The Pascagoula democrat-star. (Pascagoula, Miss.) 1878-1920, 1901-07-12
ghe1emufrat- Star
SOUTHERN NEGRO CONGRESS.


Jackson, Miss. July 4.-The South.
ern Negro Congress, which held a
three days session in Jackson with
about n hundred delegates present
from the four States of Mississippi,
Louisiana, Texas and Kentucky
finished its labors last night and ad.
journed to meet next year in Calves
ton. The following resolution which
is OF general interest to the students
of the race question throughout the
the South, vas adopted:
Recognizing TIE fact that no peo.
pie can command the respect and con.
fdence of the other people Of the
world In this enlightened age who are
ignorant and poor as a race, whose
people depend for support mainly up
or unskilled labor and unscientiflc
farming, who are largely tenants
rather than owners OF their farms and
homes, who do not know the dignity
OF labor nor the sanctity of the home,
who do not know that legislation,
however liberal. cannot bring happi.
ness and prosperity, that the time is
that the negro OF the South to ale.
viate his condition must look within
himself, depend only on such as self.
effort invite.
Therefore, be it resolved, that we
in congress assembled, do urge our
people to continue along their indus.
trial lines, knowing as we do, that
they must necessarily get their sup.
port from this source; urge them to
become identified with the soil by
owning homes and small farms on
which they may make diversified
crops; urge them to regard the home
as sacred and all honest labor as hon.
orable; urge them to look for happi.
ness and prosperity through their own
intelligent efforts, rather than through
politics; urge them to be patriotic
and to love the land of their nativity;
urge them to live in peace with their
white neighbors, and to condemn
crime in every nan be he black or
white, and whenever necessary, lend
their assistance 10 apprehending
criminals; urge them to educate along
all lines from the most simple form of
industrial training to the highest
form of philosophical and scientific
research; urge them to pay whatever
taxes the State may levy that our
public schools may be maintained:
urge them to maintain and extend the
terms of their public schools by pri.
vate subscriptions for at least eight
months in the year; urge their youths
to enter higher institutions of learn.
ing for the purpose OF developing any
special talent which they may possess
De it blacksmithing, carpentering,
painting, music, sculpturing, or other
OF the fine arts.
Resolved, that the Southern Negro
Congress establish a bureau with the
chief office at Jackson, Miss. and ad.
visory offices at the capital OF each
Southern State where advice and in.
formation of all alleged acts perpe.
trated upon, and improper discrimi.
nations practiced against the negro
shall be reported; that said bureau
place in the hands of the people by
circulars and the public press the
facts OF every atrocity charged to the
negro so as to prevent the people, as
they now are, from being too often
deceived and predjudiced by improper
reports of crime charged to the negro
in the South, that said bureaus shall
promptly express the disapproval of
this Congress Of all criminal assaults
and acts of the race; contrive to the
people in communities of offeDses, in.
formation and aid calculated to bring
to legal justice the offenders and to
induce the classes to o~stracise socially
and every other way, all negroes di.
rectly or indirectly connected with
lawlessness and thus purge the com.
munity as promptly as possible of all
who are not worthy of good associa.
ton.
We recommend that the constitu.
ton to be formed, provide for the
State, county and municipal organi.
cations in keeping with the purposes
Of 4 Gaa.nana