The Washington bee., 1901-08-24
AN ADDRESS
OF the NatloHal Afro-Amerlcan Press Assscia-
-tion to the People of the Nation.

/ OF the NatloHaI Afro-Amerlcan Press Assscia-
=tion to the People of the Nation.
/ The members Of the National Afro
/ American Press Association convened
| in Philadelphia, in historic Bethel
/ Church, the Mother" of the great A.
/ NJ. Z. Denomination, founded eighty
/ five years ago by that wise and fearless
leader, Richard Allen, rejoice that
/ they meet under such favorable
/ auspices, and have So many reasons
| for the belief that the future of the
Afro-AneriCan people is a bright one.
We congratulate ourselves and our
race that ne have more Afro American
/ Journals than ever before, that they
are better edited, cleaner, and more
successful, have a higher moral tone
and are being recognized more and
more as the real defenders and eduCa-
tors of the race.
We rejoice under the guidance Of the
| Afro-AmeriCan Press, the Atro-Amer-
ican people are assisting in the sup
preston OF crime, cultivatinq the best
/ possible relations with the better
classes of all races in the communities
/ in which they live, diminishing their
/ percentage Of iIliteracv purchasing
| more property, becoming more relg-
/ ious, learning more trades and are
each year better citizens.
| We are happy in the belief that we
still have the friendship, good will and
/ assistance Of the better class of our
white fellow citizens both North and
South and that the sentiments express
ed by Senator B. X. Tillman in his
recent Wisconsin address are not
| shared by them; but that the thought
[ less few who applauded them were
momentarliy carried away by the
lsophIstry OF crafty demagogus who
was Insulting the intelligence Of his
/ auditors IN the hope that his utter
anCes when reported at home would
/ Hln tor him the support Of the ignorant
and vsnal Of his own race, which he
so much needs in the campaign upon
which he is about TO enter. We de-
! nounce him as & dangerous fire-brand
who is endeayoring 10 incite the friends
/ Of the race in the North TO murder and
other unlawful acts and thus justify
/ his own barbarism.
We urge the Afro-American people
/ to be lsw-abidinE. industrious and
saving; 10 educate their children; TO
support worthy enterprises conducted
/ by members Of their own race, and
while realizing the difficulties which
| beset them, 10 be of good cheer; for
they never were so prosperous as they
are today, and the civil and political
rights which are now being denied
will surely be theirs, as the result of a
patient continuance in right living and
good citizenship.
We earnestly desire that sympathy
8 with the Afro o-Americau Council,
whether affiliant or not, which will
render good, substantial and material
aid to the futherance ofthe prosecution
Of the test case of the constitution OF
Louisiana, recently instituted by the
/ Council. "Who would be free them
selves must strike the blow"
/. c. ASBURY,
T. THOMAS FORTUNE,
J. E. JOHNSON.
OFFICERS, I9oI-I9O2.
! CYRUS FIELD ADAMS, President,
THg APPEAL, Chicago, III,
/ VIM. A. PLEDCER, Vice-Presldent,
The AGE, Atlanta, Ga
| GEORGE /. KNOX, Treasurer,
The FREEMAN, Indianapolis, Ind
THOMAS FORTUNE, Secretary,
The Age, New York CILy
/ E. E. COOPER, Chm EX. Com,
THE ANERrCAN, Washington, ID. {