The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1897-11-03
TO-DAY is THE BIG DAY
THE OPENING ADDRESS BY MR..
MEWBORNE.
ATTORNEY GENERAL WAlSER ALSO SPOKE
To-Day is Wake County Day and There Will
be Big Parade All State Officers Went
Out Yesterday to be at the Open
ing Of the Fair.


The Cnlored State Fair opened its
gates yesterday morning and good first
day crowd poured in. The exhibits are
good, the people are in Fair-going
mood, and with good weather the Fair
will be success in every sense Of the
word.
To-day is Wake County Day-the big
day Of the Fair, and a great crowd is
expected. The colored people of Raj,
eigh are especially enthusiastic over the
event, and they will go out this morning
in great numbers.
The procession to the Fair Ground
yesterday morning was headed by the
Charlotte Light Infantry with the
Greensboro Cornet Band. Behind them
were the marshals, then the carriages
containing the State officers and Fair
officials, and prominent negro citizens.
On their arrival at the Fair grounds
addresses were delivered by Commits
sioner OF Agriculture ]. NJ. Mewborne
and Attorney General Walser, and the
ninth animal Fair of the North Carolina
Industrial Association was formally de-
clared open by President Donaldson.
Governor Russell had been invited to
deliver the opening address, but having
been detained in Wilmington, he had
requested Mr. Mewborne to represent
him on this occasion.
In the beginning of his address Mr..
Mewborne spoke of the pleasant person
III relations he had always sustained
with the colored people. And in COM
ing here he said, II have wondered
why l was selected to address you to-
day. And l thought it must have been
because was brought into life and have
worked side by side with the colored
man, always feeling for him a strong
spirit Of frendliness. l have been his
friend and he has never failed to come
to my rescue when / found it necessary
TO sound note of ALARM"
Then he spoke Of the Fair and Its
history since its organization nine years
ago. It's first president, he said, was
John OKelly, liveryman; its second
president, John S. Leary, a lawyer; its
third, Warren Coleman, president Of the
Salisbury negro cotton mills; its fourth
and last, Thomas Donaldson, farmer
and butcher.
''The negro" he continued, makes the
best laborer in the world; but that is
not all he does well. There is among
them men OF no mean powers intellectu-
ally-men who are trying to lift up them
selves and their race. Can you doubt
what the future will be when you count
over the noble institutions of learning
they have in this State-Shaw Universe
ty, st. Augustine School, Greensboro A.
and M. College, Biddle University and
many others; and then there are the
public and normal schools all over the
State. This means something; it means
much to the negro race in North Caro-
lima. Your future history is written in
the attendance upon your public schools.
Your children go, rain or shine, we'll
dressed or poorly clad. Once a friend
of mine, curious to see what little black
fellow had in his dinner bucket, lifted
the lid and found there one potato and
a persimmon.
wherefore, / say you are more than
laborers. As lawyers you have astonish-
ed the courts, as orators you have won
applause, as statesmen you have made
NJ mean record.
"As a race, you are a kind people
faithful, quiet, submissive and unre-
vengeful And to-day I congratulate
you on the evidence of progress l see
about me, and bid you god-speed in
your onward race. Whatsoever things
are true, whatsoever things are honest
whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever
things are lovely-those things beseech
you do. AS long as you continue on
that line no power on earth can impede
your progress.
"But let me warn you that division,
discomfort and strife among yourselves
will throw you back more than any 9th
er influence that could be brought to
bear"
At the conclusion Of Mr. Mewborne's
speech Attorney General Walser made
q short address. He said, among 9TH
er things: ~
81 look around me here and see a
great coming race. You haven't been a
race long, you've been dogs. But old
Burns was right: there's coming a time
when manll be man for a that.
"Pm proud Of the colored race. I'm
proud of what | see around me here to-
day. In my childhood associated with
colored people almost entirely until
was twenty-one OF course knew
white boys, but I played with colored
boys. I'm proud Of it.
II congratulate you and rejoice with
You in the progress you are making
You're fit for something besides labor
ers. I've heard some Of the most elo
quent orators the world ever produced
but ] never heard more eloquent speak
er than was one Of your race-Rev. j
G. Price.
"frhpre is but one race to-day aheaG
Of the negro-that is the Anglo-Saxon-
but ] want to say here you can do norh
ing unril the virtue Of your women /.
securei. and this the schools are doin.
for ynn.
"YOu've got the best home in thu