The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1900-06-05
B. Fl. LEVY & BRO.
COLORED COLLEGE SOCIETIES.
THEIR ANNUAL EXERCISES AT THE
THEATER LAST NIGHT.

CreditabIe Programme Rendered
by the Industrial school Gradu-
ates-An Able Addresses by Com
gresham George ii. White OF
North Cnrolina-What the Negro
Has Done and What He May Ac-
complish by Earnest, Persistent,
Useful Enort-The Commencement
Exercises to BE Held at the Col
lege Grounds To-day.
The Savannah Theater was packed last
night with the friends of the Georgia
State Industrial College. the occasion be-
ing the literary exercises of the college
societies. a small admission fee was
charged and the audience was represen-
tative of she best element of the colored
people. The exercises were conducted in
very creditable manner.
The feature of the evening was the adj
dress by Hon. George H. White, of North
Carolina, the only colored member of the
present Congress. The address was really
an able effort and one which would have
been enjoyed and approved of by a white
audience. 1t was q good presentation in
brief. of what has already been accom-
plished by the negroes of the South and
filled with exhortation and good advice as
to how they might achieve much more.
II was o'clock when the exercises be-
gan and nearly midnight when they con-
cluded, but the audience did not seem
TO mind the length. The opening num-
Der was an instrumental piece The Col
lots fax-f ba onIi Iop and
very well done. The invocation was de-
hvered by Rev. ]. j. Durham. of the
Second African Baptist Church. A cho-
rus, Song of the Vikings" was prettily
rendered by the college choir.
The first GRAFTON was The Personality
of Lincoln" by Samuel A. Grant. Natur-
ally this was given the place of honor, and
the speakers encomiurhs upon the great
Unionist received the hearty Endorsement
of the audience. A solo. unanswered"
by Martha A. Goods, wasf rendered in
fine voice. In fact, the singing throughout
was one of the best features of the pro-
gramme
Essays were read by Ethel w. Blizzard
upon Lessons from the Lives of Some
Noble Women and Mamie l.. Whitemire
Upon THE Proper Training of Girls the
Hope of the Race" while an Grafton was
delivered by Edward A. Overstreet entitled
Levers Of Success" all of which were
well received. very laughable comic
song by quartette amused the audience
greatly. Julian C. Few of Townsville,
representing the Alumni Association, ac-
Quilted himself very creditably in an adj
dress upon The Value of the G. S. /. c."
President r. r. Wright, in introducing
Congressman White said that he repre-
scented the largest constituency of any
member of the National Legislature being
a mi IL 4fr.tf 49, fnn
his race in the United States The speak
ler, in his opening remarks, took care 70
explain that he was not making a political
speech, and that he intended to devote
himself to the graduates. His remarks to
them were well chosen, urgent, faithful.
honest, earnest effort, not only for their
own benefit, but as the best means of helm
ing their race. He urged that their first
duty was TO choose a life work and pursue
u with thorough systematic effort Next
they should learn TO think for themselves
moi scorning the wisdom of others. but
learning to reach their own conclusions.
Ihrd, ne urged f1xedness of purpose as an
absolute necessity to success in life.
Turning from the graduates to questions
or the race the speaker referred to the
recent race conferences and the assertion
that the negro had made no proper use of
the advantages offered him by free citi-
zenshlp and education. Thirty-fve years
ago, he said, when the boon OF freedom
was conferred upon the negro, he was en-
tirely without property, utterly ignorant
and In many instances DEGRADED and
vicious by reason of circumstances over
which he had no control. To-day the rec
ords show that the negroes of the country
own over half billion of dollars Of tax
able property In cash. mortgages, lands
and other evidences of prosperity. with
out means to educate his children ara
with but little disposition at first on The
part OF his former masters 10 educate them
for him, to-day, by the aid of frien Is Of
other sections and through the generosity
OF the people among whom he lives ire
entire land is dotted with schoolh gu ses
and seminaries. churches and COLLEGES.
Although the negro children do not attend
the same schools with the whites. their
schools are q part Of the same system
under the supervision CT the same super
intendents, they study be same books ana
they are imbued with the same sent mems
as the whites.
I'VE only ask for fair Inspection of
what we have done" said the speaker.
We ask for no special legislation We
DO not ask for forty acres and q mule
We are past that. We can buy the land
a We