The broad ax. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1895-19??, 1920-09-18

IN the cause OF nODie religious puI'
pose, and shall address you, in so far as
am able to do so, without thought OF
kmy position as a candidate of a party
for political Office, and with my inter.
est eentered upon you, upon your as
= piration,s and upon the contribution
of your people 90 America. / will cen
ter my interest also upon the eontribu-
, tion Of America to your people and
upon the justice which, IN America,
, must never relax vigilance, not 10
create an equality that is worth moth
ing if it be not earned, but an equal
opportunity for all men and women to
achieve, and hold the full recognition
of their own merit, capacity and worth.
1000 much doctrine based upon an
other principle has been loosed upon
a war-won world. Abroad, partieu-
larry in Russia, there has grown up
the idea that by some impossible
magic, a government can give out a
bounty by the mere fact Of having
liberty and equality written over its
door, and that citizenship need make
no deposit in the bank Of common
veal in order to write checks upon
the bank. Here at home we have had
too much encouragement given to the
idea that a government is a something
fOr-nothing institution. But say that
citizenship is not based upon what one
can get, but that it is based upon what
one gives. say-and wish L could
speak through you to all Americans
"Let's serve"
"Under that slogan of good citizen
ship there is no reason why you should
not hold your heads high. who are
assembled today, and your race in
America, have the sense, as all thought
full Americans must have, to know that
it is only in a country where merit,
capacity and worth of men and women
are recognized and rewarded, that mer-
it, capacity and worth are developed.
You, and ], and good Americans, of
whatever color, blood or creed, know
that the aspiration of all men is equal
opportunity to create recognition of
differences between themselves, and
that no injustices known to man can be
greater than that of the tyranny and
autoeraey that labels itself democracy,
or bOlshevisn, or proletsriat, and en-
slaves all men and all their ambitions
and all their freedom with the iron
hand Of medioerity. The American
Negro has the good sense to know this
truth, has the good sense and clear
head and brave heart to live it and ],
assuming to speak a truth, which
America ought to know, proclaim it
to all the world that that he has met
the test and did not and will not fail
America.
81 proclaim more: assert to all
the world that America has not and
will not fail the American Negro.
eff there are those who doubt me
let them look to the reeord-the record
of the eolored race in American eiti-
zenship, and the record Of America in
giving opportunity.
"Your very presence in assembly,
coming from great organizations dedi-
Gated to high religious purposes, is
enough to cause any man to give
recognition in his heart to the great
contribution to American citizenship
which is found in the capacity for
deep religious faith among people of
your blood America needs the deep
religious faith. She needs it whether
it comes from Catholic, Jew or Protest
ant. She needs it in her citizenship.
and I recognize that the best of Amer
lea is our spiritual life and not our
material possessions, and that if Amer
lea ever let's her spiritual life die, she
viii not longer be the land we love.
"The expression of that spiritual
life, alive in the hearts the people
of your blood, had, believe, been the
basis for the achievements of the
American Negro, They are great and
amazing achievements They have
been. wrought, not from words nor
false claims, but by patience, toler-
anee, restraint, and by the earned
rewards Of that merit, capacity and
worth in citizenship of which have
spoken.
tLet all true Amesieans know that
the census of 1920 showed that over 81
per cent Of the men aad "a per cent of
the women of your blood were gain
fully employed, a larger percentage in
both eases than the rest Of Us Amer
leans.
LET America know that the
churches Of the eolOred race have in
creased during a little more than half
= century from zoo to $4,000. Let her
know that home owners have increased
from 12.OoO to 100000, and farm oper-
atOs from 10000 to one million Let
America know that literaey among col
pred people has climbed from 10 per
cent to so per cent.