The bystander. [volume] (Des Moines, Iowa) 1916-1922, 1916-03-10
! AERO.AMER|CAN CU[L|NGS

The Freedmen's Aid society received
In the last year 1914-15, $17S,O0O. in
collection from annual conferences. In
the year 19l1-12, there was received
from the same source $4,000. The
record is that we received $45, 900
more during the fourth year of this
quadrennium than the frat year. This
10 larger per cent OF Increase over
our previous income than that of any
board save the board OF Sunday
schools. This large increas. ~ not
due solely to the propaganda OF the
commission OF finance. It will be Civ
ing credit to the commission to say
that $4,000 OF It came from that
source.
To this writer's view OF the matter it
is not that the cause is less popular,
but because OF the exploitation of the
progress OF the race as justification
OF what has been done for the black
man-there fs too prevalent an i'm
preston that he is able to support his
schools. It should not be so, for the
colored mans per capita wealth is
q
more fortunate white brother is thir-
ty-three or more.
The colored man has had his
chance but fifty years with burden
some handicaps. His wage earnings
have been small always as compared
with others. He pays more for every
thing and received less with which
to pay. He has had more children to
educate In the last fifty years than
anybody else comparing his numerical
strength with others of the American
population. The opportunity to edu-
cate his children at public expense is
OF the most meager kind. Think of
It.
In Georgia there Are / ,4s1,S1 white
people and 1.176.9S7 colored. people.
The amount Of money expended on
white schools In 1854 was $685.
I6S8, and on the colored schools 1892
sos. The white and colored people
nearly equal and yet upon the white
children there was spent six times
more Of the public funds for educa-
ton than upon the ,colored.
The writer Is entering no complaint
but Is trying to impress few impor-
tant facts as follows. The colored
man cannot yet be expected to any
thing like meet the demands upon
him for the education of his people.
Further that public authorities admir-, !
lister the public fund to suit them
selves and colored people are help
less. II therefore the masses are to be
educated his white friends Nbrth and
South must help him.
The colored man will do bore year
by year. In the Methodist church for
this qusdrennium .Me. haze received
through conference channels and spe-
scial gifts credited to conferences $641,-
1869. OF this amount our colored
people gave $14S.0O0 which is a little
beyond one-fourth the entire amount
given by the church. The colored
man is one-tenth the numerical
strength OF the church and far less
OF the per capita wealth of
the church, yet gives one-fourtha of the
amount spent upon his education
Through the Freedmen's Aid society SO
EfAr as the voluntary gifts of the con-
ferences are concerned.
!, Say brother reader, haven't we ev-
Ierything for which to be thankful and
mot much over which to be discour-
aged? Are we not headed onward?
II this writer does not mistake the
plans now In the making the colored
people will do more by double in the
hext quadrennium. Let us believe that
The greater giving upon the part of
bur white people begins with this Lin
coin Sunday for the reason that the