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THE: STAiatesmanMKLIN, Editor.Phone Main 7905.TION RATES: $2.00 1.00....................................50ers sent to subscribers are lost or stolen iber when due, inform us by postal card plicate of the missing number.Express Money Order, Postoffice Money aft. Postage stamps will be received tho of a dollar. Only 1-cent and 2-cent stampsil nature that are not complimentary will s paper.tion must be newsy, upon important sul 3 side of the paper. No manuscript rc stage.at the postoffice in the city of Denve:k'mmm ¥■ V.Sok.ifel.itTHE AMERICANRACE PROBLEMyr-nyneeer,iti,11ddet-Sane View of Its Cause, PresentEffect and Future Status.DR. DU BOIS GIVES THE FACTSgrowing rapidly In both wealth and intei^ ligence, and larger and larger numbers of them demand the rights and privileges of American citizens as a matter of undoubted desert.Today these rights are largely denied In order to realize the disabilities under which Negroes suffer regardless of education. wealth or degree of white blood we may divide the United States Into three districts—the southern south, containing 75 per cent of the race; the border states, containing 15 per cent, and the north and west, containing 10 per cent.They receive a distinct standard of justice In tho courts and are especially liable to mob violence, are segregated so far as possible In every walk of life—in railway stations, railway trains, street cars, lifts, etc.—and usually mado to pay equal pricesfor Inferior accommodations.They are often unable to protect their homes from Invasion, their women from Insult and their savings from exploitation: are taxed for public facilities, like parks and libraries, which they may not enter: aro given meager educational facilities and sometimes none at all: apfe liable to personal Insult unless they appear as servants or menials or show deference to white folks by yielding the roads, etc.To many of these disabilities there aro personal and local exceptions. In cities, for Instance, the chance to defend the homo, get an education and somewhat bettor wages la greater And mob Violence lesa frequent. Then th£r6 always.fQmo per.?9n«l exceptions—cases of helpand courtesy, of justice In the courts and of good schools. These are. however, exceptions. and. as a rule, all Negroes, no matter what their training, possessionswKVIGlaratT1inthA.47thiniQiW£peen\crisor desert, are subjected to the above tils-*the limits of these lt;64Stec-1-V-!8al.l-!S1.ff-e,i-LSGraphic Account of the Upward Struggle of Ten Million Colored Americans, What They Have Achieved and the Unfavorable Conditions Under Which They Labor Along All Lines.jrisp-Iioleiciyo-•y I18 i° iV-rtTwo-tliirds of Dr. W. E. B. Du Bois’ speech before the universal races congress, recently held in Loudon, was devoted to a comprehensive summary of the history of the Negro race in America. lie outlined the conditions under which slavery existed, gave the statistics of population and discussed the figures for health and crime.He quoted the fact of the 2.500 lynchings in the last twenty-five years and showed that only one-quarter of these colored men were even accused of rape. He gave a brief outline of the reconstruction period and dwelt on the fact that the colored legislators, whatever their faults, gave the south the beginning of a public school system, admitted thousands of poor whites to the suffrage who had previously been debarred and abolished many barbarous forms of punishment. He analyzed the occupations of the Negroes of today thus—2.000.000 laborers, divided into 1.250,000 farm laborers.500.000 day laborers and 250,000 washerwomen.These he called “the semisubmerged class, some held in debt peonage and paid small wages.There are 1,235.000 workingmen, divided into 125.000 skilled artisans.575.000 semiskilled workers and 500.000 servants. This is the emerging group. They are handicaped by poor training and race prejudice, but they are push-XA|Ilt;4Ilt;♦lt;fUB. W. E. B. Jn BOIS.ing forward, saving something and educating their children as far as possible.”There are 250.000 independents, divided into 200.000 farmers. 40,000 professional men and 10.000 merchants. “This,” he said, “is the leading group of Negro Americans. The mass of them have common school training, and there are some 5,000 college trained men. They are accumulating property and educating their children. Their advance is opposed by a hitter and growing race preju dice.”After giving the figures for the accumulation of property Dr. Du Bois took up the present situation, which he analyzed as follows:The American Negro problem ts the question of the future status of the 10.000.-000 American* of Negro descent. It must be remembered that these persons are Americans by birth and descent. They represent for the most part four or live American born generations, being In that respect ono of tho most original American groups In the land. Moreover, the Negroes are not barbarians. They are as a mass poor and Ignorant, but they areabilities. Within the limits of thes^ restrictions there are much gOtd will and kindliness between tho races and especially much personal charity and help.How tho Race Is Distributed.Tho 15 per cent of the Negro population living on the border states suffer a little less restriction. They have some right of voting, are better able to defend their homes and are less discriminated against in tiie expenditure of public funds. In the pities their schools are much better, and public insult is less noticeable.In the north the remaining 10 per cent of the Negro population is legally undiscriminated against and may attend schools and churches and vote without restriction As a matter of fact, however, they are made in most communities to feel that they are undesirable. They are either refused accommodation at hotels, restaurants and theaters or received reluctantly. Their treatment in churches and general cultural organizations is such that few Join. Intermarriage with whites brings ostracism and public disfavor, and in courts Negroes often suffer undeservedly.Common labor and menial work is open to them, but aver1 above this In skilled labor or the pi ^ inns, save as they serve their own r. ,o. are extremely difficult to enter-, and there Is much discrimination in wages Mob violence has become not infrequent In later years.There are here also many exceptional cases, instances of preferment in the industrial and political world, and there Is always some little social Intercourse. On the whole, however, the Negro in th»* north Is an ostracised person who finds it difficult to make a good living or spend his earnings with pleasure.Under these circumstances there has grown up a Negro world In America which has its own economic and social life, its churches, schools and newspapers; its literature, public opinion and Ideals. This life Is largely unnoticed and unknown evert in America, and traveler-inlss it almost entirely.The average American In the past made at least a pretense of excusing the discrimination against Negroes on the ground of their Ignorance and poverty and their tendencies to crime and disease. While the mass is still poor and unlettered, it is admitted by nil today that the Negro la rapidly developing a larger and larger class of intelligent property holding men of Negro descent. Notwithstanding this more and more race lines are being drawn, which Involve the treatment of civilized men in an uncivilized manner.This philosophy the thinking Negroes and a large number of white friends \lg-orously combat. They claim that the racial differences between white and black In the United States offer no essential barrier to the races living together on terms of mutual respect and helpfulness. They dpny. on the one hand, that the large amalgamation of the races already accomplished lias produced degenerates in spite of the unhappy character of these unions. On the other hand, they deny any desire to lose the identity of either race through Intermarriage. They claim that it should be possible for a civilized black man to be treated as an American citizen without harm to the republic and that the modern world must learn to treat colored races as equals If it expects to advance.They claim that the Negro race In America has more than vindicated its ability to assimilate modern culture Negro blood lies furnished thousands lt;{ '-ol-diers to defend the flag in every w.ir In which the United States has been engaged. They are a most important part of the economic strength of the nation, and they have furnished a number of men of ability in politics, literature and art1lottoiI'llve:strGrcitdameme hi rtinIa F atThIcit a p.FafoiucbystrYoatanchatuntaiFaleiSoClubs No. 2, 14, 17, and 19 of Zion church will give a trolley ride to Golden on the 31st.Btibe*ToN*ThhnPICoTh K. IbeengroShehigh.
Newspaper Details
Denver Statesman
Denver, Colorado, US
Sat, Aug 19, 1911
Page 1
Full Page
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CA 15 Jul 2022
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