The Denver star., 1918-02-09
Church News
THE NEGRO COMMERCIAL ASSO
CATION.

1t is very gratifying to note the in
terest which is being manifested IN
the organization of our forces to pro-
mote our material interests. 1t is be-
coming evident that conditions and
circumstances of today are causing
the Negro to think and see as he has
not done before He lis learning that
his intellectual. moral and spiritual
well-being must have sure founda-
ton in material things. He is learn
ing that gross poverty and unremltted
servitude are not specially conducive
to the development of his higher pow
ers. He has always felt and believed
himself to be human being-a man;
and as genus homo he should have
rights and privileges which others
are bound to respect and accord him.
But his environment is teaching him,
that in this world of ours the great
human forces are largely moved and
controlled by sentiment. Consequent
". he is seeing that he has got to
build largely upon that same senti-
ment and seek to win IL to his favor
He is going to stand or fall. in great
n 'easure, by just what others think
CT him. That is, if he wants to be
respected he has got to be respectable.
Ii he claims a mans privileges, he
must show mans qualities. And
standing upon his rights he must be
equipt to defend as vel! as claim his
rights. This seems heartless. but it
is the way of the world. The Negro
is learning all this II is good He
who divides the spoil with the strong
must first show his strength-he must
be tested. If he fails or falls>he must
reap the reward of the vanQuished.
The saying is not altogether pagan.
ITO the victor belongs the spoils."
There is crude and simple justice
in the universal sentiment that if a
| man receives the laurels he must first
win the race. This is true not only
OF the individual, but of community
, and people. In the face of our de-
mands for the rights of citizenship,
we naturally incur the obligation to
show the quality of citizenship, in
the highest sense. There are duties
to fulfil, difficulties to face, and sac
rifices to make, which, in the very
spirit of courage by which we
meet them, we necessarily prove the
quality of that citizenship for which
we make ourselves worthy. Gifts and
privileges above that which he has
earned are not good for any man. We
give to children, and we thus meet
necessity in their child-nature which
makes for development but as they
take on the nature and powers of
manhood and womanhood, we expect,
and rightly, that in large. measure
they should make their own way.
Any other philosophy blights true
manhood. The Negro has not 1lways
seen this; but thanks to kindly
Providence and the necessities of his
environment he is waking uD. Fur
thermore. the Negro is finding out
that if he would enjoy the fruits of
commerce ne must first become COM
mercial. A first principle of business
science is that production must equal
consumption. The medium of bust
ness Intercourse is infalibly regulated
by this law. The man or the commu-
nifty who cannot here strike a balance
is most certainly on the wrong side Of
the ledger. All of which meanss until
| the Negro becomes a producer he is
going to continue serf. In boyhood
we had homely saying, ITS hard,
| but it's fair
The Apostle Paul wrote, "If any
| nan work not, neither shall he eat"
| There are many who have not sound
ed the full range of the Apostles
, meaning. 1t would seem reasonable
tity, of his eating would be determined
by that work. THIS is hard phlos-
ophy, but in mastering it a race
makes it-elf men. "The game is worth
the candle" Any community of peo-
pie who earn and spend between two
and three millions of good money an
nually, but who do not retain to them
selves even two per cent. of this huge
sum thru legitimate business activi
a manifest badge of incompetence,
which permits the social body to sure
ly and rightly determine their place.
Finally, the Negro preacher is learn
ing that the Gospel of salvation which
fits a man to occupy his place in
heaven must first fit him to rightly
| occupy his place in this world Man
has three-fold nature, body, mind
| and spirit; trinity of personality,
| one and undivisable. The attempt to
develop the one without due thot and
| concern from the other is wholly alb
normal and must resolt in failure.
Consequently it is rs much duty to
preach from our pulpits honest and
legitimate cooperation in commercial
and business affairs, as to in
sist upon cooperation in activi-
| ties confined to the realm of
spirit. These are few considerations
| upon the motives behind the Negro
Commercial Association. And we be-
lieve that every self-reapecting Negro
| will rally thereto