The Enterprise. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 192?-1930, 1928-09-13
Facts and Fancies
BY EUsTAcE GAY

Self respecting colored people
don't laugh at watermelon" and
"darky" stories any more, when they
are told publicly by white speakers.
In a Western city, quite re-
Gently, the secretary of the
chamber of commerce thought
to ingratiate himself with his
colored auditors by telling a
watermelon" story. but all that
he got for his trouble was the
cold shoulder"
As group, we laugh at almost
anything. II is. therefore, a very
heartening sign when we begin to
discriminate. We will no doubt con-
tinue to laugh at these funny"
stories about ourselves for some
time, but we will insist that those
who tell them use some discretion
as to the time and place selected for
doing so. And, furthermore, we are
not going to let everybody tell them.
Another very encouraging sign is
the fact that we are learning when
to applaud speakers. We used to
have a habit of applauding many
times when we ought to have been
hanging our heads in shame.
just a few years ago, during
political campaign, all a speak
er had to do to make colored
folks applaud was to mention
the name of Abraham Lincoln,
and the cheers would almost
take the roof off the building.
Those days, / am glad to say, are
gone, never to return. We know
now that an institution such as slav-
cry was doomed to go eventually,
Lincoln or no Lincoln, and we also
know now that Lincoln's main inter-
est was the preservation of the
Union, WITH slavery. if possible.
And so we don't make the
palms of our hands sore any
more when stump speakers re-
fer to the Republican Party as
the party Of Lincoln:
The persons responsible for the
present Republican campaign seem
to feel that the Negro owes double
portion of devotion and loyalty to
the Republican Party.
They profess to believe, ac-
eording to a telegram from one
of the Negro leaders in the
campaign whom | have had the
privilege to see, that "the color
ed vote is most important" BUT
they expect eolored support be-
cause of our loyalty to Repub-
liean government and our Amer
lean patriotism"
Which, as | see it, is lust so much
bunk. The Negro can't live on prom
ises, politically. Under Taft, Hard
ing and Coolidge, he got MOSTLY
promises.
see most Of the publicity
material sent out by the Colored
Voters Division of the Republic
an National Committee, and
some of IL is amusing.
For instance, much is being made
of the fact that the Negro leaders
in this campaign are supposedly
serving without pay. This is with
out doubt the worst thing they
could ever have agreed to do.
Every school child knows that
"a bird in the hand is worth two
in the BUSH" and for one feel
that these Negro leaders are
making a mistake in not getting
something NOW.
| love to have and live out high
and lofty ideals, but il is beyond my
understanding why the poorest group
economically should be asking to set
such high standards and sacrifice so
much financially, when the group
most able spends THREE MILLION
DOLLARS.
Anything worth while having
is worth while paying for, and
why our leaders should be called
upon and should agree to rem
der important services free,
while, mark you, others are be-
ing paid for similar services, is
beyond me.
It might be 'the dawn of new
era" and "a splendid augury for the
political future of our group" as
some more experienced than | seem
to think, but when the smoke of the
campaign is over, we will be just
where we were under Taft, Harding
and Coolidge.