The Colorado statesman., 1920-03-27
Cheyenne, WYO. NEWS
(By Clarence ]. Toliver.)

/
TT HE National Association for the
! Advancement of Colored People,
40 Fifth avenue, New York, an
nounces that a QUESTIONABLE has been
sent to every man prominently men
| toned as d presidential possibility,
| asking him to state his views on a
program for bettering race relations
| in the United States. The replies art
| to be published in the Negro press
throughout the country.
| The QUESTIONABLE asks each as
pirant his attitude regarding seven of
our chief civil grievances.
We quote extracts from a speech de-
livered by James Boyle O'Reilly on
Monday evening, December Z, 1885, at
n meeting of the Massachusetts Col
ored League. Mr.. O'Reilly, since de-
ceased, was speaker of the evening.
His subject was, The Negro-American.
In part he said: Il don't care what
your political preferences or parties
are. | don't care whether you vote the
Republican or Democratic ticket, but
l know that if l We're n colored man
| should use parties as l would club
! to break down prejudices against
my people. ] shouldn't talk about be-
| ing true to any party, except so far
as that party was true to me. Parties
care nothing for you only TO use you.
You should use parties; the highest
party you have in this country Is
your own manhood. That is the thing
| in danger from all parties; that is
the thing that every colored American
is bound in his duty to himself and
his children to defend and protect.
l think it is as wicked and unrea-
sonable to discriminate against man
because of the color of his skin as IL
would because of the color of his
hair. He is no more responsible Tor
one than for the other, and one is
no more significance than the other.
The highest interest of politics is
the selfish interest of the people. You
are never going to change the things,
that effect you colOred men, by law.
If my children were not allowed into
northern schools, if l myself were not
allowed into northern hotels, l would
change my party and my politics every
day until l changed and wiped out
that outrage"
Il spent two days in Nashville, and
every hour l saw things that made
me feel that something was the matter
either with God or humanity in the
South and 1 said going away, If ev-
er the colored question comes up
again as long as 1 live, | shall be
counted with the black men.
THE thing that most deeply affects
the Colored American is not going to
be cured by politics. You have re-
ceived from politics already about all
it can give you. You may change the
law by politics. but it is not the law
that is going to insult and outrage and
excommunicate every colored Amerl-
can for generations to come. You
can't cure the concet of the white peo-
pie that they are better than you by
politics, nor their ignorance, nor their
prejudice, nor their bigotry, nor any
Of the insolence which they cherish
against their colored fellow-citizens.
"Social equality is based on princi-
pies of Justice; political change on the
opinion of a time. The black mans
skin will be a mark of social inferior
ity so long as white men are CON
ceited, ignorant and prejudiced. You
cannot legislate these qualities out OF
the whites-you must steal and rea-
son them out by teaching, illustration
and example"
NO man ever came into the world
with grander opportunity than tne
American Negro. He stands at this
late day on the threshold of history
with everything to learn and less TO
unlearn, than any civilized man in the
world"
"What this splendid man needs is
confidence in himself and his race. He
| is dependent man at present. lie
is not sure of himself. He undertakes
his own qualities. He must be a SELF
respecting man. Not all men can be
distinguished, but assuredly some dis
tinct expression of genuine VIII come
out of any considerable community OF
colored people who believe in them
selves, who condemn and despise the
man of their blood who has white
men and their ways, who is proud to