The Denver star., 1915-01-09
OUT OF LINE.

If SellS-Floto Circus was going to
give a free exhibition on the campus
of the State Capitol, The Star ven-
lures to say hundreds Of Negroes
would be found there. looking on
and looking around" They would
practically receive little or no real
benefit for the expenditure of their
effort Last Friday at noon was the
day when both administrations re-
ceived their New Year callers-the
day of the change of our state govern
ment Italians, Belgians. French, Ger
mans, and Japanese were there TO
pay their respects to the newly elect
ed governor and get acquainted with
him SO that if, in the future, they
needed to call upon him for anything
they could have the pleasure of know
ing him. One lone Negro from Colo
RADIO Springs and one layman and one
minister of Denver, besides two or
three women of color, were all the
Negroes who visited the governors
office New Years day. Out of $4,000
or 10000 Negroes in this state. think
of such miserable showing! This
gathering was the greatest in Colo
RADIOS history; men of great ana
small affairs from all parts OF the
state came to pay their respects and
pledge anew to the governor their
moral support. Where were our rep
resentative men? Where were our
lawyers, doctors, ministers of the Cos
pel, our business and tradesmen and
our farmers? Where was thesRepub-
lican Club of 800 members to bring
the governor glad tidings? Where
was the Women's Republican Club
and it's members? Are we after
loaves and fishes? If Gov. Carlson
wanted a doctor for a medical posi-
ton in the state, if he should desire
to appoint minister to the pardon
board, If he should want to talk quiet
ly with some representative Negro
touching the interest of our race, e.
G., farming, colonizing, ETC., or advise
with some business man OF color,
where would he have to go to hnd
one, or some? To his butler, maid,
his janitor or enquire Of some news
paper as to who is who? Mr.. Colored
Man, We must wake up; we nave
been asleep too long; we are too clan-
nish, timid, and not broad and cosmo-
politan enough We are out OF line
because of our own stupidity. The
New Years day belongs to every citi-
zen and 1t is we'll to let the governor
know then that we feel he is OUR
representative as much as any Greek,
German, Jap or Belgian. Mr.. Young
Negro, will not a grave responsibility
such as this concern you more than
some trivial pleasure? You must lead
off. You must direct the movements
and affairs of the older people. We
trust that the Colorado Negro will not
be "out of line" again. Will 1t al
ways be said that the Negro delega-
tions can only be seen and heard
from when a Negro is sentenced 10
die or when we are job hunting or
trying to defeat some person seeking
Job? Where is our state pride en-
gendered by our living in the state |
and loyalty kindled by our desire to
have Colorado the very best state in
the Union, and our never-dying patrl-
otism to really make this state gov
ernment of the people. for the peo-
pie and by the people? Colorado Is
now and will be what the Negro will
make it, or allow others to make it. |
Push in and accept the responsible |
ties, along with the benefits. AS
long as Negroes live in this state,
this state government is not COM
plete until it takes the Negro into ac-
count. The Star believes in fighting
every inch for our civil and legal
rights; but we also believe in doing
and bearing our state, civic and pub
lie responsibilities. You are not a
good citizen unless you do.