Franklin's paper the statesman., March 20, 1909, Image 1

About Franklin's paper the statesman. (Denver, Colo.) 1906-1912

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Franklin's Paper The Statesman
Twentieth Year
CHEYENNE HIGH SCHOOL
MISS WRITES ESSAY
THE STRUGGLE OF THE NEGRO
FOR SURVIVAL IN THE
NORTH.
(8 Kathryne Thistle. '09.)
Dußols sirs "Thst the negro does
not want to blesch his soul In the
blond of white Americanism, for the
negro knows that the negro blood has
a message for the world. He want*
Instead to make It possible for man
to be both an American and a negro,
without being curawd and spat upon,
bjr his fallows and without bavins the,
doors of Opportunity closed roughly
In his face When the negro Is asked
to state hla chief complaint against
the Bomb and the rensons for bis ml
gratlon to the North, the answer
comes promptly: "1 cannot get Jus
tice in your courts. 1 am politically
disfranchised. I find a lack of good
school facilities. I And Jim Crow cars
and by that I mean separate cars la
which the negroes have to ride and
the whites may ride If they choose,
and lastly, I am In constant danger of
physical violence."
Then this question follows. Why do
you go North? and his answers Is "Be.
rauso I enjoy better educational fncll
lllcs and enjoy comparative freedom "
But while Ibe negro ha* the above-1
mentioned advantages he is neverthe
less terribly handicapped; he la held
hack and cannot rise to position which
his capabilities would entitle him If
not for his color.
This causes much discouragement
among the negroes who. after fitting
themselves for life. And their oppor
tunities cut off. To Illustrate: "An!
electric company In New- York sent
out a communication some months,
ago stating that thry could use some
bright, clean. Industrious hoys In their
business and thus aid them to learn
the trade." W. Buckley, colored
principal of school No. 80. New York.!
wrote a note to them asking If they
would give employment to a colored !
boy. Their answer was tills: "No 1
colored boy, however promising, Is
wanted." Is not that discouraging,
and all because of the color. Agnln:
DENVER, COLORADO, SATURDA f MARCH 20 1909
A colored engineer who ran out of In
dianapolis, and who met with much
favor from the company, was forced
to give up his position because his
life was in constant danger from the
employes who did not like him be-1
cause he was a negro.
But there are many In the North
who give the negro the place he can
earn, despite the fact that there are
discriminations made against him
The unions rarely admit a colored
man. yet the Meddle Steel company
! overpowers this and employs the
largest number —equal to a thousand.
They take these men unskilled and
unapprenticed nnd make them fore
men and give them other good posi
tions as soon as their skill permits
These men do not drink and they have
their own bank accounts.
The progress made by this race dur
ing the last 45 years Is a marvelous
one Men and women are occupying
responsible positions in Chicago, New
York and elsewhere, among whom are
plumbers, nurses, teachers, electri
cians, musicians, patternmakers, art
ists. doctors, editors, clergymen, scien
tific men nnd bankers. The plumbers
and many others are employing their
own colored help. George A. Harris,
a patternmaker, receives the highest
snlary In this business. He graduated
at the head of 50 members in his
class.
Among the most prominent men of
this country are: Henry Tanner, a
famous palnler. whose picture, "The
Annunciation, recently captured the
N. A. Harris prize at Chicago and was
later, with another of his pictures,
purchased by the French government
nnd now hangs at Luxomberg. A
Scarborough, whose Greek text Is used
at Harvard and many other colleges
today. Judge Chttrch-Terrell Is a Judge
In the District of Columbia and his
wife Is a lecturer and a member of
the Obcrlln College board of trustees
William T. Vernon is register of the
Cnited States treasury. There are also
297 men In retnll business. The no- i
groes own over three million dollars'
worth of property. In Boston they
own the Astor. a hotel of 250 rooms,
and telepb >ne service iu each room
and all 01 ler modern improvements.
There are ilso 200 magazines and pa
pers publ shed by the negro and
schools, ur versities and beautiful edi
fices of w rship are constantly being
erected by them. And all this from a
race but 4 > years out of slavery and,
that slave: y covering a period of over
200 years.
Many br >ad-minded people are work
ing to giv» the negro his proper place
\n rtje wo W. Mias Eaton of Boat**!,*
Mrs. Park* r Wellesey of Chicago, both
white, ha\ * devoted their lives to the
negro and his welfare and much set
tlement w rk is also being carried on.
The Coloi »d Woman's Club of Chi
cago have organized a day nursery to
take care f the poor unfortunate chil
dren who* parents are unable to care
for them. George A. Peabody, a Lon
don bank r, but born in Danvers.
Mass., ga' e $3,500,000 as a fund to
educate th • negro and the Slater fund
of $1,000,0 0 is also used in this way.
It is oft n stated that if the negro
is given e uallty in the business line
he will de nand it socially. Rut this
is not tru< I do not think there are
many neg oes in the United States
who desir- such. “He is looking for
the place vhere he will be judged as
man.” It is a tremendous struggle.
The strugi le of a backward race with
the swift-t toving civilization of an ad
vanced on No one can look upon it
without 1 rofound fascination. Port
Arthur an l the battles of Manchuria,
bloody as they were, are not to be
compared with this, for the negro is
not fight it j Russians, but Americans.
English. ( ermans, Irish, Jews. Slavs
and all tl ose who make up this na
tion. Ho .• long this struggle Is to
last no on 1 knows, but we hope before
long to tale our place beside our white
brothers a id as men and women push
on in th< swift race, consoling our
selves wit i the noble thought of Na
poleon: Ability is but of little ac
count wit iout opportunity.”
Five Cent* a Copy
Inaugural
Festivities.
Negroes Proud of Part Taken h Great
Parade—High Social Functions Sur
passed Ail Former Occasions,
Honor for Senator Foraker.
The colored man, looking at the Taft
Inaugural procession In Washington
as it wended Its way along beautiful
Pennsylvania avenue on the 4th of
March, had cause to feel proud of the
part taken In the Inauguration of an
American president by the members
of his race.
As the long line of march passed
the faces of colored men appeared,
some wearing the brilliant military
uniforms, some attired in the convee
tlonal garbs of civilians and others the
uniforms worn by bend musicians.
The Philippine Constabulary band,
under the direction of Captain Loving,
was one of the attractions not only of
the Inaugural parade, but of the entire
Inaugural week. Besides taking a lead
ing part In the parade this band ren
dered the music at the two grand In
augural concerts given at the pension
office. The District militia bad six
colored companies, under the command
of Major Arthur Brooks. Major Brooks
has been confidential man to several
secretaries of war and went with Mr.
Taft's Philippine party. He has re
cently been appointed confidential mes
senger to President Taft He has al
ready entered upon his new duties,
which are very responsible.
Tbe civic division of the parade had
as marshal of the colored division Dr.
E. D. Williston and as chief of staff
Hon. William T. Yernon. The colored
division was subdivided Into three bri
gades. Colonel Perry Carson was mar
shal of the first brigade, Hon. J. Mil
ton Turner was marshal of the second
brigade and Recorder W. L. Marshall
of the third brigade. Among the vis
iting clubs were tbe Republican club
of Richmond, Va., the Wibecmn Re
publican clnb of Brooklyn and the
Israel W. Durham club of Philadel
phia. Tbe Jenkins Orphange band of
Charleston, 8. C, was also In this di
vision.
The colored battalion of the District
militia made a most creditable show
ing. The officers and the enlisted men
seemed to be drilled almost to the
point of perfection.
Another attractive feature of the
parade was the Colored High School
cadets. Students of the M street high
school and of Armstrong Manual
Training school made an Important