The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-03-15
THE TUsKEGEE CONFERENCE.
This Years Meeting and the Topics
Discussed.

Tuskegee Ala, Letter in New York Post.
'Tuskegee has done the most and best for
the colored race of anything attempted for
them since the war" This impIssioned
declaration by representative coIored
speaker at the Tuskegee conference this
week had no thought of undertaking the
effective work done for the negro race by
its other educators and benefactOrs. These
have trained, able leaders and teachers.
TuSkegee gets at the inert masses. and
quickens the necessary following, without
which leaders had forlorn hope.
The Tuskegee Conference has become an
institution. The discussions have as a text
every year some printed declarations"
This year these declared that there must
be ownership of the soil as the foundation
OF All progTess deprecated eXdrayaganee
the labor market, urged that schools be kept
open at least six months in the year. and
that immortality be made to feel the force
of condemnation, and recognized the mu-
tual dependence of the whites and blacks.
The discussion of these subjects takes the
form of what Methodists call IAN eXpe-
rience meeting" Each man tells his story
In quaint homsiy fashion the chairman hartman
keeps him to the point by judicious ques-
tionng. and sums up the gist of his testi-
mony in few clear-cut sentences. 1t ran
all one way. The negro had got into debt
by be rrowing; he was now learning TO earn
money before he spent it, He had wasted
money in cheap jewelry, excursions.
what he needed. He had wasted time in
loafing; he now finding out that time
was money. and working with all his might.
He had rented land; now he was owning 1T:
and buying all he could pay for. He had
been content with one-room shanty; now
he had got him a decent home.
One of the speakers had begun his rise in
the world by yoking himself to the plow.
as he was too poor to buy mule, while his
oey g6 benk Sb ne ha on that n
one way TO economic was. where you've
been used to eat seven biscuits, you kin
the happiest time in his life had been when
he had been able TO buy yoke of oxen,
and walked behind them singing 'Amazin'
Grace. The general testimony was that
the colored people In the rural districts
were beginning to get on their feet by
economy. by harder work. by raising their
own food instead of buying ii with money
borrowed in hope of a cotton crop. and by
frightening the three months school TO
four or five months at their own cost. AT
the same time higher standard In morals
and religion was being insisted on among
the preachers.
The annual conference at Tuskegee, how
ever potent in its influence upon those that
attend. requires reVerberatorS 10 reach the
millions that cannot. These are fast multi
plying in the form of local conferences held
monthly, sometimes oftener, in scores of
communities. From Tuskegee the pilgrims
go home to become missionaries. One of
these stated that he had organized fifteen
local conferences. This has only to go on
for few years at a rate of expansion re-
sembing that of the Tuskegee Institute it
self. and the whole South will be over
spread with it's ramifyng organization for
a true moral uplift of the negro millions
into thrifty: Industrious and self-reliant
| self-respecting manhood. Then the COM
| paratively few well-trained minds sent out
| from the higher educational centers. At
h Ianta Fisk and other negro COLLEGES, Viii
| i'm the things that make alike for Ct riliza-
| ton and religion. This depends. however.
| on the wisdom with which the conferences
| Southern negro are at present the one-room
cabin, in which a moral life is impossible.
| and an intense sectarianism. He has
| learned TO look away from politics for his
| advancement. He has yet 10 learn TO sup
| press religious sectarianism for the sake OF
| effective cooperation with his brethren.
| The workers conference brings together
| wider representation than that OF the
| farmers, few Of whom can come from far.
| Twenty-seven different institutions were
| represented last Thursday. mostly by col
| ored men, among whom there was a sprink-
ling of whites, such men as Presidents Ran
| kin, of Howard University, Washington:
| Brunstead. of Atlanta University; Cravath.
| of Fisk University. Nashville; McCullOch.
| of Knoxville College; Andrews. of ITALIA
| c., and Frissell. OF the Hampton Institute
the mother and prototype OF Tuskegee.
merely. but the various sides Of the prob
| lens all are trying 10 solve, and empha-
sized the need of corresponding variety in
the varieties of work. The workers
conference in general corroborated
the farmers as to the progress
clared by Vice President Gilbert, OF the
| South Carolina Colored College. There is
no salvation for the negro through poll
! tics. The Rev. Mr.. Upshaw (coloped) de-
| clared that the Tuskegee work had saved
| more colored peoples necks than anything
| else" Race prejudice, he said was lessen
| ing. land owning was increasing: there was
| less lynching. respect for law was greater
To the same purpose spoke Mr. r. @. Simp.
son, white land owner and merchant al
| Furman. Ala, in Wilcox county. where
| there are but six thousand whites to TWEEN
| ty-four thousand blacks. Mr.. Simpson has
! attended the Tuskegee conference for sew
eral years Convinced by facts. and being
at the same time a religious man. he has
promoted the education of the negroes in
his own neigbborhood as the generous pa
iron of the Snow Hin school. manned by
| a Tuskegee graduate and assistants. and
already favorably known TO Northern ben
efactors as both deserving and very needy
still.