V
CHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA, THURSDAY, OCTOBER 2, 1924
NUMBER
VOLUME FORTY-EIGHT
FROM MY ANGLE.
R. E. Clement.
I
l
>
In several late issues of the Star
0{ Zion there have appeared articles
admonishing the Negro to vote the
Republican ticket, and cautioning him
lest he be led astray to vote for
some other ticket. The claim is ad
vanced that the Republicans accom
plished the emancipation of the Ne
gro; and hence any Negro who would
for one moment think «of voting any
other ticket is a traitor to the race
and is guilty of a treason most de
grading and unpardonable. And of
course the old saying is advanced
that: “The Republican party is the
ship, all else is at s?a.” A “Third
Party” is scoffed at and to vote the
Democratic ticket, it is claimed, is
about equivalent to committing sui
cide.
NoW I confess I am young, as
politicians go, I have not the ripe
wisdom of maturity, nor do I lay
claim to any special genius in the
field of political economy, but, it
seems to me that there is the other
side to this whole political argument;
and the Negro voter would do Well
to consider it. Too long the rights
of the Negro have been ignored by
every party-the one (Republican)
knew that nothing in the way of
special inducement nor consideration
was ever necessary, as the race was
going to vote Republican by tradition
and custom, While other political
groups felt that no special induce
ment nor consideration would draw
Negro voters away from the Party|
of their fathers. With the resu;t
that while every other group m
American received special attention
the Negro was ignored by all parties
concerned. * There ie'nb denying *he
fact that the Republican party of
recent' yeaj® has become very in
sensible to the demands of its Negro
constituency, excepting, naturally,
the few weeks prior to the elections
when lavish ' promises are made,
beautiful dreams recited, and a few
paltry dollars slipped into the hands
of some journalists and politicians of
color. I do not make this as a
wholesale indictment of race jour
nalists who espouse the Republican
cause, I believe many are sincere and
honest in their convictions and ac
tions ; but I do believe that they, for
the most part are the ill-advised and
misled agents of political tricksters.
A Negro may be a Republican and
still be honest and upright and
truthful and self-respecting—yes!
But a Negro who believes in the face
of recent even* s that “the Republican
party is the ship and all else the
sea” is either blind, ignorant, or very
very unwise, to say the least.
Coolidge as an individual, I be
lieve, is abowfe reproach; but Coolidge
is far from being the Republican
party, or even its bo'ss as the last
session of Congress plainly showed.
John W. Davis is also a* fine example
of true American manhood.; and
LaKolette is one of the few forward
looking and fearless statesman still
left in public life. There is no de
nying that three very eminent men
are before the American electorate;
so why hurry and scare all the Negro
voters in to one bag?
It appears at this , time that the
only safe and sensible course for the
American Negro in politics is one
of “intelligent independency.” Don’t
put a cross at the head of the ticket
and vote it straight—th^re are Re
publicans and Republicans, Democrats
an<j Democrats, Progressives and
Progressives—good, bad, and indif
ferent, and no one party has a monop
oly on any one kind of followers.
The young Negro is going, to “slash”
his ballot right and le#, voting for
men, not parties; measures, not
money; principles, not’ prejudices.
And it will herald a new day for the
Negro in America when the entire
race does likewise!
* * * -•
Some of you may remember that
a few issues back I made the ob
servation that
not
that something ought to be done
about it. Since the publication of
the afore-mentioned observation I have
received several significant letters ad
vancing reasons for this state of af
fairs—significant I think, because
the letters and statements have
come from young men. I pass them
all to you fon thoughtful considera
tion. One man complains that the
young man in the Zion Church who !
wants to prepare thoroughly for the
ministry receives but little encour
agement and still less help. Many
denominations train tfiiir mhtlsbers
free of all charge in their schools—•
while most all of them charge no
tuition or room rent in their semi
naries. I wonder if , we could not
profit by their example.
Another claims that there is still
much professional jealousy; and some
times the older ministers in a confer
ence form a sort of mutual combine,
to delay the progress of the younger
men. While .from another source,
dpmes the view1 that some of* our
elder brethren are of the opinion that
the mere fact of youth precludes the
possibility of ability or responsi
bility being present in the individ
ual. Have you not heard it said
that: “He is alrigHt but he is too
young?” Is it true that we in Zio*n
prefer age to ability, aged conserva
tism to consecration, the outward
form and semblance of wisdom, to
the thing itself, even though it does
find its abode in men not of mature
years? Go’d forbid that any man be
(onlinued on Fage 8)
PROGRESS OF NEGRO
ASTOUNDS SOOTH
AFRICAN.
By R. B. Eleazer.
“To ft visitor from South Africa,
the progress of the American Negro
is positively astounding, “says Rev. A.
A. Kidwell, prominent religious lead
er from Johannesburg, who has just
rounded out an extensive tour in this
country, making a special study of
Negro education. “I have been par
ticularly pleased,” he continued, “with
the educational progress of the race
in this country. In Sou'h Africa it
is popularly supposed that the edu-.
cated Negro is a failure. Here I find
that just the reverse is true. The
American people seem to recognize
that education. affects the Negro just
as i'» does anybody else, making him
more capable, more efficient, .a better
citizen, and an asset to society: Your
system of public education is based
on that theory, and the multitudes
of educated, progressive Negro'es
whom I have, foui^d throughout the
country prove that the theory is cor
rect.
“I have been deeply impressed
also, and even astonished,” said Dr.
Kidwell, “at the economic competence
which American Negroes are achiev
ing—their success in agriculture, in
dustry and business. Your big in
surance companies, banks, real estate
corporations, construction companies
and the like, have no parallel any
where else in the world, so far as
I know, and certainly not in . South
Africa.”
Dr. KidweT is superintendent of
many churches-and schools in British
South Africa and is deeply interested
in promoting the welfare of the na
tives. His observations A of the fav-.
orable effects of public education and
economic.opportunity for the race in
America he hopes to use to good ad
vantage on his return, in the effort
to bring about a more liberal attitude
toward the native population. He
frankly admits that the relations of
the races in South Africa are muoh
more difficult than here; and that
the natives labor under limitations
and handicaps far more severe than
anything v to which the race is sub
jected in * this country.
\ Dr. Kidwell spent several hours
looking into the work of the Inter
racial commission, and expressed the
opinion that its principles and meth
ods ought to be applied around the
thd*ifc
WHAT TO DO WITH
LIFE'S BURDENS.
Dr. G. W. Tructt.
Now, there is one more word to
say, and it is the best of all: Cast
thy burden upon the Lord, and he
will sustain thee. If you will read
this, Fifty-Fifth Psahn, from which
that great promise i^j taken, you will
find that the utterer of such a prom
ise wanted to flee awjay,, Oh, that I
ha2f ' Hkfc*ahe farted,:>fm
then I would fly aw, and be at
rest. The burdens were so weighty,
the awful conflict whs so fiery: “I
I will run. I will f^y. I will get
away. I will flee. I will run. I will
give it up. I will not s'ay with it;”
Who has not felt that? Who has
not felt—“I have had ^ta much of this
as I can bear. I will get out of it.
BISHOP GEO. C. CLEMENT* D. D.
Fifth Episcopal District.
I will run. I will fly. .1 will get
away.” But that would not win, for
when you got away out there in the
wilderness, you would have your bur
den yet, for you have your memory,
you have your personality, you have
yourself. You can not thus get away
life’s burdens. There is the burden
of perplexity for you, no matter
where you go; and there is the bur
den of some sin athwart your con
science, like some ghastly cancer, no
matter where you &o. What are you
to do with these burdens of perplex
ity and neglected duty and sins ?
What are you to do'?. Where are
you to go ? There is only one place.
Cast thy burden upon the Lord, and
he will sustain thee, a ." a
How will he sustain you? He will
do it in ohe of two ways. He may
take the burden away. Sometimes
he does, blessed be his name! You
have come sometimes, as have I, into
that deep garden of Gethsemane,
when that black Friday broke our
plans, and in our dire desperation we
have prayed, with the Master: If it
he possible, lei this cup'pass from
me. If it be possible, forbid that 1
should drink this bitter cup that is
being put to my lips. And the cup
was taken away, and we did not
have to drink it at all. Time and
again you have prayed, as you- faced
a certain great burden, that God
wo'uld remove it, and he heard, and
the burden was taken, away. But
suppose it is hot? And sometimes
. it is ' not^Ofttimes it is not. We
pray, but there is the burden yet. '
Now what if God shall not take the
burden away? Then He has promis
/ ed to come in with divine re-enforce
. ment and help us to bear that bur
den and be victor, no hiw
a thorn in the flesh. I do not know
what it was, nor do you, but it was
something very trying. If ever there
was a genuine man in the world, it
was the Apostle Paul. He was the
highest product that Christianity has
ever produced. This same man said:
There was given to me a thorn in the
flesh. He called it' the “messenger
of Satan” sent to buffet him, and he
said: “I went, like the Master in the
garden, and thrice did I beseech the
Lord that he would take that thorn
away, but he did not take it away
aW*U. left it j&, g™d me and
harass me and' bum me and pain m6.*
But he said to me, ‘Paul, Paul, my
grace is sufficient -for you* not
“shall be,” but “is”. My grace is
sufficient for you, here and now, ever
presbnt and never-failing. No mat
ter where* you go, nor what shall
come, my grace is sufficient for you.
And from that time on you have no
more record of Paul’s prayiug that
that thorn might be taken away.
From that time Paul said: Most glad
ly, therefore, will I rather glory in
•my infirmities, that the power of
Christ may rest upon me. Said Paul:
“I had rather have my thorn in the 1
flesh, which is ever present with me, *
and have (God’s added grace, than to j
be without'that thorny and miss thatj
‘added grace and light and love from,
’Cod.”, Now, doesn’t that explain |
much? He will givej you increased
grace, grace upon grace, if he does
not take the burden away when you |
call to him to take such burden away...
Qh men and women with your bur
dens, whatever they are, here is the
way out: Cast thy burdens upon the
Lord, and he will sustain thee. Seek
not to bear it alone. Seek not to
got through that long and bitter
night alone. Take the Master into
“youT counsels" find ititxp-your plans,
and turn yourself over to him, with
your burden, whatever it is, and he
will sustain you. One of the great
words in the Bible is that fine word
sustain. He will sustain you. No
matter what your burden is—I dare
to say it—no matter what your bur
den ,is, you shall get sustaining
strength from God, and your heart
shall surely know it, if you will only
cast yourself honestly upon him;.
1 (Continued to page 5)
BISHOP LEE ON THE
JAPANESE EXCLU
SION ACT.
Brooklyn, N. Y.
• .... September 25th 1924.
Mr. Sidney L. Gulick,
New York, N. Y.
My dear Mr. Guliek:—
I have read the letter which was
forwarded to me by your office, sup
posed to be written by one Mr. Mc
Clhtchy; and dealing with the Jap
anese Exclusion Act. You ask for
my opinion of the letter. After giv
ing it a careful reading I have
reached this conclusion: viz: that if
the American people have decided
that they must have a portion of the
earth as a restricted territory specif- ]
ical’y to be occupied by the white,
race; and whose policy and destiny
shall be dictated and controlled by
the said white race, then they had'
be'ter keep the Japanese out of
continental United States. But I
think it will be hard to, find a reason;
to justify the Exclusion Act by tfur
Congress. Especially s6 when con
sidered in the light :of our growth in
intelligence,* and also in the light of
of the growth and development of
our religious teachings, winch teach
ing we have offered and are still of
fering to the people of Japan. This
teaching is based on the Fatherhood
of God and the brotherhood of man.
I must confess that I am at a loss
to^know how in the light of the Act
of Exclusion we are to be able to
get idle Japanese people to believe
in our sincerity as having or accord
ing to them any. place in this hu
man brotherhood. '
Now, itwopld Certainly seem, to
As the political waterS are getting
hotter and hotter dkfria every
way, I am tempted to jump'1ft; for
in doing so I may Be able to rescue
some of our people. More than half
a century removed from slavery, with
the doors of the common schools and
colleges open to ‘them, it is thne for
the colored people ;to qtdt fdaying the
foorimf Va& hp "world
see that we are a people that's worth
;
Yes, the political rwaffclts are get
ting hot! And the thin# that stirs
my blood and makes me angry is the
way these damiieble selfish Negro
leaders are trying to persuade the
race to “stay on the old Jtepwfican
ship.” Readers of the Star,liatento
me, stay on no ship, wagon, or auto
mobile which is headed to desfcrue
tion. You are fools to do it. The
old Republican ship is headed to
wards the rocks, and may Gd& Speed
on the crash! The dofofred Voters
have stood faithfully by the Republi
cans and since they have had the
privilege to vote.: They, through thft
the leadership of a fevjr selfish Ufo
groes, have been nothing but sBftvem
and stepping stones to high position*
for both white and black rascals for
over a half hundred years. And this,
too, in the face of the fact that a
very large host of them are high
school and co lege graduates. ' And
what do they get out Of it other
than a few jobs given to a few big
Negroes, whose heads are sweHfed so
big while in office thit think it
f belittling thi^fpr them ftr attend
church any more,
I am% here in Washington, and I
know these Negro leaders from “A**
to “Z.” The are no good! They know
that our people are unjustly treated,
but for the hope, of getting a lucra
tive position they will tell all man
ner of lies to hold you in
In order to hold the colored vote
in line for the Republicans these so
called Negro leaders < are-delling you
about segregation and discrimination
carried on under the Wilson admin
istration. - Why hasn't the Coolidge
administration done away with the
segregation, discrimination, and oth
er insults to us as a, race... Coolidge
is President, and he has only to say
to his cabinet officers, “Cut it put!*
and it will be done. But the i^ay I
look at it, the office of Presh&bt of
these United States is too big for a
little man like Coolidge.
The Negro newspapers are respon
sible for a very large shaTe of the
bad treatment of the race. They
will join each o her and whine about
the injustices done the race, begin
ning a few months after * the inau
guration of the President, and will
keep it up until near the next elec- -
tion and then the poor foois will all
fall in line and say, “0, well, the Re
publican party is the best friend of
the colored folk. Come on fafl in
line, and let’s help them . across
again.” This has been done many
times too often; but, hear me, the
colored .voters, aa*e going to show the
coward leaders and. weak-kpeed, hat
in-hand editors a thing or two on
Tuesday the 4th of November next.
You can put your Oars* to the
ground and hear thb triumphant
tread of - the friends of Senator
Robert M. LaFollette as - they march
with him to the White Setose. The
people are tire$ of being bitten by
the same Republican deg aoK^ten.
But LaFollette will be inaugurated
President on Wednesday the 4th day
of March 1925. Get ready to come
and see the great and joyous sight.
Sefch. ^ , n
Washington, !), a
yMr
anese people. It
that Christianity i
acy have beeneasl
gether and weight
and that Christian