The broad ax. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1895-19??, 1916-09-09

In this connection it might be truth
fully said that the vast majority of
Afro-Americans have not yet sufficient
ly advanced in civilization to appreci-
ate the power, influence or the real
worth of the newspaper for after more
than forty years of freedom and
progress on the part of Afro-Americans
there is only one financial supporter of
Negro newspapers to each $4,000 Afro
Americans throughout this country.
This is an appalling showing when
we take into consideration the fact
that there are more than ten million
Americans in the United States.
1t can also be truthfully stated that
the vast majority of Afro-Americans
look upon Colored editors as huge
jokes, and they invariably entertain
the idea that they are making a great
sacrifice on their part to treat them
with civility, and many of them who
are utterly incapable of making a sue
cess in life or conducting successfully
any line of business have the nerve to
think that they are eminently qualified
to teach successful Colored editors how
to run or conduct their newspapers.
In speaking of the power and inf1u-
enee of the newspaper, Napoleon, who
was one of the greatest warriors of
ancient or modern times, on one oeca-
sion exclaimed that "he would rather
face an army composed of three hun
dred thousand soldiers with all the
aceoutrements of modern warfare than
to have three newspapers firing into the
rear of his army"
The immortal Thomas Jefferson let
it be known before passing away from
this earth "that as far as he was con.
eerned he would rather reside in coun-
try without a government with plenty
of newspapers rather than live in a
country with a government and no
newspapers.
1t was the pens of William Lloyd
Garrison, Benjamin Lundy, E. P. Love
Joy, Charles Osborne, Frederick Doug
lass and a few other brave and coura-
geous men, through the columns of their
small newspapers that revolutionized
the public sentiment in this country
in favor of the abolition of slavery. 1t
was their pens dipped in burning fire
aud gall which made it possible for
others who stood idly by at that time
and refused to raise their little finger
to assist them in their great and heroic
struggles for humanity, to wear the
crown or the wreath of glory, later
on, owing to the results which flowed
from the war of the rebellion.
Right at this very time it seems
hard for the Afro-Americans to realize
the fact that "there are more than five
hundred papers or articles written in
opposition to them and in favor of
keeping them down Intellectually, NOR
ally and in every other way; to one
article written advocating their eleva-
ton along the pathway which leads on
up to the highest mental, moral and
intellectual attainment.
They are unable to comprehend this
great fundamental truth that they will
never be able to throw off the yoke of
oppression which is fastened around
their necks with iron clasps, until they
learn to render hearty support to their
own newspapers. For there are not ten
newspapers in the United States pub
lished in the interest of the White race
whose editors feel that they are obli-
gated under all circumstances to fight
the battles for the Afro-Amerieans and
there are not ten newspapers in this
country published in the interest of the
Afro American race that can run one
year without depending upon the Whites
in the way of advertising and so on.
As we have said before, as long as
the Afro-Americans manifest a dis
position not to support their own race
publication, what can they expect and
what do they deserved Will they not
wake up from their long sleeping or
snoring spell long enough to drink in
this one self evident truth that "there
will be no political change in their
civil or political status in this country
for many years to come and that they
will continue to be the under dog in the