The forum. [volume] (Springfield, Ill.) 1904-192?, 1917-05-12

ways because they are unable TO, but
frequently, 1t is presumed, because
the lynchers are their neighbors, If not
their friends and relatives This, you
say, is an explanation by judge OF
the Georgia supreme court. Thus out
Of Georgia's own legal mouth does she
stand before the world convicted and
confessed wanton oppressor and
murderer of the weak, dereliet TO her
duty. Thus for the black man to shield
a fellow human from torture Is bel
nous crime. meeting too frequently
with death, while for the white man to
protect another from the too lenient
law is human and commendable
thing.
"Southeners have told you that in
civil cases, especially In cases having
to do with property rights, the Negro
can and does get justice. Does hef
Nothing whatever, Mr.. Street, Of the
families that are driven off their land
or made TO sell for mere pittance.
That, of course O., cannot be said to
be within the province of the law.
Why was the wealthy Anthony Graw-
ford lynehedf Impudenee and strik-
ing white man furnished the excuse;
the accumulated $4,000 worth of prop
erty was the real reason.
"You do not agree with Viscount
Bryce that Uncle Toms Cabin should
be generally read, because It seems to
you that this tried friend of the Unit
ed States has not advised us altogether
well, because the primary purpose for
which 1t was written has long since
been served. Its value as a picture of
average conditions under slavery is
somewhat dubious, and the reading Of
1t by those who do not fully under
stand this tends, you believe, to keep
alive the thing which, now that slavery
is gone, needs most OF all to be abol-
ished-namely, sectional feeling.
Questioned About Southern Peonass.
$50, Mr.. Sweet, slavery is gone!
How about the infamous peonage sys-
TENS In the south? How is 1t that some
Of the people in the black belt do not
know TO this day that they are free
Keeping alive dead issuel How about
the Birth of Nation,' u picture that
keeps alive the hatreds and fosters
prejudice against an oppressed people,
that vilifies and maligns themf Have
you read unbiased reconstruction lit
erature thoroughly enough TO know
that the Birth of Nation is not his
tory, but lie? If so, have you ever in
print said that to produce ft would be
unwise and certainly unkindf Had
you listened, as l have from childhood.
to tales of horror, borne out by inerad
icable scars of the brutality of slay
cry, you would know that Uncle Tom 5
Cabin is I'm Its letter and Its spirit #
true picture Of what was.
THE trouble, Mr.. Street, is that the
south has been the Rip Van Wrinkle of
this country. 1t drank deep its draft
of power and its peculiar ideas of su-
periority. 1t is just now being aroused
by the new Negro, the Negro who
through striving and sacrifice and edu
cation is coming into his souls herit.
age. The south would keep alive. If
could. the 'Possum Dick and Aunt
Sophie types of Negro. But, like all
things else on this old planet of ours,
they have had their day, have served
as subjects for picture, song and story.
The new Negro is no less worthy of
artistic immortality. He is upright,
with the straight In the eye look. He
lie. To 10, I'm tod hx,n
vine discomfort He does his own
thinking. He does not recognize and
will not occupy any place assigned
him by another whose only claim to
dictation is the color of his skin.
In your conclusion you say, Let
the Negro frebrand learn the common
Negro virtue of great patience; let him
cease to worry about rights and think
always of duty and destiny Has it
never occurred to you that there is a
place and time when patience ceases
to be virtue and becomes a most ig-
noble crime? That time for the Negro
is now; that place is here.
Must Contend For Equal Justice.
lOuF ADVICE TO the Negro TO 'U0lHk
always of duty and destiny is good.
But the new Negro has been thinking
about that for some time now. He
knows that his duty is to contend for
every right accorded every other man
of every other color. His duty is to
give his children, no matter how great
the sacrifice, every possible advantage
for betterment and for growth. His
duty is to protect with even greater
zealousness the property, lives and
honor of his own family than did his
misguided forefathers protect those of
an absent MASTER Instead of waiting
supinely for belated respect and JUS
tice from white men. he will work out
and meet half way his own destiny.
And that destinyl 1t is to stand on an
equal footing with every other man Of
every other race, asking neither char
ity nor favor, but demanding and get
ting even handed justice.
You read the Negro Year Book
Do you read the Crisis? The burning
Dubois through its pages sounds the
tiarion call of the new Negro to n new