The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1896-04-26
Mr.. DUKES ADVICE TO NEGROES.

some wears ago, Mr.. Washington
Duke was invited to deliver an address
to an educational conference held Dy
the negroes. Unaccustomed to public
speaking, he did not deliver the adj
dress. but wrote a letter from which
we make the following extracts:
Five wears more and | shall have
lived three-quarters of a century. Not
long before I was born the cannon of
Napoleon Numbered at Waterloo, as
the Old Guard melted itself before the
hollow squares of the English army,
and England's Iron Duke conquered
the worlds most magnetic leader.
Since then the destiny of nations has
been changed. | have seen the coun-
tries of Europe racked by terrible
wars. and here in our own land / have
witnessed the greatest revolution OF
them all, the emancipation Of your
race. | have always had friendly
feeling towards you and now address
you in the spirit of a friend, wishing,
IL L can, to help you overcome the hard
conditions Of your lot.
Il have no doubt that each Of you
would like to be a successful man. 1t
is right that you should feel so; for a
proper ambition is Gods call to
higher life. But how shall that sue
cess be gained?'
After telling them that the road to
success lies in obedience to the laws
Of honesty, sobriety, and the laws of
their country, Mr.. Duke goes on TO
say:
..Be industrious, and do not be al
ways looking for an easy, soft place.
/ have made more burrows on Gods
earth than any man of forty years of
age in North Carolina. And when you
have made yourself industrious, you
must be frugal. Establish it as rule
to always spend less than you make.
/ never closed a years work in my life
without being happy in the knowledge
that / was better off than / was when
il began Be sure to put away one
dollar every week in the Savings bank.
And when people begin to find that you
are Industrious and reliable, they VIII
offer you positions of profit. Do hon
est work for your honest dollar, put il
in your pocket and at night when you
lie down with it under your pillow, the
| eagle on it's face VIII sing you to sleep,
| because il knows you have earned it
and mean to spend it properly.
| success is good character. Without
that all your efforts viii come to moth
ing Honesty, sobriety, industry, fru-
gality, all go to make up good charac-
ter. Support your churches and
schools Give to the support of the
| gospel. not because you feel it your
duty, (and it is your duty, not be-
cause somebody else does it but be-
cause you know it is right, and that
| you viii be blessed in SO doing.
People as a rule depend too much
upon government. They think if GER
tain men are sent to make laws and
certain laws are made, then the causes
/ of their poverty and discomfort will be
/ removed. 1t is an idle dream never to
| be realized. What is government 1t
| is plan adopted by the whole people
| for their guidance in national life,
| Every person in this country is a part
I of that government. The government
/ tai functions of the nation can he per-
| fected only as its individual members
perfect themselves. Rain is a neces-
sity. The ground must be watered be-
! fore it can produce But if you should
build shed over your field, it might
rain abundantly, but your crop would
| perish from the drought. What good
| will perfect laws do you unless you are
/ prepared to live under them? A dog
cannot be governed by the rule that
governs man. Your only hope lies
with yourselves. BE men of honest,
upright lives; support your churches
and your schools; regard your minister
as your best friend, and your school
teacher as the next, work honestly for
your money, and give some Of it to help
support these institutions. Cease to
rely upon outside help; for you must
work out your own salvation. Since
] was twelve years old have been try
ing to make the world better by having
lived in it. Let this be the rule OF your
lives.
~ have never failed to give freely to
the support of the gospel. | have re-
garded 1t as a part Of my life. II am
Aanxthinu if my life has been success