The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1899-08-05
TRUE TO old ABE
Colored Folk Honor His Mem
DRY in Speech and Song.
PROF. VERNoN'S GRAFTON
Was an Inspiration at Eman-
cipation Day Exercises.

Emancipation Day was duly celebrated
by the colored people OF wichita yester-
day at Griswold park. The exercises on
the program did not begin until after
noon, but there was happy mingling OF
people in the park all day long. Swings
had been hung from the lofty trees, and
various games were INDUCED in by the
folks The martial band was one OF the
principal features, as It IS one Of the
best Of its kind In Kansas. The boys
play splendidly and are well up on all
kinds Of trick movements. Dinner was
served on the grounds.
Dr. Harrison acted as chairman of the
meeting. The program was made up OF
excellent vocal music and speechmaking.
The threatening clouds probably kept
! a great many away from the park, but
! good crowd had gathered to listen to
| Prof. W. T. Vernon, the eminent Kansas
orator and chancellor of the Western
University at ouindaro, an institution Of
learning that with the aid given it by
the state Is destined to become one OF the
leading institutions for the educating OF
the coiored race in the country. Prof.
Vernon paid beautiful tributes to Abra-
ham Lincoln, about whom clusters the
great love and sympathy Of every negro
who cherishes his freedom today. Prof
Vernon also plead for high ideals and
morals for the race. He said:
The records of history, varied and
checkered, all prove the onward trend OF
civilization. With this civilization and
growth have been the rise and fall of
men, races, nations and empires. The
shifting of this civilization from Ethiopia
| to Egypt, Greece, Rome. Europe and
America left among the races OF the
earth the negro. a savage, a barbarian
on African shores. Destiny brings m
TO America in 1919 as a slave; henceforth
his history Is but the history of America
her liberties, her institutions and her
laws. In the wars of a hundred years OF
American history the negro's blood has
redeemed Americas streams. hallowed her
soil from the unsalted seas Of the north
| to the gulf states Of the south; from the
coral reefs of the Atlantic seaboard to
the land where golden-hued fades the
sun. Whether at the Boston massacre
| dying as Attacks. the first martyr. as
| Peter Salem shooting Pitcairn at Bunker
Hill. with Perry at Lake Erie, or Jack
son at New Orleans, he has been the
| same self-sacrifcing hero. dying for the
security and freedom Of this. our COM
mon country.
''Yet still, he was brave when, from
81 to IS, our country In Eebellion's throes
needed his sacrifice and death, he helpe1
to keep our country's name on the map
of the world. helped to make the Decla-
ration of independence a living reality,
and gave opportunity for Lincoln to free
him and his children. forever making the
! Magma Charta Of Runnymede see hopes
| fruition in this, our common country.
| which guarantees to all mankind the
| privileges Of citizenship. making Of this
the acme Of. al lciyil. religious and po-
| litical liberty the one asylum for the
burdened and oppressed.
"IIis latest sacrifice was seen when At
Santiago and FL Caney, his white officers
dead. facing the foe from colonel down.
dared mount the ramparts and help to
put at an end Spanish tyranny in Cuba
by a charge as brave as that madly-
ordered command at Balaklava, or that
OF the Old Guard at Waterloo. The
black color-bearer who reported TO God
| the reason why was as brave as Sher-
man. Sheridan, Roosevelt. Hobson or
| Funston.
And now. my race. after all our suf-
fering. blood and struggle, what of the
future?
s.v1-. -. -. "a 400. ~-nu hut pat all
to be done. The white man OF this coun-
+! try will help us of those who deserve II.
| We must work out our own salvation
Though some white men are vicious and
the enemy OF our race. many more are
our friends. We have succeeded in
amassing wealth and in many cases be-
coming good citizens. with homes. happy
! with children attending day and Sabbath
J school. with negro professional men sue
cessful and brilliant. and yet there Is
| much TO be done. We must get ourselves
| in a position to demand the help AMI
support of the white race. Your color will
not gain you sympathy and push you
ahead of the white man. You should not
desire this; neither can 1t retard your
progress II you deserve TO succeed. II Is
I a question of the survival Of the fttest.'
Brains. education. money. real merit will
cut their way. We must gather in the
! bows from the streets; We must teach
them the value Of a dollar: we must
teach them trades 70 WORK and compete
with the white artisan
When Governor Stanley recommends
that the negro be given an Industrial
| school in Kansas he advised that which
far exceeds the bsstOwing Of political jobs
! 10 a few politicians who care nothing for
The race and all for themselves. This
I and other industrial schools will give 10
/ your boys and girls a means % livelihood:
and thus we can build uP pure ana
sanctihei home; a splendid civilization
which furnishes the race manhood AMI
woranhood as pure and noble "a that II
the Pilgrim Fathers skilled negro
| mechanic can secure work IL he can do
the work as well ard cheaply as the
white mechanic. IT'S business matter.
pure and simple We stand OF fall %
our own efforts; which shall Il be: God
grant that We may rise!
Now. as 70 lynchiag. I will say I an
r1nalterably opposed TO lynching and an
still more bitter against the crime. White
men or coIored men 50 guilty ought u
die; but BY Law. Governor Chandler o,
Georgia and Governor Stanley ~ Kansas
bv their efforts can help q much IN this
matter. though narrow. partisan COVER