New-York tribune., 1902-08-25
NEGRO CONGRESS- AT ATLANTA.
A SOUTHERN WHITE MANS APPRECIATIyE
VIEW OF IT

VIEW OF, IT.
To the Editor of The Tribune.
Sir: The negro conference just closed here. after
hve days session, and every day a busy one, was
one of the most successful gatherings of the man
and brother held in the South. The delegates
from many walks in life, principally the
schooroom and the pulpit. For all that, 1T was rep
resentative of the best thought of the negro That
large body was. best of all, conservative. It seems
the leaders had provided for just that class of dis
turbers which is found in all conferences and SO.
by common consent. that class was sat upon-in
vulgar parlance. made to go away back and sit
down,
For months past this conference has been
advertised intended to bring together the
representative negroes of the country, for the pur
pose discussing the relation of the negro to the
white. the negro's prospects. hopes aspirations
not from the point of view of the political negro
but socially. And politics tabooed: If some
ndiscreet speaker limited at 1t. he kept down
almost ignored. Such leaders Booker T. Wash
ngton and others of his class determined that no
disturbing element should be heard. and those con-
servative ruled and swayed the thousands who
daily attended. In this they demonstrated their
wisdom
Evidently the congress wanted to create good
impression. There were present some of the best
educated negroes in the Unitd States They lect-
and most felcitonEiy. The Concert on the second
evening was pronounced by the press as me ana ana
hundred voices participated in the evenings enter
were solos by both men and women The one nota-
Bile chorus of the evening was Handel's "Hallelu-
jah' most admirably rendered There were read
ings by both and women, and they were schol-
arly and highly entertaining especially those Seec-
tions in the genuine old plantation dialect, given
by men of high education
The burden of the talks and addresses was the
social status of the negro-how to upft, TO Chris
tianize, educate and help him. Great stress was
laid temperance, cleanliness. economy in house
hold affairs and chastity The speakers pleaded for
these things and demonstrated how upright lives
meant progress The most notable address was that
of Booker T Washington His theme The
Contribution of the South to the Education of the
Race"
As a Southern white man, the writer takes pleas
in saying these few words-lnadequate ana
poorly expressed, but honestly because this con-
gress of negroes deserves everything that has been
said, and more. We CT the South know the negro
as no other section ever hope TO know hirn-
He is with to stay-haS always been faithful TO
trust barring of course the miserable drink
scores here elsewhere. Here in this foremost
Southern city the negroes well treated They
are generally well behaved, hard working and they
get plenty to do. They carpenters, masons,
painters, builders Some of our skyscrapers were
erected largely by the negro. They have large hne
churches send their children to school; many of
them put their money in banks. some have very
substantial houses No wonder Atlanta was select
ed for this congress- The negro here is the rep
resentative type. and yet 1t wisely thought the
negroes here needed just such gathering, Events
Ing; the colored race will improve
Publisher of The Industrial South.
Atlanta Ga, Aug. L. 1907