You or your children may be the fortunate ones to be offered an
opportunity to become distinguished for bravery and generalship, for the
way has been prepared and those now striving to uphold peace will have
successors. Remember this point, that the longer the test and the
greater the perseverance, the more and the higher facilities will be
given you to reach the leadership.
It must be plain from the mere birdseye view that has been given that
many leaders will be needed in the near future. Indeed, some of our
present leaders as they grow older will lay down their armor, and others
must be ready to take it up and wear it.
The filling of the ranks is almost imperceptible because it is so
gradual, but it goes on continually, and the time to prepare for
stepping into a vacancy is now. There is always a leader, and the coming
men, it is plain, are those who make themselves ready, and prepare for
immediate and future emergencies.
Have no fear that there will be no place for the lowly boy in the humble
home; the lad with his school books plodding his way to the elementary
school; the youth at college, or the newly made graduate. The wheels of
life are not going to stop, they are ever turning, and there is a vast
upward tendency which comes with every succeeding generation, the last
an improvement upon its predecessor, and the next one a still greater
improvement. So will go the world until the last whisper of time shall
beat against the gates of eternity.
THE TURNING POINT
_The Progress of the Colored American; His Chance in the Business World_
There are three points upon which every colored citizen may base his
chances for success in the business world:
First—From their inability to engage in any business whatever a
generation and a half ago, the Colored race now numbers about five
hundred thousand members engaged in trade, transportation,
manufacturing and mechanical pursuits.
Second—The Colored race having increased from about four millions of
people a generation and a half ago, to nearly ten millions of
people in 1913, the commercial field has vastly widened for
exploitation.
Third—Under the now accepted doctrine announced by Rev. Charles H.
Parkhurst of New York City, the field is still farther enlarged
and bids fair to become unlimited.
The exact bearing of this increase in the population upon business
chances lies in the increased consumption, greater demand and advanced
civilization—that is a greater variety of objects are necessary to
comfort or pleasure. This makes more customers, and all things being
equal, perhaps they should be a trifle better, it is quite on the cards
to believe that the Colored American will get his increased share of the
trade of his fellow Colored Americans. If he does not, then he is
probably in fault through inferior goods, poor service and lack of
prompt delivery. The business is in his hands at any rate and the
opportunity is at his call.
The first proposition is to the effect that business chances are now at
high tide, where a few years ago there were no chances of any sort. We
are speaking of the subject of business chances exclusively, but may
venture to add such employments as miners, masons, dress makers, pavers,
iron and steel workers, stationary engineers, engine stokers, etc. In
these latter occupations there are more than one hundred thousand
Colored Americans employed, a gain of over 85 per cent in ten years, or
rather since 1890. The other trades have fallen off somewhat owing to
the introduction of machinery.
To limit this question to commercial pursuits, it may be well to state
that economic progress has reached a high water mark among Colored
Americans. There are one hundred twenty-five and more Colored business
men’s local Leagues in about every State in the Union, with eleven State
Colored men’s business leagues in the Southern States.
These leagues are composed of bankers, merchants, and dealers generally
in goods, wares and merchandise—dry goods and groceries, hardware, etc.,
and are all at the top notch.