Sunday Chicago bee. [volume], July 21, 1940, SECTION TWO, Page 16, Image 16

About Sunday Chicago bee. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1925-19??

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■ ' " ■ 1
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SUNDAY, JULY 21, 1940
Volume 31 Number 29
THE CHICAGO BEE’S PLATFORM
1— The suppression of superstition—
enlightenment.
2— Higher education for all groups.
3— -Cordial relations between races.
4— Civic and racial improvement and
development.
5— The promotion of Negro business.
6— Good wholesome and authentic news.
All news items sent to the Chicago
Bee for publication, must be signed.
This includes social, music and club
items, as well as general news. Un
signed items will be destroyed. Re
jected communications will not be re
turned.
I•
T. B. and The N. M. A.
NEXT month the Negro physicians
throughout the country will convene in
Houston, Texas, to ponder over medical
problems of grave concern to the race and
nation. I / ; ’ *
Represented in the forty-sixth annual con
vention of the National Medical Association
will be doctors who have made many con
tributions in the field of medicine which have
been used throughout the civilized world.
It is, therefore, of great significance that the
body will concern itself, among other things,
with the eradication of Tuberculosis. It is
that disease that is the peril of people of low
income level and since the Negroes constitute
a large segment of that group they have
more than a proportionate share of Tuber
culosis sufferers.
The Tuberculosis problem of our group is
fertilized by many more factors than low in
come*, is the problem of gelling into
hospitals in urban centers which are already
overcrowded. The Negro is discriminated
against and a tubercular patient not per
mitted to be isolated from, the public by hos
pitalization inevitably spreads the deadly
germs to others. There is the question of
overcrowded and poor housing conditions
that compel people of medium or low eco
nomic levels to live under conditions that are
inimical to their health and make them easy
preys for tuberculosis.
There are the millions of Negroes in the
South who have no access to hospitals.
The health of Negroes is wrapped up with
the health of the nation. A germ, like Hit
ler’s army, breaks through the,maginot line
of segregation and pursues persons of all
races. Z
The problem of the health of Negroes,
therefore, becomes a national one to be ap
preciated by all races.
The National Medical Association might
in addition to its own praiseworthy contri
butions, it should awaken into the con
well take these facts Into consideration and
science of the nation the fact that the eradi
cation of Tuberculosis is dependent, at least
in part, upon the colored citizenry obtaining
justice and equal opportunities to combat the
many factors that make the disease so pre
valent and which find their origin in unjust
discrimination.
The Negro Press
THIS week’s Time Magazine hurls an at
tack at the Negro press and accuses it of
pulling its punches when the critical apprais
al of the needs of Negroes are concerned.
Says Time: “To the Negro press, all things
black are good. Racial papers studiously ig
nore Negro failings, shout their indignation
over real and fancied injustice, assail color
discrimination so hard that they help to keep
it alive.’
We do not know from what source the
writer of the Time article secured his infor
mation but a casual glance at the list of Ne
gro newspapers Would cure him of his ignor
ance; that all things black are good. Per
haps the writer was influenced by the fact
that Negro newfspap6rs do find considerable
good to speak of about its readers that white
journals fail to. notice. That is due more to
the wider vision of Negro editors than to an
attempt to rover up the misdeeds. Perhaps
the writer is too much engrossed in the type
of cute slams that his own magazine labels
on Negroes to observe the high principles that
are voiced in our journals. The Negro press
believes in fair play for colored people. That
fact occasioned its origin. Because the white
press labeled everything black as bad, be
cause it chose to call the baser type of Ne
groes typical of all colored people the Negro
press was born.
We fail to agree with the Time magazine
in its other statement that the Negro press
“assail discrimination so hgrd that they help
keep it alive.”
Racial discrimination is kept alive because
white people want it so and by no means can
be attributed to the Negro press. What that
press does, however, is to point out acts of
discrimination and when it becomes so ram
pant the press makes editorial suggestions as
to the advisability of having laws passed to
secure our rights to live like other human
beings. Incidentally, Time magizine might
be interested to know that the legislature of
the state of Illinois has agreed with the Ne
gro press and has many times passed igws
to abolish discrimination because of the cam
paigns of the Negro press.
The Negro press knows there are Negro
failings and prints them. It also knows there
are Negro successes and it therefore prints
them. If it prints more successes than fail
ings it ia because the former has more news
value.
Lynch Bill Blitzkreig
WHEN Hitler marched his army into the
countries of Belgium, Holland, France
and others he killed more than men. He
killed the spirits and hopes of many people
in other countries. Repercussions swept
thousands of miles from the battlefields of
Europe and our own country did not escape
the effects of the blitzkrieg.
It killed some of the hopes of our con
gressmen who have forgotten about every
thing, it seems, except voting for war ap
propriations. We have known times when
Congress has had other than a one-track mind
but ’twas not the 1940 Congress. And in its
war fervor abberation our Congress has ab
solutely ignored, forgotten and, shall we say,
scuttled the anti-'lyneh bill over which so
many unfortunate Negroes placed great hope
in this session.
We believe that now is the time to put it
over. There is not much time to filibuster
so the bill can get to a vote in record time.
Another reason may be advanced for its im
mediate passage. There is a good deal of
talk about disloyalty and “fifth columns.”
Coincidentally, there are high praises being
accorded the Negroes for their undying loy
alty to the cause of this nation and the pur
poses for which it stands. The speakers at
the Republican and Democratic National con
ventions have told us this. Therefore, it seems
as though Congress might well afford to pass
an anti-lynch bill as a tribute to the loyal
citizens who have so marvelously carried the
stars and stripes that freedom will still ring.
{A Belated Recognition
IT is reported that England has recognized
Haile Selassie as the Emperor of Ethiopia.
And thus, the little ex-Emperor of the bldc^:
kingdom has at long last received victory
through defeat! He has seen his prophecy
that other small nations would suffer a simi
lar^ fate to that of his country which was
made to the League of Nations .after. Ethi
opia’s defeat come to pass. England, who
lost no time in giving and early recognition
to Italy’s claim to the entire country, has at
last seen, the light.
We are told that the English are slow in
thought, still slower in action. The veracity
of that assertion may be proved in this be
lated recognition, . Had John Bull been as
thoughtful during the struggles of Ethiopia
to prevent the invasion of her territory by
Benito Mussolini as he now is the history of
the world would have been considerably dif
ferent than it is or will be. For the turn of
events since that .memorable defeat and the
abdication of Selassie from his kingdom to
England has proved that John Bull’s indiffer
ence was the cue that spurred the totalitarian
powers of Europe on to further aggression
and exploitations. It was that indifference
which suffered and permitted the overwhelm
ing power of the dictatorships to blackout the
existence oi smaller countries until ’twas ob-1
vious that an end would come to the smaller'
nations and the< aggressors would look
for bigger game. Then and only then did
England become conscientiously concerned.
So today England is doing that which
should have been done several years ago.
She is doing it at a time when it is too late
to materially aid the deceased kingdom and
in a manner which bespeaks a comical mis
understanding of the causes and effects that
the continuity of nations and the course of
the, world.
The man of self-praise is about the worst
creature that God has ever created—not that
the Creator made him so, but because of his
own self-conceit. He can see good only in
himself, and besides him his fellowmen are
merely objects of his contempt. His pres
ence is both nauseating and destructive to
the bond of goodwill among men.
--0O0-—— '
Work is the kind of nurse that keeps us
from the harm of idleness; that teaches us
to stand alone when we would lean upon the
strength of others.
-0O0
A wise man prays for salvation from him
self as well as from the devil.—Cortlot.
-0O0
TAKING NO CHANCES
His Maiden Aunt: Billy, Aunty will never
kiss you with such a dirty face.
Billy: Yeah, that’s Why I didn’t wash it.
Negro Art-1851 to the Present .
Frances T. Moseley
“The Negro, too in Art,” must
be reckoned with as a component
part of the general development
of mass appreciation of art in
Amlerica in recent years. Where
as, formerly art was available to
the privileged few, the working
man’s economic level has been
slowly rising and with it has come
increased leisure freeing him for
the inevitable search for the more
abundant life,
It was further inevitable that
the Negro as an integral part of
this changing social-economic
scene should seek an introduction
to the cultural cutlets and gain
ing it, make the most of the op
portunity.
' Influential in this growth has
been the assistance the Harmon
Foundation which has sought
through its program of William
E. Harmon Awards for outstand
ing Achievements among Negroes
to acquaint and interest the pub
lic generally in the creative ac
complishments in fine arts by Ne
groes, thereby, assisting this group
to a more sound and satisfactory,
economic position.
Desiring primarily to encourage
the Negro endowed with high cre
ative ability to give a wider ex
pression to his genius, and real
izing that if a real stimulating
and vital contribution is to be
made to art development in A
merica, the Negro must be able
to get his work before an appre
ciative and compelling public,
the Foundation inaugurated in
[ 1928, a sei’ies of annual exhibi
tions f>f American Negro artists.
While these exhibitions are
held in New York, they represent
work submitted from all parts
of the country, including some
fine artists studying abroad. Ex
tended travelling exhibitions have
made them available to other cit
ies for showings.
It is evident from the number
of pictures purchased, press com
ments and spontaneous expres
sions of interest and from the in
creased number of productions by
Negroes shown in general art ex
hibits, that a remarkable ad
vance is taking place in the field
of Negro art.
In numerous centers throughout
the states splendid work is being
done by Race artists, including
Atlanta University, Howard Uni
versity, San Diego, California
Chicago, Boston, New York, St.
Louis, Indianapolis and other cit
ies stimulated by civic organiza
tions such as the YMCA, YWCA
Urban League, Interracial Com
mittees, City Clubs, churches.
Various public libraries have lent
space facilities for those art pro
grams.
Wealthy patrons have aided
materially by providing monetary
awards, including the late Otto
H. Rahn, Arthur B. Spingarn,
Arthur A. Schomberg and Mr.
Robert C. Ogden and Mrs. John
D. Rockefeller, Jr.
v Ahoth’er group comprising Dr.
Jbhh Hope of Atlanta University.
Mr. Alan' Bennet of the National
Alliance' of Art and Industry,
Dr. George E* Haynes of the Com
mission • on Race Relations, the
late Miss Delilah L. Beasley, col
umnist and Dr. Alain Locke have
by their stimulating counsel be
come known as friends of Art."
Not to be overlooked is the
recognition by outstanding Art
galleries and museums of the
country in purchasing numerous
examples of Negro art for their
"collections.
With attention focused thus
sharply on the art movement of
today,, it is not surprising that
interest is turning toward the
pioneering stages of long ago.
Generally considered to be the
first Negro in America to achieve
distinction as a painter,, Edward
M. Bannister in 1876 at the Cen
tennial Exposition in Philadelphir
was awarded the gold medal for
his landscape, “Undeb the Oaks.’
A native of Providence, R. I., he
- pioneered in art organizations
founding the Providence Ar1
Club which is today a leading ar1
organization of that city.
His contemporary, Robert L
Duncanson, of Cincinnati, Ohio,
was the first Negro to receive rec
ognition in Europe as an artist.
As early as 1866 he was credited
with being an outstanding land
scapist of his day, having studied
and exhibited in London and
Glasglow where it is said that hr
was patronized by the royal fam
ilies. One of his paintings is said
to be hanging today at Windsor
Castle, London, purchased by
Queen Victoria.
First woman to achieve fame
as an artist was Miss Edmonia
Lewis, born in Boston in 1845
Turning to sculpture she was
aided by benefactors in getting t<~
Europe where she studied and
worked in Italy. She exhibited
in the Philadelphia Centennial of
1876. Among her most outstand
ing works is her bust of Charles
Sumner, for Which the subject
posed. This piece was ov.’^ed b?
the late Mrs. Ida Wells Barnc*.'
of Chicago and is now in posses
sion of Mr. and Mrs. Benjamin
Duster of Chicago.
Born in Pittsburgh, June 21.
1859, Henry Ossawa Tanner is
known as the greatest artist of
the Race. Of a religious fami
ly, his family urged him to enter
the ministry but he early turned
to art as his medium of expres
sion of his beliefs. Friends help
ed him to accumulate funds for
European study under the reli
gious masters of Rome, but oil his
way he stayed in Paris and de
cided to study there. His mas
piece “The Resurrection of Laz
arus” brought his acclaim in 1897
from renowned fellow artists and
won from the French Govern
ment the gold medal and a place
in the Luxemburg Museum.
Edwin A. Harleston of Charles
ton, South Carolina, is known for
his talent in portraiture. Among
his best works is the canvas,
“Bible Student”, exhibited in
1927 at the Chicago Art Institute.
Formerly purchased by Jesse
Binga, it is now owned by Wil
liam P. Harrison of Chicago.
Historically important is the
contribution of John Patterson
Rollins, born in Lynchburg, Vir
ginia, whose interest was in
seascapes. Studying in Italy, his
favorite subjects were Venetian
scenes. Some of his works are in
possession of his niece, Mrs. Lil
lian Summers of Chicago.
Rendering distinctive service to
the Race came two notable wom
• en sculptors, Meta Vaux Warrick
Fuller andi May Howard Jackson.
1 Mrs. Fuller, a native of Philadel
phia, studied in Paris and was
fortunate in enlisting the inter
est and approval of Auguste Ro
dhi, then the greatest figure of
the French art world. She turn
ed her attention to Negro types
when in 1907 she was commis
sioned to do a series commemor
ating the history of the Negro for
the Jamestown Tercentennial Ex
position.
May Howard Jackson, also of
Philadelphia, preferred to devel
op Negro subject mattei', daring
ly venturing to express in her i
work something of the social sit
uation, for example her “Mulatto
Mother and Her Child” obviously
touching upon the problem of the
half-castes.
Dominating the Chicago scene,
William Edoward Scott having
studied under Tanner in Paris and
the Chicago Ai t Institute, was re
cipient of the Harrison Gold Med
al award in 1927. Mr. Scott has
executed numerous murals on
commission, and has recently
completed a new series in his
toric incidents in the develop
ment of Negro life since slavery.
Of the contemporary groups
probably the best known are the
sculptors, Richmond Barthe and
Augusta Savage, both of New
York and in the artist group, Aa
ron Douglas, Hale A. Woodruff,
Palmer Hayden, Sargent John
son, James Lesesne Wells, James
H. Porter, William H. Johnson,
and Lois Jones.
A Cuban, Teodora Ramos Blan
co is commanding attention as a
newcomer in the sculpture groups.
Chicagoans have long been
working toward art development,
led by Charles C. Dawson, Wil
liam McKnight Jarrow and
Archibald Motley, Jr. Today
♦■here a?‘e large numbers of young
er artists seeking expression .
among them, Charles White, a
painter of bold murals, Willian
Carter, Eildzier Carter, Margaret
Taylor Goss, Charles Seabree and
Joseph Kersey, the latter a sculp
tor. Bernard Goss is one of f
number moved to expressing pro
test themes.
Reflecting on the development
of Race artists in recent years,
the outstanding factor seems to
be the turn toward the Negro
theme as a vital phase of the ar
tistic expression of American life.
Other observations are that the
number of artists has greatly in
creased and, happily, that a def
inite consciousness of the Negro
advance to the front, ranking
with other artists, has been arous
ed.
Indicative of this fact is the
current movement to establish a
community Art Center, opening
still wider avenues to art expres
sions for greater numbers spon
sored by the Federal Art Project.
These developments are encour
aging but in the words of Doctor
\laine Locke, noted Negro writ
er and philosopher, in his book
‘Negro Art Past and Present,” T
quote:
“But however rightly and fully
he may share in a program of
public art support, temporary or
permanent, a needed and logical
deo in the support of the Negro
artist and the development of Ne
gro art must come from an awak
ened interest of the Negro pub
lic in this matter. Negro church
s, schools, organizations of all
types should make Negro art vital
and intimately effective in our
group life by studying it, circu
lating it and commissioning it
Only under such circumstance:
will it become truly representa
tive. Only under such condition
•an it work as the cultural leaver
to support a general reawaken inr
of the dormant art instincts whicl
we may suppose still reside ir
the folk at large. Slight but en
couraging beginnings have beer
made in this direction by school
such as Atlanta and Howard Uni
versities and Hampton Institute
by a few Negro churches anc
YMCA’s and business concerns
even a few groups of private in
dividuals organized for the ex_
oress purpose of the promotion o
Negro art. It is likely that th'
singular demonstration of the
Federal Art Project will stimulate
greatly this effort of private
groups and private individuals tr
the eventual adequate support
and encouragement of the young
er Negro artists.”
PIED TYPE
—BY THE PIPES
A Column of Humor Satire and
Thought for Everybody
. -. i -
THE RESTLESS WORLD
We are in a restless world because
We are rock ribbed to man made laws;
We have broken all the laws God made
And through seas of blood must wade.
What can we do about it remains to be seen,
Never has man made life serene;
Man always did and always will break any
• law,
Then make excuses with a loose hung jaw.
The Christ came down from his Holy throne,
Was spat upon and crucified by his own;
In blood that trickled down from His cross,
Was guarantee that no one ever should suffer
loss.
They’re busy outmoding the fears of hell,
The fool says there’s no God, no sulphur
smell,
For what is dead, that when we go from here,
There’s not a thing left for him to fear.
It can’t be so we leave all hope behind,
With faith and trust the human mind
Conjures a belief in truth and right,
That Christ imbues the world with heaven’s
delight.
God’s love is stronger than the things we
know;
God’s power can make man’s empty show*
Seem twiddle, twaddle, that a Savior’s birth
Heavenly ordained to bless all the earth.
—Dr. M. A. Majors,
Los Angeles, Calif.
-0O0
YEAH, SOME OF THEM - ,
ARE PRETTY BAD <
“The woman who is suffering from con- ^
cert has been freed.”—from a news item. \
-0O0-- 1
1
REMEMBER j
’Tis common proof, j
That lowliness is young ambition’s ladder, ,
Whereunto the climber upward turns his face; ]
But when he once attains the utmost round, ]
He then unto the ladder turns his back,
Looks into the clouds, scorning the base de- 1
grees
By which he did ascend.
-—Shakespeare. ,
-0O0
SMART BOY
Teacher: Johnny, why do we have eye
brows?
Johnny: Well, it’s so the beauty specialist
will be able to get another 50 cents out of the
ladies who come to get their hair washed,
-oOo
NO CAUSE FOR WORRY
Mother (to small daughter): Gwendolyn, I
see you did find the tea strainer after all.
That’s fine.
Gwendolyn: No, mother. I couldn’t find
he tea strainer, but I found the fly swattei
md strained the tea with that.
Mother (horrified): Gwendolyn!
Gwendolyn: Oh, don’t worry, Mother. 1
used the old one—you know the one we had
hree or four years before we got the new
one. That old one was all old and dirty
anyway.
-oOo
FACING FACTS
An old colored man who had been afflicted
with more than his share of the world’s woes
was asked how he managed to keep so cheer
ful and serene through all his trials and tribu-'
lations.
“Well, I’ll tell you,” replied the old man
“I’ve just learned to cooperate with the in
evitable.”
-oOo
DICKIE’S DICTIONARY
THRILL: What a bald headed, paunchy
old. married man experiences when a young
and pretty girl says he’s handsome.
-oOo
NEVER TRIED IT
Old Lady (to sailor): Do those tattoo marks
wash off?
Sailor: 1 don’t know, lady.
-oOo
HATE AND SPLEEN
\ passion mean
\nd obdurate ; :!
!s old man spleen,
Who inhales hate.
’i’or hate is such
deadly thing,
Twould aid all much
To curb his sting.
\nd his lieu
We might commute
,ove tried and true,
\s substitute.
Since we must hear
lis rage and whim,
We’d well prepare
• To deal with him.
Tis fit then, that
We gauge his sum
\nd hold him at
\ minimum.
-oOo
Loving one’s fellow man is life’s highest
’ailing, and its reward is more precious than
*old or silver.
BETWEEN THE LINES
By DEAN GORDON HANCOCK
DIVIDED THEY FALL
Irrespective of the part sht
played in the betrayal of Ethiopia
the friends of France are grieved
to see her prostrate in the dqst
of defeat. For a century France
stood alone as the most decent
of the major civilized nations on
j the color question. France de
served a better fate, but France
was betrayed by her plutocrats
and politicians, their tools. It is
generally agreed that the plight
of France can be charged to those
stupid and designing politicians
who put their selfish ambitions
above the common weal; and so
they are the real destroyers of
France and not merely the Ger
mans.
But if politicians betrayed
France and England, who has be
trayed the United States of Amer
ica, for our nation stands today
almost utterly undefended? If
Hitler is not out of breath chas
ing and running down the nations
of Europe, he can easily “wipe
up" this undefended domain.
When looking about for the be
trayers of France, we must not
forget England. When Germany
was prostrate in 1918 France con
tended that the peace of Europe
depended upon the continue sub
jugation of the warlike Germans
and under no circumstances should
Germany be allowed to rearm.
Great Britain said let Germany
rearm! France contended fur
ther that a rearmed Germany
should not be allowed in the
in the Rhineland, but Great Bri
tain said let the Germans enter
and fortify their side of the Rhine
and the weaker French bartered
away their fatherland to appease
;he arrogant British who are al
ways long on diplomacy and in
ernational bargaining and short
>n soldiers to hold the battle lines.
France knew she was defeated
iy the tactics of England; so she
urned to Russia as an ally to
hreaten the German rear, and
England had France to sacrifice
lussia at Munich when England
efused to invite Russia to the
Czechoslovakia “sell out." Thus
;tep by step England sacrified
■'ranee, her gallant ally, and left
ter exposed to the German on
slaught that was inevitable. When
;he war storms broke, as usual,
■'ranee was called upon to fight
t out with the Germans while the
English went their way drinking
ea and looking to France to de
end England against the Ger
nans.
"England will fight to the last
French soldier” was not a mere
quip; for it has more truth than
fiction. The French knew they
had been betrayed by England
and they resented being called
upon the second time in 20 years
to defend an ally that had be
trayed them, and so the war
found Frand divided. Very short
ly it became evident that rela
tions between France and Eng
land were strained and Hitler,
that master mind of the century,
took full advantage of the disaf
fection of the two nations. The
capitulation of France ieaves Bri
tain once in a long time to fight
her own battles and it looks like
curtains for the British. The na
tion of diplomats must turn at
last to their guns and if they are
he great people they claim to be
the world will soon find it out;
for with the Germans it must be
said with guns and not portfo
lios. “Dividing and ruling” has
long been the British way in the
world and so Hitler modernized
the policy by “dividing and con
quering.”
One by one he takes the nations
of Europe in tow, and just wheth
er he will stop when Europe is
finished remains to be seen. If
he is the genius we believe him
to be, he might just as easily
conquer the western hemisphere
as to hang up his knapsack when
Europe is “mopped” up in its en
tirety. France was divided, Eng
land and France were divided,
Scandinavia was divided, Holland
and Belgium were divided, the
western hemisphere is divided,
our own nation is divided! The
only thing that is saving our na
tion temporarily is not the far
sightedness and sagacity of our
statesman but sheer circumstanc
es.
The nation saved by circum
stances has a spacious salvation
for circumstances may fight on
3ur side one day and fight against
as the next. The stupidity if not s*
indeed the cupidity of the demo
cracies has been colossal. While
we sat here watching Japan, the
little brown race across the Pa
cific, Germany was taking charge
of a continent if not indeed a
world. Divided they fall. Di
vided we fall, we the Negro race.
Booker T. Washington proclaimed
industrial education as a means
of deliverance; DuBois proclaim
ed classical education and so the
race w>as divided. The white man
claims that the mulatto is super
ior to the pure African, and so
we are divided. DIVIDED WE
FALL.
Orientation Towards Statesmanship
By LUSTER E, BROWN
A teacher in an English class
dramatically illustrated the need
for wider understanding through
wider reading. Her resourceful
ness was excellent. A large im
provised pyramid was placed be
fore the class—three colors adorn
ed its surface — yellow, blue,
green. One student was placed
behind the desk on. which the pyr
amid stood while the others view
it frontally. The teacher asked
the students to give the color of j
the pyramid. Those sitting to the J
side of it saw either yellow or
blue while the student in the
'•ear and the center aisle students
say the pyramid in its totality
with the colors most emphasized
which caught their frontal view.
The students to the side had only
one view while the center stu
dents had a circumspectual, or all
around view. The all around
view was the core of her empha
sis.
At an ominous time such as
this, we ought to.read more,, and
thoughtfully, so that we will ob
tain the all around view of affairs
of governments.'
What factors control the rise
and fall of governments? What
form of government has accom
olished most for the creative spir
it of personality? What govern
ment has done most for collecti
vized disciplines of living? How
would you defend the worth of
democracy over other forms of
government? Let us attempt an
answer for the latter and perhaps
the others will find solution in
the process of rationalization.
Today in many quarters of the
globe we are told that democracy
is a label for a form of govern
ment that is florid in words but
fumbling, weak and incompetent
in action. Further, that pur
economy is unplanned, vague,
chaotic; that our masses are poli
tically ignorant, pliant and sub
servient to emotional appeals
rather than honest rationalizing.
In sum, as such, the point is made
that democracy should pack her
swaddling clothing in her coffin
and assume grave clothes for im
mediate burial. We admit the
validity of many of the charges—
but wait!
What about those who envision
'he death knell of democracy in
those nations ruled by the current
'‘conquerors”? May we pause
and rethink. Has a rule of force
and centralized control lodged in
one man’s hand ever made a
country great or its people pros
perous for more than a brief pe
riod? Call the roll from Crete—
Greecian civilization to the third
reich of Germany and fail to va
lidate this!
Autocratic, monarchial systems
f
of governments have had several
thousand years of trials and fail
ures. In this tenure, we can find
no line of European rulers who
fostered a rule of progress—-spir
itual, economic, political and so
cial that can equal or surpass ours
on those four counts. Separately,
we can point to superior govern
mental organization on an infin
itely smaller scale in Switzerland.
Switzerland, however, is not a
world power nor a threat to ci
vilization as we have known it.
To what ends is America dedi
cated? To a realization of Lin
coln’s epitome—“government of,
by and for the people.” Minori
ties have been hampered, it is
tragically true, but who can
gainsay that the set-up is more
favorable than any other for cor
recting the malevolences for
which we have been culpable? If
it is true that we are facing an
impasse regarding many of our
problems it is also true that a
more lasting and satisfying solu
tion will be obtained through the
voluntary acceptance cf the best
thoughts of free men. What val
ue is a life dedicated to the wiles
and whims of one man, euphe
mistically called the state—every
thing • for the “state”! Are we
aware of the crude sublety of the
transfer of power? The current
dictators effected a transference
of economic power of the pluto
crats to assume political power of
infinitely greater authority. The
plutocrats in our democracy con
trol much of our political power
by the potency of their economic
scentre, but by intelligent mass
action we can counter-balance
that influence. Such an attempt
would mean immediate apprehen
sion and death in a totalitarian
state.
We choose not only the lesser
of two evils in favoring democ
racy over totalitarianism in prac
tice, but also because it is the
best positive potential set-up for
making the world a flowering
ground for personality expansion
instead of personality steriliza
tion.
JURORS
The case of Neal vs. Delaware
(103 U. S. 370) October, 1880,
brought out the startling fact that
no Negro had ever been sum
moned as a juror in the courts of
Delaware, where at that time
there were 150,000 whites and
26,000 Negroes.
SECOND WARD—CHICAGO
As if you did not know, eighty
per cent of the population of the
second ward of Chicago are Ne
groes.
u