The Appeal. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. ;) 1889-19??, 1920-09-25
WILL GIVE JUSTICE
AMERICA WILL NOT FAIL
COLORED PEOPLE
SAYS SENATOR HARDING IN ADDRESS TO
COLORED DELEGATIONS

your DlOOd. America needs the deep
religious faith, She needs it whether
it comes from Catholic, Jew or
Protestant. She needs it.. in her
citizenship, and l recognize that the
best of America is our spiritual life
and not our material possessions, and
that if America ever let her spiritual
life die, she will no longer be the
land we love- ~
"The expression of that spiritual
life, alive in the hearts of the people
of your blood, has, l believe, been
the basis for the. achievements of the
American colored man. They are great
and amazing achievements. They
have been wrought not from words
nor false claims, but by patience,
tolerance, restraint, and by the earn
ed rewards of that merit, capacity
and worth in citizenship of which 1
have spoken. .....-.
LET all true Americans know that
the census of 1910 showed that over
81 per cent Of the men and 81 per
cent of the women of your blood
were gainfully employed, larger
percentage in both cases, than the
rest of us Americans. -
LET America know that the
churches of the colored race have in
creased during a little more than
half a century from 700 to $4,000.
Let her know that home-owners have
increased from $4,000 to 100000, and
farms operated, from 10000 to one
million. Let America know that
hteracy among colored people has
climbed from 10 per cent to 80 per
cent
LET all true Americans know and
recognize that during the war the
colored race Of America invested one
dollar out Of every five they owned
in war bonds. Let them know that
100000 colored boys were in our
army, with only one case of convic-
ton for avoiding the draft.
Let Us Not Forget.
"But when we Americans of what
ever color, render tribute to the
record of the colored American, let
us not forget to render tribute to
America under whose institutions and
among whose people their record was
made. For I tell you-and through
you | tell all Americans that if your
people have progressed in so amazing
and inspiring manner, it must have
been that America gave you oppor-
tunity. If you have risen by your
merit, capacity, and worth, and not
by agitation and violence and revolt
against our institutions, it is proof
that you have prospered under our
institutions, and have loved them.
III the men and women of your
blood have given, as we all desired
to give, a great outpouring of treas
ure and blood upon the altar of
patriotism, it is because the truth
was in your hearts-America has Civ
en- you her great blessing of justice.
Good American Citizenship.
you have it, and you SHALL have
It, 1t will be good American citizen
ship and will continue to accord it
to your people. If I have anything
to 90 with it, it shall also be good
American obedience to law. Brutal
and unlawful violence whether it
proceeds from those who break the
law or from those who take the law
into their own hands, can only be
dealt with in one way by true Amer
leans. whether they be of your blood
or of mine.
"Fear not! Here upon this be-
loved soil you shall have that Justice
that every man and woman of us
knows would have been PRAYED for
by Abraham Lincoln. Fear not! Your
people by their restraint, their pa-
thence, their wisdom, integrity, labor.
and belief in God will earn the right
to that justice, and America will be-
stow it,