The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1919-02-04


lard colored people:
4 Working in the Dark
II Not only out of the mouths, but
into the ears of babes and Stockings a.
IgTeat quantity of information pours.
No one has failed to observe the effect
which can be produced by an unex-
lpected bit of family gossip dropped
into the midst of company dinner
by one of the innocent children. They
hear everything and they understand
far more than one supposes. Above
ali, when it comes to dealing with
what the world (up to the present
topsyturvy era) called the lower
Iclasses, their artless cleaning of facts
would put the secret service TO the
blush.
i More than one parent has been sur
prised lately to hear her infant, or
! Iperhaps her half grown daughter,
back from a call on retired sable re-
tanner, announce, My Dab is getting
TO be Bolshevik" When told thas
I this must be a mistake, in view of
: the eminently respectable and very
religious character of "Dah," the
young investigator is ready with the
Iproof.
"She says the white people have all
the money. She says the colored peo-
pie don't get their rights. She says
up north she saw in the papers that
the poor people were starving and
freezing. / told her most of them
were white"
Perhaps with view TO insuring
more peace of mind on the question
: of world-politik TO a faithful friend
and servant. the Investigators father
or mother goes to see her. In too many
. cases she finds condition very much
: ike that caused by the insidious and
: widespread German propaganda met
with at every turn during the war. Ii
has left an aftermath. although il
h was successfully combatted at the
it time. And this aftermath is being
e skiIlfully used by influences that may
lprove even more sinister. Many col
lored people are being assured that
n their race was Disseminated against
ol lin the draft. Safe positions at home
], were secured for white men with in
lei fiuence, but not for them. They are
told that their services have not been
adequately recognized by the govern
ii Iment; their exploits have not receiv-
III ed the same popular praise. The more
b. ignorant are distressed by tales OF
a injustice and lack of proper care tc
ut their men abroad. They viii repeal
N the stories circulated from one to an
other, that on the battlefield nurse.
would "step over" wounded negroes
s. and ignore them until their white
ld comrades had been served. When In
is formed that nurses are not allowed
al on battlefelds, they shift the scene K
10 4 the hospitals. They viii complain
Id that after the white mans war" tool
a their young men, whether they want
ed to go or not, all they got il the,
were killed was ga little bit o. money
re an that don las long" When assuret
it that the same facilities of life insur
re- ance were offered to the colored as Il
ID the white, many negroes are surpris
ceIed Tie the visitor takes the trouble tt
show articles from the newspaper
to and magazines, such as the letter.
I'd published week after week by tn,
Literary Digest, some of which con
tain unqualified admiration of th,
t. fighting qualities of black soldiers
as the complainers are even mor'
or astonished These things have neve
he been told them. Only the dark sid
h. Of the picture has been presented an
r. Impressed upon them.
it There is no doubt that widesprea,
ch effort is being made to inject Bol
- shevist unrest and discomfort. Dur
ing the war, when the German pro
ne paganda was at it's worst man,
earnest men and women found
worth their while to 60 among on
q sable brethren, not only to individu
- ais, but to speak from the platform
no. of their churches and social halls, ex
q planning the rights of the case. Tn
40 need at present is as pressing. tn
q menace of Bolshevism. though not a
I Iopen in this country as in Europe,
nt real and is growing. That far-seein
or statesman, Lord Northcliffe, ha
IL sounded a warning, disturbing enoug
6 to break the comfortable sleep of tn
IA western world. Bolshevism is no Ion
ar ger mere riot to put down. It
j, taking on the dimensions of worl
,,t agitation.
ha Al moments consideration of tn
r. possible situation of the South wit
an BoIshevism added 20 her regular an
IF ever present race problem, gives on
n pause. Would it not be worth Will
A. once more to go out to oppose tn
NJ propaganda working IN the darl
40 with organized enlightenment? Abov
- ali would it not be worth while TO ca
no upon the educated and solid element
- OF the negro race itself to help in re
). futing misinformation and discor
r. tent? No influence would be SO pow
e. erful as theirs. More than ever is tn
ds future of their people mainly in thei
n hands.
N
4 II 4zaztaIda1I that 20