Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1923-02-17
DUBOIS ON CARNEY.

In selecting the influential columns
of the Century Magazine, DR.. w. +.
Burghardt Du Bots entrenched himself
behind literary bulwark, which his
adversary could not dangerously as
sail In fact, he knew or must have be
lieved that the editors of this publica-
ton would not entertain reply to
the damaging criticism of this distin-
gu shed black leader from the Island
of Jamaica. The Negro World may
train its long range guns upon the
tormentor of its chieftain, but so far
as the clientele of the widely circulated
magazine is concerned they will
never hear even the echo.
On the other hand, the Hon. Marcus
Garvey is more directly interested in
his own following and his prospective
followers. His journalistic mouth
piece, reaches those, in whom he is
most vitality interested and what he
loses at the bung, he will save at tn.
spicket." He is unsparing in his denun
citation of the able literary genius, who
is using the best efforts of his usefuI'
life in attempting to destroy, what he
regards as q dangerous menace to his
people. He analyses Garvey and his
methods in the following language:
On the other hand, Carney had no
thorough education and very hazy
idea of tile technic Of civilization. He
fell easily into the common error OF
assuming that because oppression has
retarded II group. the mere removal CT
the Injustice will at a bound restore
the group to full power. Then, too,
he personally had his drawbacks: he
was Unfortunately vain and egotistic,
jealous Of his power. impatient Of de-
tails, a poor Judge of human nature.
and he had the common weakness or
unframed devotees that no depend
ence could he put upon his statements
of fact. Not that he was conscious
liar, but dream. fact fancy. wish. were
all SO blurred in his thinking that
neither he himself nor his hearers
could clearly or easily extricate them.
Then came the new economic de.
mand for Negro peasant labor on the
Panama Canal. and finally the Great
War. Black West Indians began co
make something like decent wages,
they began to travel, and they began
to talk and think. Garvey talked and
thought with them. In conjunction
with white and cOIored sympathizers
he planned small Jamaican Tuske-
gee. This failed, and he conceived the
idea Of purely Negro organization to
establish independent Negro states and
link them with commerce and indus
try. His Universal Negro Improve.
ment Association" launched August
j, 1914 in Jamaica, was soon in finan
cial difficulties The war was beginning
to change the world, and as white
American laborers began to be drawn
into war work there was an opening
IN many lines not only for Southern
American Negroes as laborers and me-
chanfcs. but also for WestIndians as
servants and laborers. They began to
migrate in larger Numbers. With this
new migration came Marcus Garvey.
A most amusing and interesting
question is presented in this analysis.
1t is this. Can man be an unconscious
liar? If he makes a statement that is
incorrect or misleading, and he Is not
aware that it is incorrect or misleaa.
ing, is he liar? We are of the upl,,
ion that ethics will hardly sustain tr.
distinguished writer in his affirma.
ton. mot that he was a conscious
liar" If he were not a conscious liar
that is did not know that he was lying
then ethics would acquit him of beinG
any liar at all Even the truth told IN
a way to deceive is said to be lie un
der certain conditions. Speaking CT
this phase Of the situation, Editor viii
liam Fl. Ferris in the February 10th
issue of the Negro World says:
Mistake No. 8. on page Sal or the
Century Magazine, DR.. Du Bois says.
Then came the new economic demand
for Negro peasant labor on the Panama
Canal Answer: But Colonel Goetbais
in his book, How I Butt the Panama
Canal" st-tes that many West In
dians were employed as engineers and
mechanics. and MANY Italians as labor
erE.
Mistake -. 4. DR.. Du Bots on page
541 of the Century Magazine VS. tn
West Indians began to mis-, ate j.,
large numbers to America dur ag III
World War Answer: In reality West
Indians began to migrate to America
in 1895 when the Brussels confc~enoe
barred and Noycotted West ~Cian nd
imported sugar and when the German
beet sugar began to thrive. See article
on Brussels IN the Encyclopedia Bri
tannica. 1t would be advisable for the
learned scholar to also read Crabbe's
Guide to the British West Indies"