Baxter Springs news., 1919-01-24
THE SEGREGATION QUESTION

state; also our representative W M
Yount, has introduced a similar
measure In the lower house Of the
state legislature, and we wish TO re-
spectfully ask our law makers at To-
peka to enact one Of these worthy
measures into law.
We do not say this to please the
whites but we do ask It on behalf OF
both races. The Negro Is here and
not of his choice. He was brought to
America as q slave, against his Will,
and for centuries was a newer OF
wood and q drawer Of water for his
white master. Finally, a little more
than half century ago, his shackles
were sticken of and the Negro slave
became free man. He has been
clothed with the rights Of American
citizenship. He is black and we are
white. He cannot change his color
nor can we, but, the educated and en-
lightened Negro wants to be free
man, live as such and be a good citi-
zen.
He does not want inter-marriage OF
the races; he wants equal justice ana
TO that he is entitled. He wants his
boys and girls to associate with other
boys and girls of his race, and when
ever a white man takes up with q
black woman, HE condemns the wo-
man and WE condemn the man.
We do not hesitate to say that we
are opposed to radical intermixture
and we know we are speaking for the
better element of the colored race
when we say that the Negro does not
want the races mixed. One Of the
greatest and best men Of the Negro
race, Booker T. Washington, never
sought and never taught intermar-
riage, but the contrary. He taught
his people to be honest, Industrious
useful men and women, and his name
is respected among men and women
of both races. He was a great and
good leader of his people. And the
place to begin to teach children is in
the public schools of the state. Let
us have the children Of the Negro
race educated the same as the whites
but let it be done in separate schools
Toussaint L'ouvefture was an un-
educated Negro slave, yet he proved
himself a great general and an able
leader of his people, but he did not
rely upon his half-bloods - illegiti-
mates. His wisdom defeated the ar
mics of the great napoleon and estab-
lished a free state for several thous-
and of uneducated freedmen.
Let us keep the children separate
and the races will not mix as they are
now doing. We have talked with
Negroes and We know that the over
whelming majority Of the black race
want their blood kept pure. And SO
should every fair minded white man
and woman. It does not mean the
denial of equal opportunity for the
colored children, it means full and
equal opportunity for the children Of
both races. There are some who dis
claim against the "Nigger," but that
is not our position. We ask for the
Negro child to be educated the same
as the white child; but we ask that
each child be educated where he will
associate with children Of his own
race. And then low blacks and lower
whites will never try to intermarry or
mix the blood Of the races.
In this state Of Kansas the Negro
votes the same as the white man and
his vote is counted. He enjoys all the
political rights of the whites, but ne
will not become the full equal OF the
whites until he has learned to depend
upon himself. He must be, and not
merely seem to be, a free man.
When he sees a school house dedi-
Gated to the education Of his OWN
children and of his colored neighbor,
he will say to himself and his wife:
1--WE have our own home, our own
church and at last our own school"
He will not feel himself abased. On
the contrary he will take more inter-
est in education, and the care Of his
children. And they will become bet
ter educated, more self-respecting
and better citizens. The black men
have made good soldiers; they drove
the fear of God and good American
bayonets into many barbarous Ger
man in the late war.
We have known Negroes all our
life and we have known some good
and some bad. We also know that the
Negro is here and has rights and we
want to do our part towards helping
the race to rise to a higher level. We
say that, because the Negro cannot