The Appeal., 1919-09-13

n,
the group would melt into nothingness
and I would proceed on my quest.
l saw no women at all. And the
men-Why, those men were not out to
"start something" They were armed.
most OF them, and were quite frank
about it, but they did not want
fight. They, said they were out to see
| IT mob were coming, and, if there
were, they were going home to barri-
cade themselves; then,. if the mob
| tried to get in, there was trouble ahead
AS one put it: "A man would be less
than a man if he didn't fight for his
| family and his home" Their state of
| mind was not primarily fight 1t was
fear, a perfect hysteria of. dread lest
as more than one expressed it, "a new
| East st. Louis" was at hand. And, as
with all hysteria, small occurrence
would have set them off in a frenzy.
Dynamite! They were INT. Again
and again l was asked: as a mob
gathering on Pennsylvania Avenue?
Win they come up and burn US out?
Is the Park cordoned?" For they did
not dare go downtown far enough to
see if the troops were really there.
Over and over, 1 heard the pathetic
question:: do the white folks care?
Does anyone care? Are they really
doing anything." l told them that the
best of the whites did care, but that
we were helpless. I told them also
that measures had really been taken
that afternoon and what they were
that there really was military, as we'll
as police, protection. One queer old
man remarked: well, reckon some
| buddy do care, or white lady
wouldn't come out to tell us about it,.
A one-handed soldier said: IT en-
listed; l gave the country my hand,
and 1 was ready to give more. When
| was in France, l was man and a
|. soldier, but when I get back here, I'm
not citizen; I'm not a man, even
just big, black BRUTE" 1t was not
said bitterly; it went deeper than bit
terness. He spoke like man with
broken heart. Another said: They
say this is to protect the white women.
My father was in charge Of whole
plantation and family of white
women during the Civil War. They
weren't afraid to leave the white
women with us then, and colored men
are no different now"
Many of them expressed liking for.
and confidence in, the captain of the
precinct, and, when a man of one race
speaks we'll Of man of another, dur
ing race riot, that means something.
But they spoke of the lack of colored
police, and Of the fact that colored
neen were being dropped from the force
and that none had been appointed
since 1910. "You know" they said,
that we could talk better to colored
police. They would reason with the
people and not just knock them round.
They know who the people are and
what is going on, and they could stop
lot of trouble without arrests But
they don't want to give us a chance"
l saw but one noisy Negro a half
witted and misunderstanding fellow,
talking loudly and belligereptly. Him
two cOlored men seized and thorough
ly shook, telling him that if he did not
"shut up and get home,'.. he would GER
tainly find things happening to him.
Once an excited colored boy came fly
ing on bicycle with the news that
white mob had formed inside the cor
don and was on it's way Lets go
meet them," said one young hothead.
This was at once negatived We'll
watch and see if they are coming, and
if they are, we will go home and lock
the doors. That's what Captain Doyle
said, and he knows what's what" So,
for a few tense moments, we stood
peering into the drizzly gloom, not
knowing what might after all be about
to come. But all was quiet, and we
silently drifted on our ways
And thus it went for two hours. I
met them-not savages, not red-hand-
ed murderers, but citizens, hunted
and terrified, looking more or less
hopelessly to their Government for
aid; human beings craving the hand
of brotherhood, and cut to the very
heart l thought of Belgium. I re-
membered that my country stands
abroad for liberty, justice, and the
rights of men, though she has them not
at home. How blind we are, we An
glo,Saxons, who talk of Freedom and
have not yet freed our souls. But
still l hope and dimly see dawn-red,
it is true, but still a far-off dawn.
A white man once said to me: "You
talk like Negro. You seem at times
to identify yourself with them. Have
you lost your race consciousness? ?" I