The Farmington times. (Farmington, St. Francois County, Mo.) 1905-1926, 1918-03-15
LOYALTY OF THE NEGRO RACE

Now, in the crisis of our nation,
politics is secondary, sectional feel
ings yield, and people, facing the
enemy of truth, of justice, and of love,
stand united. Today there is no
north, no south, no east, no west, but
country of 100,000,000 souls stand
ing as one man, supporting the Presi-
dent of this great nation in his heroic
efforts to make the world safe for
liberty and democracy. The past |
shall reveal nothing save the good
accomplished by the two races. What |
ever may be now the feelings Of many |
respectively Of each race towards the
other, the destiny of the two is in
separately linked. If in this struggle |,
this nation goes down beneath the
iron heels of an unfeeling military |
foe, then the negro race will likewise |
feel the blow. Still this feeling of
fear is not the sentiment which moves
him to stand with his white brother |
in this hour of his counry's greatest
need. But it is a sentiment, pure and
: holy that banishes all fear of death;
sentiment of loyalty and patriot
ism; a love for his country; her great |
men and devoted mothers, her brave
sons and loyal daughters; her institu-
tons, civil, political, and religious;
the beauties of her natural sceneries,
namely, her crystal lakes and roaring
torrents; her flowing streams and
gushing fountains; her snow-capped
mountains and verdant valleys; her
sun-kissed hills and fertile soil; her
varied climate and inexhaustible stores
of mineral wealth; and her finished
products of thrift and industry. Yes,
love for her progress in every realm
of thoughtful inquiry that has made
man a lesser slave and woman more
aueenly in her home. A love like this
can't be conquered by militarism, or
subjected to the will of inordinate
, ambition. Racial feelings can't fetter
, it. Money can't buy it. Stronger it
is than death itself.
This love the negro has for his
country. This he evinced in the Rev
dictionary War, when he stood with
his white brother, conscious of the fact
that he was not to be set free, and
: there at Concord and Lexington, he
was the first to spill his blood and
lay down his life that his white broth
= err might live free from tyranny and
oppression, and thus helped to make
= it possible for his white brother to
5 be free to work out a noble destiny
r for himself, his family, and transmit
it to his posterity. In this the ne
gro of the future was privileged to
! participate. Thus was founded the
greatest government on earth-"a
n government of the people, by the peo-
: pie, and for the people," and in this
S government, the rulers governed only
: by the consent of the governed. The
! negro stood, not as an onlooker, but
It as fighter, with Commodore Perry
: on Lake Erie in that memorable naval
h fight, and there proved his bravery
= and loyalty He was with General
o jackson at the battle of New Orleans
and the result of that battle is known
to readers of history. He proved him.
Y, self to be a true friend and brave
soldier on either side during the Civil
l. War. He marched fearlessly up
IS San Juan Hill and there in the very
ir face of ;cannons and shells, he held
VI high the flag of our country and COW
Is cred it with deathless glory. While
his master was fighting in the Civil
If War, he was loyal; and yet he was
1t victory smiled upon his masters eff
ID forts. But during all these four years
1t of bloody struggles, he committed NJ
,e arson, no pillage, no rapine, no muir
to der, but was intensely devoted to his
pit masters family; supplied their wants
s, and gave them protection. Such q
i'd feeling of devotion and mutual respect
r between master and slave is without
parallel in the history of the world
W When this country called for men
III the negro offered himself. When il
n. asked for means to help out, he botf
er gave and loaned his bit. Kansas City
TX negroes alone bought Liberty Bonds
e. to the amount of 100000, and the
ne great daily of that city was unstintec
a in its praise of them. All over the
country the negroes are helping il
n service, with money, and with men tt
is win this gigantic war; in our own pro
if gressive city they are buying Thrift
p, Stamps and War Savings Certificates
IS to help Uncle Sam, that he nigh
ng emerge from the smoke of battle
a with a world redeemed from plutoc
be racy, from autocracy, and from mil
lis itarism, and that he may in truth ant
he in justice help to dedicate it foreve
p to the goddess of liberty and democ
nd racy. This is an awful war brough
lie on by greed, gain, and extreme sci
nd fishness on the one side and on tn
ne other truth and justice are sacrificing
ial their lives that nations may live an
that individuals may enjoy the full
to measure of fruits of their toll.
1t The negro will stand by the flag o
~ his country. The greater advancement
pie his country makes, the more it mean
lal to every citizen beneath the folds o
,or Old Glory. Never has he deserted il
on never has he made reasonable ut
Of terance against it. The more intelli
gent he is, the stronger prop he Is t