Newspaper Page Text
THE MAROON TIGER
Page J
ployment greatly; but we are facing a problem which
is more complex than unemployment alone, and it must
be treated as such.
The American family is degenerating, because the
father and mother in many families work. The care
of the children is left to relatives or servants who are
not as much interested in the welfare of the children
as the parents should be. Other families are broken up,
because neither parent is able to secure work. The chil
dren in the last mentioned group are undernourished and
illiterate. In a large number of families the children
are working for very small wages. These children are
being deprived of education, health and happiness. We
may see that the present employment system works a
hardship upon a very large number of families.
Since the children receive very small wages, and mil
lions of men are out of work, child labor should be
abolished. Quite a few men would be given jobs, and
the children could go to school. Many of the children
who are working have parents working, and the chil
dren’s jobs could be given to other fathers, so that they
might support their families. If child labor were abol
ished, unemployment would be reduced greatly.
However, the abolition of child labor alone would not
reduce unemployment enough. Too many women are
working. If the jobs that women have were given to
men, labor would become scarce, and all men would
receive enough money to take care of their families. All
families would be benefited in some way. These families
in which the father alone works, at the present time,
would receive more money, because wages would rise
when labor became scarce. The children would receive
better care and would have real homes in the families
where both parents are working. The families in which
the mother alone is working would receive more money,
because the father would make more money than the
mother is making. It is obvious that the families in
which neither parent is working would be benefited if
the father received a job.
The machine offers competition enough for man.
Woman and child labor are too much competition. The
masses will not sit idly by forever and watch the ex
ploited woman and child labor take all of the jobs.
When our country was undeveloped, or in a crisis, and
we needed all of the labor available, women and child
labor was desirable; but now that the country is well
developed and jobs are scarce, women and child labor
are not desirable and should be abolished.
W. 0. Bryson, Jr.
CONGRESS AND LYNCHING
One of the most important pieces of social legislation
before Congress is the Wagner-Costigan anti-lynching
bill.
Although a similar measure died in the closing days
of the last Congress after being reported by the Senate
Judiciary Committee, people have become so indignant
over the evils of mob murder during the past year that
it is felt that there might be a good chance for passage
of such a law in the present session. The need for such
legislation has been conclusively established. There are
many among the other race who are opposed to such a
bill being passed, and I think that because of that fact
our race should make every effort possible to have the
bill passed. Local politics and psychology make it
extremely difficult for the lynching problem to be han
dled adequately by state authorities, and this fact con
stitutes one of the strongest reasons for putting the
situation in the hands of the National Government. The
Wagner-Costigan measure prescribes severe penalties for
lynchers, peace officers who conspire with mobs or fail
to protect prisoners and counties where such lawlessness
occurs, and those accused of violation of this law would
be tried in the Federal courts. In view of the fact that
the states have failed to prevent the continuance of
lynching, it seems to me that it is a definite responsi
bility of the Federal Government to try to end such acts
of barbarism.
—Emmet Rice.
THE RIGHT OF THE NEGRO PRESS
The Negro newspaper and magazine stirred the desire
of the freedmen to have a mouthpiece to cry out against
the economic and social injustices imposed upon them.
And from my observation, the theme of Negro newspa
pers today deals with racial problems and achievements.
More than anything else, the Negro press has been re
tarded by lack of funds. The editors and publishers
have spent so much time struggling to exist that news
articles and editorials have received only secondary
attention. It is evident, however, that there is a need for
Negro newspapers and magazines. The only means of
making our aims, ideals, problems and achivements
known is through our own newspapers.
The problem of improving the Negro press is princi
pally a problem of improving the reading habits of the
mass of the Negro people. Many of our people’s reading
activities are confined to the perusal of articles of no
literary or aesthetic value, such as the comics. The edi
torial page, which is the richest in thought, is generally
the least read. Some of our people, in the meantime,
never read any newspaeprs. There is still another class
that borrows its neighbor’s papers, but never subscribes
for any itself. Without consistent readers and subscrib
ers the Negro newspapers will always remain in the
background.
Then, too, the newspapers must not forget their duty
to the reading public. The press owes it to its readers
to give unbiased reports on all matters. In many cases
the readers allow their editor to think for them. To them
his word is law. The editor should not attempt to im
pose on this class of readers, but should be sound in
his judgments. The editor should seek to provoke
thought rather than to create opinion.
Our College publications also have a part to play
in developing an appreciation for the Negro newspapers.
Not only should our campus papers serve as a labora
tory for developing efficiency in writing, but they should
seek to develop reading abilities, and an appreciation for
good writings. This could be done by making frequent
allusions to comments made by various editors. Pro
fessors could come to the aid of the newspapers by mak
ing occasional assignments that deal with current affairs.
So we see that the college student, the college pro
fessor, the editor, and the Negroes as a whole can play a
very definite part in the improvement of the Negro news
papers. The Negro press is a necessity. Its problem is
not one of survival: it will survive. The problem of the
Negro newspaepr is getting read by appreciable readers,
and giving the best service to the Negro race.
—Theodore Menchan.