CHARLOTTE, N. C., ^THURSDAY, NOV. 26, 1925.
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VOL. XL VII.
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IS ANGLO-SAXON CIVILIZATION PASSING?
By Rev. A. U. Frierson, D. D.
v, j By Anglo-Saxon civilization,
one can only mean present-day
civilization. For, as a matter of
fact, our civilization bears un
mistakably the brand—Anglo
Saxon. Whatever else might be
said about contributing forces,
or even races, I think there can
be no Question mark behind the
fact that the Anglo-Saxon has
pointed and shown -the way,
and, like Ben Adhem, has led
all the rest in world civiliza
tion.
Since, however, this is an
• open as well as a debatable
'question, hence, cannot be an
swered categorically, I wish to
present some personal reflec
tions and observations, in the
affirmative, and leave the hear
er to his^own deductions, and to
reach his own conclusions. I
come to this presentation under
a profound and sacredly solemn
sense that the impetus that has
carried this old world forward
by • leaps' and bounds must be
set to the account and credit of
the Anglo-Saxon. Under the
impulse of this civilization the
matchless^ and marvelous pro
gress witfi which the world has
• been blessed has more than kept
even pace; Mankind in the for
ward rmarch have kept unfalter
ing and steady steps. Under it
achievements bordering the mi
. raculous, in every field of hu
man activitiy and endeavor,
have been fully realized and at
’ . tained. Art, science, philosophy
imzatioi
—---- -j ftayg developed
and have projected
1— realms of
l of gov
ernment, the best known plan
of social arrangement and or
der, and in a great degree the
religious ideas and ideals, if not
the tenets and principles, that
are most acceptable and best
adapted to human needs.
ITtie things that have come to
cheer, inspire and bless man
kind by way of this civilization
are, comparatively speaking,
“like the stars above our heads.”
Since this is true, why enter
tain for a moment the
thought of the immedi
ate or ultimate decay of such a
civilization, is a fair question?
• To answer this question intel
ligently, we would do well to
dig down and examine the foun
dation and check the signs of
the times. That a building is no
stronger than its foundation,
and, therefore, stands or falls
by it, is axiomatic. So impor
tant and potent is this great
fact, that it afforded the Son of
God a striking simile in tnat1
master-piece—His Sermon on
the Mount, Matt. 7:24-29.
Notice, if you please, the
dominant idea—the principal
plank—in Anglo-Saxon civiliza
tion bearing upon race relations
or status, to wit—Racial Ine
quality. If by this were meant
inequality of opportunity, one
could and would have no serious
objections. But' there can be no
doubt as to the real Anglo-Saxon
meaning, since a few years ago
the first citizen of the world
made an unequivocal, undis
guised deliverance on this sub
ject. When the late President
Harding in his memorable Bir
mingham speech said, “There
is an inherent, ineffaceable in
equality of races,” he brushed
aside every vestige of doubt re
specting the Anglo-Saxon view
point. He used the most clean
cut and incisive language at his
command. This expression can
not be classed as an impassioned
or sudden outburst of intense
feeling entailed by excitement
or'otherwise. He made the ex
pression with a comprehensive
and full knowledge of the words
he used. It was premeditated,
deliberate and studied, hence,
had the sanction and all the
weight of one speaking with au
thority. In this deliverance, he
spoke not only for the majority
of the greatest people on earth
—the American people—but for
the dominant race of the World.
Hence, it is and must be taken
at its face value. This and
numerous like utterances from
men who set the pace for our
present-day civilization lay the
foundation for the dual con
struction and application of the
laws as they relate to races so
divergent in origin and herit
age.
This gives large latitude for
unrighteous and unholy prac
tices under the guise of legal
sanction. The double standard
in administering public affairs
is a natural and inevitable se
quence. Winking at the most ne
farious and heinous crimes lead
ing to the deadening and sear
ing of the public conscience has
become the order of the day.
A civilization whose leading
tenet and principal plank is the
inherent difference of races is
doomed to ultimate decay—the
opinion of the first citizen of
the world and those he repre
sented to the contrary notwith
standing. For much available
time and energy that should be
used in unifying and'lifting are
wasted in insisting on and air
ing the,, impassible divide or
difference. With all due re
spect for the ashes bf our be
loved late President and all who
share his opinion, I make bold
to say, the thought bf the in
herent, ineffaceable inequality
of races was conceived in iniqui
ty, born in sin, and fostered in
a school of blind prejudice, if
we are to believe what the Bi
ble teaches as to the origin of
and all things therein... And
hath made of one blood all na
tions of men for to dwell on all
the face of the earth,” etc., Acts
17:24-26.
I have said this much and
wish to add that the super
structure can only add beauty
and finish to the building, but
strength never.
Are there any manifest signs
of decay on this civilization? In
answering this question I wish
to put fingers on a few things
that look suspicious, if not om
inous. Spots on various kinds
of fruits and vegetables are
taken as sure signs of decay
Spots on various kinds of ani
mal bodies are also regarded as
unmistakable symptoms of dis
ease, the ravages of which tend
to death. Kace superiority and
white supremacy propaganda
are easily explicable when men
once allow and subscribe to the
doctrine of the “inherent, inef
faceable inequality or difference
of races.” People, however, are
not much concerned about this
“inequality or difference,” ex
cept as it applies to the black
man. I say that by way of pa
renthesis.
To return to my line of
thought, I beg to say, prejudice,
race hatred, leading to murders,
lynchings, burnings and the
countless outbursts and daily
exhibitions of man’s inhumani
ty to man are ominous and fatal
spots on Anglo-Saxon civiliza
tion. Why? The framing, the
administration and the execu
tion of all law is absolutely in
Anglo-Saxon hands. Despite
this fact law-breaking and
criminality are on the increase.
Under the slightest provocation
supposed or real, a hundred
men can be mustered out to
break the law as against one
who stands ready to uphold the
dignity and majesty of the
law.
It is no unusual occurrence
for a shout to go up from a
thousand throats, “Away with
him! Lynch him! Burn him!”
while but a single, feeble voice
protests, “This is not right!
The law ought to be allowed to
take its course!”
A thousand hands combine in
making ready an altar to the
god of oppression, bitterness
and hatred, and are swift' in
binding a human victim, while
the multitude dance around in
childish glee, to see the sacrifib
cial knife run red with fresh,
warm gore, or make a mad
scramble for the distinction of
firing the first shot, or apply
ing the torch. This civilization,
has winked, while Anglo-Saxon
women of highest culture and
refinement, and children of ten
der years were looking on the*
quivering, sizzling flesh of a
less fortunate fellow-being, and
rush in for souvenirs of roasted
flesh, finger nails, toe nails and
what not. Does not all this look
like a return to barbarism, and
only short of cannibalism by,
elimination of the most nause
ating and revolting element—
flesh-eating? These things to
my mind are portentous and
unmistakably show the trend
of Anglo-Saxon civilization.
My next observation will
strike some people as a brutal
fact, but fact none the less. The
most ominous and fatal spot on
Anglo-Saxon civilization is the
white man’s lust, evidences of
which are to seen everywhere.
Pass up, if you please, his civic
ideas, wink at his notions of re
ligion, but you dare not erase
the question mark behind his
social and moral code. His lust
of power has involved the
world in numerous wars and de
luged her in blood. A most
striking illustration is the
greatest convulsion knowfi to
human history, through jghich
the world has recently passed—
the world war. Ihe dm and
dreadful roar of this terrific
strife have scarcely passed from
our ears—the mist, the, ha^e
and smoke of battle have scarce
ly lifted. The muffled drum,
and the biers wrapped in na
tional colors still pass from
shore to shorje, and the funeral
cortege Aart. kept
since June 28, 1914, when the
assassination of the Archduke
Ferdinand (heir apparent to
the Austrian thfrone) and his
morganetic wife occurred. This
gave Germany a pretext for
lifting the flood gates of her
pent up lust for world power—
a lust reinforced by years of
the most careful, systematic
and painstaking preparations of
which a shrewd, diplomatic and
cultured people were capable.
Say what we will or may—when
a satisfactory explanation is
sought and found for the latest
and bloodiest tragedy ever
staged before the world’s foot
lights—for millions of men
came and went (the greatest
piece of vandalism known to
history, for the world will be a
century recovering from the
wanton destruction of property,
and may never recover;) the
most gigantic and stupendous
loss ever perpetrated—for the
world treasury has been
wrecked and plundered—it win
be while standing in the midst
of this appalling waste, wreck
and ruin we seriously put and
thoughtfully answer this ques
tion, What led to this? The an
swer in its final analysis will be,
This is the work of the white
man’s lust for power.
If any one thinks or feels
that this part of my picture is
exaggerated or overdrawn, I
simply invite him to a review
of the account of buried cities,
the utter destruction of thous
ands of happy farm homes, and
more thousands of acres of fer
tile farm lands; a look at the
catalogue of the nations’ dead,
and a careful reading of the
credit and debit status of the
nations written in incomprehen
sible figures of billions
But, my hearers, this is not
the worst form and exhibition
of the white man’s lust. In sup
port of this allegation let us no
longer go abroad or borrow il
lustrations. Let us be frank
and speak plainly. One day not
very long ago I was looking out
of a window of my recitation
room. Playing under the very
shadow of the window there
were three Negro children from
a cabin hard by. Their mother
is a full blood Negress. One, of
(Continued on page 2)
ON THE CAMPUS OF FEE
MEMORIAL INSTITUTE.
Our friends will be glad to
know that our school is coming
nto its own. Our building is
rowded, and many are on the
aiting list. To date we have
urned away fifty-eight girls,
e are praying for our new
ormitory which we hope will
Materialize before we open our
oors next term.
Everything is humming on the
ampus: the teachers are alert,
nd the girls full of life and
e among the most ambitious
e have ever had.
I Miss Naomi Carr, our teacher
in the Normal Department, has
organized the girls into two
basketball teams. The first
team is composed of the follow
Sg girls : Cleoe Ramseur, cap
in; Winston Muller, Willie
Mae Walker, Jeanette Gray,
11a Stroade, Eileen Reed, Ed
lie M. Harris and Reventa Ma
y.
The second t$am is composed
of the following girls: Nina Mae
ftenry, captain; Mildred Gray,
Pauline Combs, Lena Guess,
Mary Frances Mitchell, Ida
West and Estenta Mabry.
% On Armistice Day we had a
flag raising, a large American
flag being placed on the pinna
cle of our new administration
building. A parade through
the principal streets of the city
preceded the raising of the flag.
Rev. D. K. Walthall, of the
Presbyterian church (white),
made the address of the occa
sion.
, iRev. Hyde, who was instru
mental in raising funds for the
flag, is due much credit.
For many years, we have been
very slow to advertise our
school, owing to its out-of-the
way location, but since we have
^gtVlockted xjun plant, -and * since
our student body has increased
beyond our power to accommo
date it, we are not afraid to ad
vertise and blow our horn. It
is said by both races in this
section, that at the rate we are
going we shall not only be equal
to any school in Kentucky, but
shall be the leading school in its
class. We are glad to say that
our student body is composed
of some of the best students in
the State, many of them repre
enting the best families.
Every fourth Friday night in
each month, a group of six girls
gives a public oratorical dem
onstration and on that night
standing room is at a premium.
Miss Theresa Kinchlow, direct
ress in the music department,
has decided to have the best
quintet Fee has ever had. Our
quintet sang last Sabbath for
the Methodist church and came
away amidst a shower of prais
es.
Friends, when passing this
way, don’t fail to stop and look
in on us. Our latch-string
hangs outside.
H. W. M.
Nicholasville, Ky.
PERSECUTION OF NEGRO
RACE BARED AT SWEET
TRIAL
New York, Nov. 20.—As the
trial of Dr. 0. H. Sweet and ten
other Negroes drew toward its
close in Detroit Dr. Sweet was
called to the stand to testify,
and, in a masterful address to
the court, held the spectators
and .jury spellbound by his re
cital of the persecution inflicted
upon the Negro race which jus
tifies individuals in defending
themselves and their homes
from mob attacks. Walter
White, Assistant Secretary of
the National Association for the
Advancement of Colored Peo
ple, working with Clarence Dar
row and the other defense at
torneys, telegraphed that public
opinion had swung from bitter
hostility to sympathy for the
defendants and that there was
good hope for a favorable out
come of the trial. Mr. White’s
telegram to the N. A. A. C. P.
National office reads as follows:
“At the end of the third week
of trial case is about ready to
go to jury, tinder continued
questioning by Darrow and
Hayes, witnesses for prosecu
tion continually contradicted
themselves and each day com
plete falsity of story that Dr.
Sweet and 10 co-defendants had
fired without provocation be
came more evident. Defense
witnesses without exception
stood up under grilling exami
nation by Prosecutor. Trial
reached its climax when Dr.
Sweet took the stand. He made
a magnificent address telling
his story with restraint and
simplicity that tifeld courtroom
breathless. His story of
threats and intimidation and
the attack on the house in
which eleven defendants were
penned was most dramatic.
Through adroit questioning
Darrow and Hayef brought out
through Dr. Sweet the story of
race riots in Arkansas and Chi
cago and Washirigton and of
lynchings in the South and of
police brutality in Detroit'. This
line of reasoning demonstrated
the psychological background
of the Negro which actuates
self-defense when v attacked by
mob. Full and fair reports by
local newspapers have swung
public opinion which at first
very hostile so completely that
the outlook is now very hopeful.
Case will probably go to jury
Saturday or Monday^”
Dr. Sweet’s recital made a
deep impression not" only upon
the spectators in the courtroom
but upon the newspaper reports
ers as well. The reporter for
the Detroit Free Press wrote:
“Well educated and an acute
student of the race problem, Dr.
Sweet under the adroit prompt
ing of Attorney Hays, gave a
graphic account of the distur
bances -goegraphfcoiffi
from Washington to Chicago,
and going back to the days
when he was, attending school.
He recited the facts of the Chi
cago race riots, holding the jury
and spectators silent and im
movable by his vivid picturing
of morbid details, and the fear
that gripped him as the result
of what he read.
“Speaking clearly and with
out hesitating for a word or
phrar<\ he told of seeing a Ne
gro tarried through the streets
of Washington in an automobile
and badly beaten by a group of
white men. He told of reading
in a magazine how a number of
Negroes were evicted from
their homes near where he was
born, of how others were rid
dled with bullets—of how his
people had long suffered with
out chance of redress as a re
sult of racial intolerance.”
WILMINGTON NEWS.
By the Publicity Department
Our pastor, Rev. J. W. Smith,
gave an interesting sermon
Sunday morning, subject, “The
Divine Inheritance.” Among
things the speaker said was;
our blessings come through ser
vice.
At the close of the service a
congregational meeting was
held for the election of officers.
The following were chosen: As
Elders. Messrs. E. C. Grigg, Sr.;
Green Loftin, G. D. Hargrave
and Mr. London. Deacons:
Messrs. P. S. Leboo and John
Whiteman.
The Forum had an Armistice
Day Program on the 11th. In
teresting talks of personal ex
periences overseas were made
by Rev. Smith and Prof. J. A.
Croom. “In Flanders Field”
was recited by Miss Ruth Low
ery and appropriate music was
rendered.
The Royal Dramatic Club
(local) presented “The Finger
of Scorn” Monday night, the 16,
at the Academy of Music. Mr.
White, the manager, is to be
commended for giving the pub
lic such a treat.
Quite a number of teachers
are planning to attend the State
Teachers’ Association which
meets in Greensboro the latter
part of the week,
SLEEPING OVER OPPORTU
NITIES.
An editorial appearing in the
last issue of The Memphis Times
edited by S. W. Broome, -gives
voice to serious complaint be
cause of his inability to secure
efficient assistants to aid him
in the publication of his news
paper. 'The only words of con- «
solation that we can offer the
quill pusher of the “city on the
bluff” is that such a condition
is not p&uliar alone to his
parts, but throughout the en
tire country the complaint
among publishers of Negro pa
pers is almost general because
of the apparent indifference on
the part of the young men and
women of the race as concerns
the work in connection with the
publishing of newspapers.
Editor Broome writes in his
editorial: J
“For some time we have been
looking add advertising for
young men to work on our staff
as advertising manager and lin
otype operator and in all the
places that are to be filled in a
regular newspaper plant. We
have not yet found them. Our
advertisement is generally an
swered by white men, but not
by colored.
“Why a* our young men
wanting in this all important in
dustry? The position of adver
tising man pays well on a col
ored paper and the work is
pleasant and profitable in many
a way. It is educational. It is
a stepping stone to many other
kinds of business. Is the pro
fession in advance of the men
of the race? Why do they not
enter this/field.
“A good, energetic circulation
|10,000 annually. The work is
pleasant, but calls for brains,
responsibility.
And m every department of
our plant young men can find a
good place for life.
“We must have the men, and
if our people will not' do it, we
must seek others. Colored boys
must be trained to carry and
sell papers. White boys are
trained, and your paper is de
livered, and on time. A few
colored boys are working for
white papers, but strange it is,
they will not work for colored,
even at better pay.
“We often let men have pa
pers to sell, and to be paid for
after the yare sold, but we sel
dom ever see the gentlemen
again.
“Some time ago we put a man
on our advertising staff, and in
a few days he had made some
collections, used our money and
we have not seen nor heard
from him since.”
The facts are plain .to those
who observe closely. It is very
evident that the average young
Negro is desirous on engaging in
those activities that require as
little work as possible and no
thinking at all. Scores of those
who finish public schools and
even colleges have only in mind
teaching school, preaching or
idling away time about some
medical school with a view of
having themselves called “doc
tor,” while a large number are
not energetic enough to escape
the shine parlor or the cook
kitchen.
The disgustful scene that
meets the gaze of those who
chance to pass along some of
the main streets of our cities
and note the large number of
young men hanging about wait
ing to shine men’s shoes, acting
like monkeys in many instances,
much to the discredit of the
race of which they are a part,
when such opportunities for
fascinating and profitable em
ployment as referred to in the
Times editorial is theirs for the
mere exhibition of a willingness
to exhibit honesty and thrift,
brings about a feeling of dis
couragement and suggests the
thought that the race will never
accomplish anything so long as
such prevails.—The East Ten
nessee News.