The Kansas City sun. (Kansas City, Mo.) 1908-1924, 1917-03-24
NEGRO ORATORS
ELOQUENT REBUKE.

With all his genius and culture,
Roscoe Conkling Simmons is a Ne
gro. His college degrees and personal
refinement cannot change his blood
or color, or make him one bit less
member of a race regarded as social
ly, economically and mentally infer
ior to the white.
That Louisville is proud of him as
a citizen; that the negro people of the
country look to him for leaderships
much as they did to his illustrious
uncle, Booker T. Washington; that
men of prominence in the nation ac-
cord him fellowsip and place in high
councils, does not change his status.
For these very reasons, his words,
spoken the other day before gath
ering of his own race, should spread
ablus of shame on the Caucasian
skins of some who are conspicuous
in the eyes of the nation just now
when men of superior learning and
vaunted super-race connections, in
intrusted with the solemn duty of serv-
ing and protecting their country's
throats to heap contumely upon the
nations head and tie his hands street
ched out to protect the lives and
rights of Americans; when sniveling
white pacifsts join with all the traitor
Stacker crew to invite national disgrace
and ruin, well may this member of an
inferior race" boast.
1--WE have a record to defend, but
no treason, thank God, to atone or
explain. While in chains we fought
to free white men-From Lexington
to Carrizal and returned again to our
chains. No Negro has ever insulted
the flag. No Negro ever struck down
a President of these United States.
No Negro ever sold military map of
a secret to foreign government. No
Negro ever ran under fire or lost an
opportunity to serve, to fight, to bleed
and to die in the republics cause. Ac-
cuse us ow what you will-justly or
wrongly-no man can point to sin
gle instance of our disloyalty.
I'VE have but one country and one
flag, the flag that set us free. Its
language is our only tongue, and no
hyphen bridges or qualities our 10y
atty. Today the nation faces danger
from a foreign foe, treason stalks and
skulgs up and down our land, in dark
councils intrigue is being hatched.
am a Republican, but Wilson Re-
publican. Woodrow Wilson is my
leader. What he commands me to do
/ shall do. Where he commands me
to go I shall go. If he calls me to
the colors, shall not ask whether my
colonel is black or white. l shall be
there to pick out no color except the
white of the enemy's eye. Grievances
| have against the people, against
this government. Injustice to me there
is, bad laws there are upon the stat
ute books, but in this hour of perl
l forget-and you must forget. al
thoughts of self or race or creed oi
politics or color. That boys, is 10y
atty"
That this address was a notable
piece of diction and oratory mean:
little, save as tribute to the talen
and erudition of it's author and an au
gury of what may come from Others
of his race when given his oportiun
tiles. AS rebuke to the traitors ant
Americans not worthy of the name /
deserves the widest reading, whil'
such men as LaFollette, Stone, o
German, Vandaman, Works, Bryan an,
all their ilk, instead, perhaps of be
ing trrred and feathered black shoul
be forced to read these words of
black man.-CourieT-J Journal.