The bystander. [volume] (Des Moines, Iowa) 1916-1922, 1916-06-30

abolished. These Negroes although
given their freedom were almost ush-
cred into the same plane as Jesus,
the Bethlehem babe, for they had not
place to lay their heads; burdened
with the thought Of the torture of
slavery for almost three hundred
years or more, you can we'll imagine
or draw picture within your minds
the stress of circumstances that these
now free men and women were placed
in. Russia and the people of that
country Of whom this nation has al
ways boasted of their superiority by
virtue of their higher civilization, and
Russia's barbariousness, knowing
this to be a fact, Russia gave to her
slaves when she turned them loose a
tract of land and sum of money
sufficient to start them out upon life's
journey, and Americas three million
black men and women, unlearned and
alone, with no place to lay their
heads, and yet we term this nation
the land of the free and the hhme of
the brave. A coward could do no less
than this after our fathers and moth
ers worked as slaves and made cotton
king, and four hundred and fifty
thousand black men shousiering guns
in the heat Of the rebellios and as a
matter of fact was the direct cause
of the crisis of that mighty struggle
at Vicksburg and Appomattox, this
was our reward for service rendered
from a country who boasts of their
Jeffersonian doctrine.
Politically these free men finally
wended their way into our halls of
congress, both national and state,
through the shrewdness of white men
who were political gods at that time,
taking advantage of the ignorance Of
the minds of our fathers rights, right
after the war. You can we'll imagine
our progress from a political view
point, especially at time that rel
SolIoCI uSClOIl was ICCCSSdIy.
These Negroes, our fathers, then
our representatives in the halls of
fame, handled the English language
from the dis and dat, do and de odder
standpoint. The writer of this ar
ticle is personally acquainted with a
past senator of the state of Louisi-
ana, whose learning could not be
compared with one of our boys from
8 grammar school. Little wonder
then that the Negro lot power and
their prestige when the days of re-
construction became inevitable. Lost
privileges are almost like golden mo-
ments, gone in the dark forever. The
white people of this age and of this
century can clearly see, through our
trend toward social development and
intellectual attainments that We have
also learned to manage pecuniary
concerns with frugality. And through
all of this they seem to still close the
door of the affairs of life against we
ten million black men and women and
children. They say, place no restraint
on trade in order that it may not be-
come stagnant, neither usurp the
rights of men, and yet what is the
most golden to them they deny us of.
My propaganda on preparedness,
my idea Of political betterment for
the Negroes are that there should be
established bureaus in communities
where there are at least fifty men and
women and from that up an instruc-
tive lesson given by the one best fit
for such, upon the political issues of
the times and to hold open discussions
upon the same, thereby we would be
better able to arrive at some conclus-
ion tending toward our political
movement. This bureau to be nation
al as we'll as state. Let us prepare
for the invisible government. The
writer endorses fireside talks in our
homes upon political economics and
ethical standards instead of so much
worldly gossip and unordinary frolic.
Negro organizations of every kind all
over the United States should have
meetings once>a month to have a re-
view of the current events, touching
on racial questins in general, by keep
ing in touch with the music of the
republic. We should see to it that
our race should have at least three or
more U. S. congressman as we'll as
senators to be elected by a majority
Of the Negroes. There should be at
least one representative to every
state to promote our causes there in
order that they may not be eradi-
Gated. We should have what is known
as the men and measure league to be
strictly non-partisan, for I believe
that the future hopes of the Negro
politically in the United States lies in
the fact that he does away with par
tisanism. Because we are now at the
place when we must look to the lnan,
regardless of the party; I mean the
mai who will bring or give to US re-
suits.
Reciprocity in a democratic gov
ernment like ours should be dealt uni
versal in it's adaptations ant bestow-
ais. Our grand MOTTO should be in an
age like this, Taxation without rep
resentatiOn is tyranny.