The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-03-08
A YOUNG cOLoRED MANS WORK.
Rev. silas FIOyd's Efforts in Behalf
of Sunday Schools.


Rev. silas X Floyd, A. NJ, of Augusta,
field agent of the International Sunday
School Convention, Is visiting the Georgia
State Industrial College. out at Thunder
bolt. During his visit he lectured 10 the
students on THE Internation Sunday
School Idea" The lecture is said to have
been one of the best delivered to the school
during the present year.
Rev. Floyd is one of the best trained
and most scholarly young men of his race.
For years, he was associated with Prof.
Wright and Rev. e. K. Love in running
the Augusta Sentinel. When Prof. Wright
left the editorial charge of that paper to
come to the college, the editors place was
filled by Rev. Love, who ran the paper
successfully for two years. When he re-
tired, his place was filed by Rev. Floyd,
who was connected with the paper from
its beginning Rev. Floyd ran it for five
years, and left 1T three years ago to en-
gage in the Sunday school work through
out the South. In this field, he has had
phenomenal success. In speaking of his
work, he said:
THE international convention, which |
have the honor in part TO represent is
perhaps the largest religious organization
in the world. 1t takes in all the British
North American possession, Mexico, and
the United States. The work is not con-
fined to any particular denomination, but
takes in all Protestants churches of
every name. AT present there is one agent
at work in Japan. and it is probable that
at the approaching meeting of the conven-
ton In Atlanta in April workers will be
sent to Cuba, Porto Rico, and the Philip
pine Islands. In the work among the COL
ored people of the South, the convention
has in view two things. One is to increase
the attendance upon the Sunday schools,
and the other is to improve the teachings.
We want larger schools and better schools.
We work upon the theory that the men
and women of the next generation will be
better and more worthy citizens IL the
proper steps are taken to give the boys
and girls of to-day the right training To
anyone, acquainted with affairs in the
South. 1t must be plain that the public
schools for colored children do not make
any systematic attempt to teach them hab-
its of truth, sobriety, honesty and right
living. 1t is also true that not very much
attention is given to these matters in the
average colored home. The home among
the colored people, where there is regular
and systematic effort made to teach the
children purity honor and virtue. is the
exception, not the rule. And we are do
ing what We can not only TO see that these
subjects shall not be overlooked in the
Sunday school, but we are trying also to
talk TO the people everywhere in such a
way as will lead them to see the necessity
for Tightening the lines in the homes and
in the public schools. In this way we feel
that We are making valuable contrlbu-
ton to good citizenship, providing young
people for better and higher places than
the penitentiary and the chain-gang and
advancing the kingdom of God in the
world.
"In reference to the teachers. we work
upon the theory that Ii is just as neces-
sary to have the Sunday school teacher
scientifically trained for his work as il is
to have the college professor. or day school
teacher, scientifically trained for his work
To this end, we conduct Bible institutes
for Sunday school workers, with the hope
of stimulating . desire for the proper
study of the Bible, and with the hope,
also, of giving new and better methods of
teaching it.
Generally. l have had the cooperation
of all the people, both white and colored.
wherever / have been. 1t is a hopeful
sign, too, that many of the race leaders
are waking up TO the fact that the moral
development and progress of the negro
race is not in any degree commensurate
with its Intellectual and material prosper
ity, and many are working hard TO see
that something is done to help the moral
condition of the race
The convention TO be held in Atlanta
April 27-S0. viii be large religious gath
ering. There will be delegates present
from all parts of the world. TO the num-
Der OF nearly 1000. The meeting will be
held in the Grand Opera House. Georgia
will be represented by large white dele
cation of Sunday school workers. and the
colored interdenomina lonal association of
the stale will likewise be represented.
At the meeting of coiored ministers yes