Staunton spectator and vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1896-1916, 1899-12-29
|NEGRO In SOUTH.
Sermon By A Colored Minister
In Annapolis, Md.
INTERESTING DISCOURSE.
Has lust Returned From the South
land And Says the Negroes are
Going Ahead--It is the Best
Place for the Negro.

Il 0Osn4 AHO SOS
/ Place for the Negro.
Rev. s. T. Tice, pastor of Noun
Moriah African Methodist EpiscOpa
Church, and editor of the Negro Ap
peal at Annapolis, Md, who has re
turned from lecture tour South
where he went to study the race ques
tion. delivered a special discourse to {
large colored congregation of bis churcf
recently. He said:
II am just from the Southland, wher'
the masses Of my people live. Las
summer, you will remember, took al
extensive trip through South Carolina
Georgia. Florida, Louisiana, Texas,
west through Kansas, Missouri, In
diana, Illinois, Ohio; then returned
home. In the month of August l was
favored with q trip through the East
ern States. A few days ago / was in
vited South. l went to Georgia. Ten
nessee and Alabama, travelling through
several of the South Middle States.
Thus, from observation, travel and ex-
perience, should have some practical
knowledge of the condition of the ne.
groes of this country. l have seen
much of our people that is discourag-
ing, and great deal for which l am
proud and hopefal.
"I am more convinced than ever that
the Southland is the best place for the
negro to work out his redemption.
Conditions in this section are not go
appalling as many would have us be-
lieve. True, there are many evils ex-
isting, but a gradual betterment of
the negfo's condition is taking place.
Thousands of negroes, side by side
with their white neighbors, are work
ing to build up the Southland. The
Industrious, law-abiding negroes have
no better friends upon earth than the
Southern white people. They are
reaching out their hands, taking hold
of the struggling, progressive brother
in black and helping him to rise. The
white people of this section are spend
ing thousands of dollars in the educa-
tion of black children, and give negro
men and women plenty of work to do,
paying them living wages for the same.
A large percentage of the negroes Of
this section of our country, as the next
census will show, own and are buying
homes, and entering into business en-
terprises.
1.-THE spirit of Booker T. Washing
ton is being caught by these people.
They are educating their heads and
hearts to think and feel for their neigh
boris interest, and their hands to work
for livelihood. The common-sense
negroes of the South far surpass the
artificial negroes of the North and East
in intelligence. thrift. economy and
real practical life. Our young negro
boys and girls of that section are
taught, and many of them take pride
in doing hard, common labor to sus-
tain themselves in life, unlike the
masses of our negro youths of this Sec
tion, loafing around hotels and grog-
shops, waiting for something to turn
up. The flower and hops of the race
is in the South. A little learning is
not making fools Of them, as it does in
many sections. No race or individ ual
can rise who produces nothing, but is
a constant consumer. Negro mothers
and fathers in this section must put
the checkrein upon their children, and
our boys and girls must be made to
know that work is honorable.
1.-THE Southern negro is not harping
social equality-he is contented for a
fair chance in the race of life. He is
building churches of his own, attend
ing the allotted schools, preaching and
teaching his own race, aided by the
white man of his section. A better
feeling between the once master and
slave is being brought about. He has
protited by mistakes of the past. If
unscrupulous white politicians will
keep hands off, and the white and black
men of the South be allowed to settle
their differences, make friends and go
ahead, everything will work out all
right. A growing independent polit-
ical sentiment is spreading among the
negroes of the country. There will be
no need soon of the enactment of any
law tending to disfranchise the negro
voter, for his vote will be cast in COM
mon with the sentiment and best in
terest of the better element of his
white neighbor. Party will cut no fig
ure with him. He is learning to know
his friends. We need more industrial
schools for negro youths. and a law
requiring parents to force their chill
dren to attend and learn the practical
lessons OF life. Let The negroes OF
Annapolis, Baltimore and the State lay
aside political, denominational and
social predjudices and make one tre-
mendous stride to lift the race to a
higher standard in morals and indus
trial development. And Maryland
will join hands with her sister South
ern States in the betterment of the
negroes of the country"
Who would ever thought that Vir-
ginia Democratic Legislature would
have passed Republican tariff bill :?
That is what the Is cents extra on a
ton of fertilizer will prove to be.