Staunton spectator and vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1896-1916, 1899-10-20
Delivered by a Southern Negro
at Huntsville, Alabama.
PLEA FOR RACE HARMONY
w. H. CounciIT, President Of College
for Negroes. Pays High Tribute
to White People Of ths South.
Northern 0utrages Denounced.

Il hO uicCueoiOu VI Vic ioC0 4<SO"A0Aa
Today by the delegates to the Southern
Industrial Convention developed new
negro orator with new and striking
theories, besides displaying a sincere
desire on the part of the leaders of both
races to settle the problem by mutual
concessions for the good of the New
South.
The new orator was Prof. W. H.
Council, President of the College for
Negroes at Normal, Ala. Although
Booker T. Washington, the veteran
orator and friend of the colored race,
was also among the speakers, the chief
applause of the day greeted Prot.
Council. He began with an appeal
which moved some in the audience to
tears
II bring to you, "he said, "the peace,
good will, loyalty and gratitude of the
millions of negroes redeemed by your
fathers from the lowest depths of ig-
norance and barbarism. We came to
you barbarians; you civilized US. We
came to you ignorant of the industri-
al arts; you taught us to plough, to
SOW. to reap, to build houses and to
live in them We came to you full OF
superstition and fetichism; you gave
us Jesus of Nazareth.
Down in our hearts we are friends.
We have helped each other. We do
not want to leave you. Every inch of
Southern soil is hallowed ground.
made sacred by our mutual joys, sor-
rows. labors, tears. blood, defeats,
triumphs. Let US continue together.
Let us build together. You draw the
plans-we will dig the foundations.
You bring the stones--we will bring
the mortar-each in his own way doing
his part"
This, combined with denunciation
of the treatment of the negro in the
North and condemnation of labor un-
ions, constituted the burden of his
address.
II do not ask for the negro, !" he said,
"the supreme right to rule, but the
God given privilege to do an honest
day s labor. The man who counts me
out at the ballot box may defeat the
evil schemes of selfish politicians, but
the man who counts me out Of an equal
and fair chance to earn a dollar robs
me of my birthright, sends the wolf to
my door and digs grave for my wife
and children. The negro of the South
enjoys blessings unknown to his breth-
rem In any other part of our American
Union.
''FOr him there are on Panas, no
Rockfords, no Cartersvilles. No old
Shareholder has ever yet fallen SO low
that he would shoot to death negroes
begging for a chance to earn bread.
"The guns which, in 1861, were
claimed to be fired for my freedom.
today. when as free man seek work.
pour their deadly volleys into my body.
AS observe the labor trouble Of the
North. as see the terrible opposition
to negro labor in the North, East and
West, as L note the stubborn prejudice
which Northern workmen are bring
ing into the South, I am more and
more thoroughly established in my
conclusion that the negro's best friend
is the South.
"The battle has begun. The iniqui-
tous labor unions coming down on the
South have decIeed the death of the
industrial negro. The result will de-
pend upon the negro's attitude toward
the South and his skill, competency
and faithfulness.
"There is no more iniquity, no more
throtling of individual rights in
sugar trust than in a labor trust; no
more crime in corner on wheat than
a corner on labor. There is no more
virtue in labor unions than in bankers
unions. Three millions or wage earn
e1s of the South simply ask to be pro-
tected from unjust discrimination in
the industries of the South. Protect
us and we will build as our fathers did
for you"