The guardian. [volume] (Boston, Mass.) 1901-1960, 1949-06-04
FREEDOM GROWING

The fight for equality of freedom and opportunity
for all men daily in breadth and intensity. The
addition to the forces opposing religious and
skin-color bias is of the remarkable and most
encouraging social developments in recent years For
long while too long participation by non-coored OPP
ponents more less passive cooperation But Of
late their numbers activity and influence have placed
them in the forefront Of the anbias struggle 1t sums
up notable advance in liberal" public sentiment
Progress of that kind, nevertheless, had been slow
da long time in gathering momentum Colored lead
began the movement and almost alone kept alive
through many years Despite set-backs betrayals with
in the ranks and attacks from without they kept faith
and still keep faith the ultimate triumph of the cause
convinced that cannot lose unless democracy which
the nation is olemny committed goes to pieces Com
monty recognized is the principle that none free
dsecure unless freedom equality and security are
shared equally by ALL That is great moral victory It
in large measure by the efforts, courage and
patience of coored people, themselves at the start
the fighters were few and much magned misunderstood
and stunned by former friends and associates
Four decades and half ago when William Monroe
Troer, with his mouthpiece, The Guardian enunciated
his oneplank platform Segregation for coored is the
had the support of only handful of lkeminded men
of color and practically none from the dominant group
damning degradation in the United States Fioht it," he
About that time Booker T. Washington delighted beyond
his white abettors with his doctrine 1--WE can be
separate the fingers and the hand" The Uncle
Tom declaration him the instant approval of multi
tudes Of white felow-czens who seem to continue their
admire for the msleader up to the present day. For
1t brouoh balm to their conscience perturbed by the IRA
tonal Of eaerphohia Pulpit and rress sanctioned IT.
Not line cf exposition was it possible to get published
In the Of the country not even in the more en-
lightepsd Of Boston Only after the so-callad
Booker WASHINGTON riot here chance opened for
Troter and his few followers get hearing in the public
press
It is well to take glance backward over the long.
hard trail marked by the struggles and hearaches Of the
sturdy baters for equal rights and equal opportunities
Trotter denounced cursed and abused by many Of
his own race They reioiced and glad when ne
had to pay the penalty daring to hece Booker at
public meeting hecllng which today is handled by ex
perienced presiding officers who would sdan the idea
calling police to que the kind of disorder that was termed
riot in the early years Of Trotter's career It is
notable testimony to Troers farsghtedness that many of
his then antagonists later over became his euo
gists dare known to assert that Trotter always was
right"
Although the dauntess Boston leader had declared
that he champoned the principles which the old New
England Abotionsts had espoused and for which John
Brown died. few of the descendants IF tboen Io~a-
tors rallied to his aid 1t may have been that the abo-
zionist groups felt that their duty had been fuGld with
the enactment of national and state laws against dscrim
nation It'll possibly true that having forged these vean
they felt the coored people should do their own FIGHT
ing But it is known fact that some of the oldine re-
formers expressed dsapproval of Troers contention and
former associates not only Knocked and derded him hut
organized opposition to him. fought him by nuendoes lies
about his wealth that donations his cause were to BE
used by Troter as additions to his nersona funds They
thus poisoned the minds Of coored and white woudbe
helpers and deprived him of needed financial and moral
support
DESPITE the Incredible antagonsm continued for
the New ENGLAND Suffrage League was or.
ganized and followed by the Noara Movenar bot,
of which are now extinct and the Boston EQUAL Rights
LEAGUE which still survives Membership in those bodies
was compceed IF white and colored men and women and
Hted distinct advance in the accentance of the claims
the organ2atons set forth Boston oies the Boston Post
perhaps the first CAUGHT gimmer of the LIGHT which has
grown brighter with the passing Of wears until TODAY every
Boston and Boston nuits do fail IL do
nounce intolerance end ready champions the cause
of freedom and EQUALITY.
The course was long and rough but persstency has
won Now the ranks ill up the combat deepens' and
it ION We brave until the last foe of democracy is over
thrown and America shines forth indeed "tho land If
the freeWritten two ago by Charles G. Steward
and reproduced as timev.-Ed)
THE GUARDIANS. POSITION