The bystander. [volume] (Des Moines, Iowa) 1916-1922, 1920-06-18
THE OBSERVATION PLATFORM.
{ Robert D. Dnrr.l

THE OBSERVATION PLATFORM.
(Robert D. Durr.)
Today brings us to partly com
| pleted tour in the interest of the BY
! stander First, I heartily congratulate
| our loyal big hearted subscribers wht
| unanimously claim they have witnessed
| the crisis of the journal. The writer has
| kent a keen eye on conditions existing
| throughout his tour and fervently ex
| claims our people are doing splendidly-
but there are oceans of opportunities
that the masses seemingly are purpose
" passing up. First of ALL want it
, cmphatically remembered that there are
exceptions to all conditions but we find
al the present time there are thousands
of people who question as to whether
from o spiritual and moral standpoint
it is, of a position of our clergymen and
church officials with the titles, Rev and
Brother. There seems to De great opin-
ion today that our churches are tasty
becoming a form of society " secular, -
n which a class of modern Gentiles con
sanctimonious wolves adorn themselves
in sheep clothing. Oh! one might ask
how the writer could know what is in
the hearts of men, I gently desire to re.
fer to the passage that SAYS, eve know
them by their deeds May l ask, is
there form of true religion that is
wholly theory and none practice. is
there a form (true Christianity athat
throws the emblem of Jesus and him
crucified on their confluence on Sundays
and on Monday. The same use very
deadly scheme that the very dragons of
hell uses; or does Christianity consti-
tute any. more of part of our lives
that the ''eye lashes'' on the human
anatomy? Surely it seems that men to-
day uses it for an ornament. ~
find that most popular society in the
north west is the 90 Eastern STAR every
home or village that / stop in that is the
topic of the day, among the women
while here and there it is reported that
the societies are making the church ser
vices that last place the people attend
should we not be careful as to what
part of our societies is it that has prov
en- to be tie ''magnet; if it is their
noble, uplifting ideals and workings in
which we seek relaxation to serve man.
kind. Let us all invoke the blessings
of God upon them. But it is the sinful
ties the masses find to. practice those
petty sins which the true church has
hands on Let us not forget the crea-
tor in the days of our youth-and remem-
Der we are partly responsible for some
one. and some things.
l m glad to say we find a goodly num-
Der of our boys and girls in high schools
but with sincere reluctance I find so
many that are passing the opportunity
en- and instead of availing themselves
with prenaration to be useful, trust
worthy citizens for our race-and Amer
lea. they are pigeon stoolng themselves
and humanity. 1t would be simply stag
gering to know that there are as many
colleges and high school graduates who
are stalking about the country seeming
" with no vision, dreaming no dreams,
no air castles, not even blow
Eg bubbles-just endeavoring to ex
tract all the pleasure they can rom life
and not leaving any footprints on the
sends of time. Our race is saturated
with the fever of ''good times There
S a time for all things-but dear read
RS it appears to me that it is time for
he Negro to stop "frollicking.''
We find here and there professional
nen Of our race who are doing splendid
~ Among them T might mention a
nan who was formerly connected with |
on City, Iowa, has a modern chiropo
list establishment, one THAI IS a credit T
@ our race; Mr.. and Mrs. j. n. Speed |
ire equally as fixed up in that time. I |
lave met twelve co!ored physicians. I |
ave kept record of thirty first class
ating establishments-St. Paul is the
,ossessor of the most elaborate hotel for |
olored I've. seen.
Mason City has the best kindergarten
sunday school and Moline, ILL.,, comes
econd; Minneapolis hasa the rest resi-
ences for colored we seen. AS to
yhether the colored people are renters l
an t~say.
The biggest Eastern Star chapter wit
esscd is in Waterloo, Iowa. The old
ragon segregation is peeping about the
of optimists seem to
hing as / have privately said that it
lanv sections. Though it is bad yet
hen rightly scrutinized its making us
0 things for ourselves-people from
hicago say it has taught the "dark-
es' there to cling together.
Various political discussions among
ur people says all presidential candi-
avdr without office holding advantages
ates are "datk horses,'' the voting
king the average Negro voter very
don t carish'' about voting and tax
lg without the representation he de-
3rves.
To the ministers-It might prove val a..
able if you all could purchase airplanes
make your preaching tours. ] wit