Omaha daily bee., 1918-10-24
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Case for the Negro in America.

Omaha, Oct. 22.-To the Editor OF
The Bee: In recent issue of The
Bee Rev. ]. A. Broadnax, pastor of
the African Methodist Episcopal
church of South Omaha, published
a letter which read with much in
terest. 1t combines, in about equal
degree, the two merits Of brevity and
breeziness. One of the most striking,
II not the most striking, expressions
embodied in Pastor Broadnax's brief
communication is this:
), mo people living under the Stars
and Stripes and claiming citizenship
in this grand old country can lay
claim to a greater patriotism than
the negro"
with the incontrovertible facts Of
history staring us In the face a.,
that for more than so years after
the Inauguration of our present con-
stitutional government African slav-
cry In the most hideous form consti-
tuted one of the most conspicuous
features of our country; CD that 1t
required four years Of sanguinary
strife, toward which the negro him.
self contributed a noble share, to
tllS lOui lhSlAlutioiit NoP
that even now, after the lapse of
more than half a century since siav-
ery's overthrow, the pretense that
social, civil or political liberty is en-
joyed by the colored people of those
communities where slavery formerly
held sway is an insult to intelligent
and fair minded people everywhere:
az that the Ku Klux Khan, the Jim
Crow car, the segregation infamy,
with its powerful inspiration of the
example of the president and his
cabinet in their dealing with the
negro employees of the departments
I say, with all these ugly facts Of
history staring us in the face, the
declaration of the South Omaha
divine would seem calculated to ex-
cite surprise among Americans Of
the average type.
1t is not the part Of human nature
to respond to brutal blows constantly
inflicted by constant expressions Of
gratitude for the blows. And yet /
heartily assent to the soundness Of
Mr.. Broadnax's assertion, and
imagine that but for his desire to
avoid consumption Of too much Of
The Bees valuable space he might
easily have explained why the negro,
In spite of his hard experience Of the
past, is fully satisfied as to the cor
rectness of his determination to
stand by the flag"-to support In
Gle Sam as did our forebears on the
fields of the revolution and the re-
bellion. In the language and spirit
Of the colored sergeant Of the famous
Saith Massachusetts infantry on the
bloody parapet Of Fort Wagner. we
must not allow Old Glory to touch
the ground
In conclusion and in brief, let me
frankly confess the fact that it is
my positive conviction that the dem
ocratic party Is overwhelmingly and
lrretrievably swayed by the PERM
cious spirit of negrophobia. Under
such national leadership as the late
ex- President Cleveland, and with
such local leaders as many who
might be named as of the past, there
was inducement for patriotic people
If Independent thought and action
10 share their patronage with It,
But under such leadership as the
present national and state admins
trationS I am unable to note a single
trait. 7 hardly need ,
say, therefore, that I shall heed Dr.
advice and vote the re-
publican ticket straight at the COM
ng election. CYRUS D. BELL.