in reducing its illiteracy when condi-
tions arc such ~ to make such a large
per cent Of them hewers OF wood and
dra wers of water. In spite OF the fact
TINT. Of the 1927 OF the race who are
ten years Of age and over. 4l.243. or
S3.T per cent are engaged in gainfui
occupation. stiil the race in Ohio has
reduced the illiteracy at a remarkable
rate. OF the 7O.s36 coloresi urban popu-
ntion in Ohio there are but 1858 who
are illiterate. and Of the 23.OI4 rural
population but 3.4O7 are illiterate. Gin
cinnnti shows the largest per cent Of
colored illiteracy Of any city in the
state. and Cleveland the lowest
In Cincinnati there are 2,503 colOred
people. or lab per cent. above the age
OF ten years who can neither read nor
write; in Columbus there are 9622. or 81
per cent. who are illiterate, and in Day
ton there are 800. or 9.5 per cent who
are illitcrate. while Cleveland has but
BOG or Al per cent. who are unable to
read and write.
The fact that 4l.243 OF the race Of
ten years OF age and over are com.
PEELED to be employed In gainfui Oc-
cupations affects. to some extent, the
school attendance on the part Of the
ynce. In Cleveland 20 per cent Of the
colored children OF the same age are
in school: in Cincinnati 67.2 per cent
are in school: Columbus falls behind
Cincinnati with but 55.4 per cent Of
colored children Of school age in school.
while Dayton shows Just tribe better
in this matter with t68 per cent Of
colored children OF school age In school.
n "an appeal to Caesar" was made
on behalf Of the race In Ohio It would
he proper TO state. and to show. that
the 111.452 colored people In Ohio
spend every working day in the year