Kansas City journal. [volume] (Kansas City, Mo.) 1897-1928, 1898-12-19
ADDRESS TO THE NEGROES.

ADDRESS TO THE NEGROES.
President Mckinley Delivers Another
of Those Fine Discourses for
Which He Is Noted.
SAVANNAH GA. Dec. 1S-The feature
of the presidents day was his visit to the
Georgia Agricultural and Mechanical col
lege This Is an institution for colored
persons, supported by the state of Georgia.
Its president is r. 4. Wright, colored, who
was recently appointed by President Nc
kinley paymaster in the volunteer army
with the rank of major, but who has re-
signed and returned to the school. There
were no elaborate exercises connected with
his visit. The pupils were gathered in the
chapel. Mr.. Mckinley was introduced by
the president of the college. He said:
Fellow citizens: ] have been profoundly
impressed with this Scene and | have been
deeply touched with the eloquent words
and the exalted sentiments which have
been uttered by the gentleman whom YOU
delegated 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 l have known
for more than twenty years and whom l
have come to admire and resi- ect as one
of the splendid leaders of your race. |
congratulate MIN ana all dSSOCldleu Will
him in the good work done here for the
exaltation of your race. / congratulate all
of you upon the splendid advance made
by you in the last third of century. You
are all entitled to praise and to high COM
mendation which / am sure you receive
from your white fellow citizens In this and
every part OF the country. l 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 proportionately to the
support of the government. congratulate
you on what you have done in learning and
the requirement of useful knowledge, on
the fact that there is not a foot of ground
beneath the flag of stars and 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 L 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 character. Nothing in
! the whole wide world is worth so much,
will last so long and serve its purpose so
well as good character. 1t is something
| that no one can take from you. that no one
| can give to you. You must acquire it for
! yourself.
There is another thing. Do not forget
| the home. The home is the foundation of
good Individual life and organized govern
ment. Cultivate good homes, make them
pure and sweet, elevate them, and other
| good things will follow. 1 congratulate you
! that this fnstitution is not only looking
after the head. but after the hand. l con-
gratuate you that it is not only making
| good orators, but good mechanics. 1t is
| better to be skilled mechanic that poor
| orator or an Indifferent preacher. Great
applauSe.p In 4 word. each of you must
want To be best in whatever you under
/ take. Nothing in the world commands
more respect than skill and industry. Every
, avenue is open TO IT.
Il congratulate you upon the splendid
valor of your race. My friend, the presi-
dent. has made an alluSion III his Speech
TO what many years ago l said in Il pubii''
address. told of white colonel who had
! delivered the flag of our country 10 his
I black color sergeant and said to him: Ser
geant, place III your hands this sacred
flag. Fight for it; yes. die for it, but never
surrender it TO the hands of enemy.
| That black soldier. with love Of country
and pride In his heart. answered: i Will
bring the flag back. colonel. in honor, colo
nel, or report to God the reason why In
one battle in carrying the flag OF freedom,
he was stricken down. He fell with the
folds of that flag wrapped about him.
lack, but God knew the reason why. He
did all he could all any man could. He
gave his hearts blood for that Nag. AT
san Juan hill and at El Caney-but Gen
eral Wheeler is here. Great applause, !
know he can tell you better than | can Of
the splendid heroism of the black regiments
which fought side by side with the white
troops on that historic field. Mr.. Lincoln
was not far from right. when. speaking of
the black man. he said: The time vii!
come when they will help to keep the jewel
of liberty in the hands of the human race.
and in third of century since you nave
helped TO give liberty in Cuba to an op-
pressed people.
= leave you with this one word, Keep
on. You will solve your own problem. BE
patient. be progressive. be honest be God
fearing and you will win. for no effort
fails that has stout. honest. earnest heart
behind it.
Returning from the college the presiden-
tiai party passed through the camp of the
Indiana regiment which is to embark Tor
Cuba on the transport MinnewaSka to-
morrow morning. The president graciously
wished the officers and men sodspeed and
d safe return.
AT the conclusion OF the president $
speech, "America" was sung by all pres
ent, with possibly more Vigor and spirit
than harmony; General Joseph Wheeler
was introduced as the hero of Santiago
He was given an ovation which lasted .or
several minutes. He spoke briefly of the
hope and glory OF the country and of the
efforts which were being made by both
white and colored people to secure educa-
tions. After General Wheeer's speech he
was appauded for several minutes
Secretary Gage also spoke. He said that
he had not fully realized until this trip
South that there was any such thing IS
a negro problem and that II was of such
widespread proportions. What he had seen.
however. had opened mis- eyes. There was
, such problem and 1t was u very serious
one. However, the information derived by
, him IN Tuskegee and at the school which
, he was addressing had led him to believe
that the true solution of the problem had
been found and that it lay in the industrial
} that were being worked out at the insti.u-
tons named.