The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-12-19
TO CoLORED STUDENTS.
President Mckinley Gives Good Ad-
vice to Young Negroes.

SAVANNAH, Ga, Dec. 18.-The feature of
the Presidents day was his visit to the
Georgia Agricultural and Mechanical Col
lege This is an institution for colored per-
sons supported by the State of Georgia. Its
president is r. r. Wright, colored, who was
recently appointed by President Mckinley
a paynlaster in the volunteer army, with the
rank of major, but who has resigned and
returned to the school. There were no eab-
crate exercises connected with the visit.
The pupils were gathered in the chapel Mr..
Mckinley was introduced by the president of
the college. He said:
Fellow -citizens-I have been profoundly
impressed with &his scene and l have been
deeply touched with the eloquent words and
the exalted sentiments which have been ut
tered by the two gentlemen whom you del
egated to speak in your behalf. 1t gives me
peculiar pleasure to meet you and to meet
you in this institution of learning, presided
over by one whom / have known for more
than twenty years and whom L have come
to admire and respect as one of the splendid
leaders of your race. j congratulate him
and all associated with him in the good work
done here for the exaltation of your race.
1 congratulate all of you on the splendid adj
vance made by you in the last third of a
century. You are all entitled to all praise
and to high commendation, which 1 am sure
you receive from your white fellow-citizens
in this and every part Of the country. 1
congratulate you upon your requirement of
property. Many of your race have large
properties on the tax lists in the several
States, and in that way contribute proper
tionately to the support Of the government.
1 congratulate you what you have done
in learning and the requirement of useful
L. r-T,.I 9.
a foot of ground beneath the flag of stars
ard stripes where every boy and girl, white
or black, cannot have an education to fit
them for the battle of life Keep on, is the
word 1 would leave with you to-day. Keep
on in the efforts upward, but remember that
in acquiring knowledge there is one thing
as important as that, and that is charac~
ter. Nothing in the whole wide world is
worth so much, will last so long and serve
its possessor as we'll as good character. 1t
is something that no one can take from you
that no one can give TO you. You must ac-
quire it for yourself.
There is another thing Do not forget
the home The home is the foundation of
good individual life and of good government
Cultivate good homes, make them pure and
sweet, elevate them, and other good things
Will follow. l congratulate you that this
institution Is not only looking after the head,
but after the hand. L congratulate you that
it is not only making good orators, but good
mechanics. 1t is better to be a skilled me-
chanic than poor orator or an Indifferent
preacher. (Great applause) In a word
each Of you must want to be best in what
ever you undertake. Nothing in the world
commands more respect than skill and in
dustry. Every avenue is open to It.
ct congratulate Won uDOn the enlendfd
va1or of your race. My friend, the presi-
dent, has made an allusion in his speech to
what many years ago / said in a public ad-
dress. / told of white colonel who had
delivered the flag of our country TO his black
color sergeant, and said 10 him: Sergeant,
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