The Montgomery advertiser., 1903-01-29
AN ELOQUENT PLEA FOR EDUCATION
 MARKS OPENING OF THE CONFERENCE

have said. since we have prospered and are little more fortunate than you. let us help you"
 We have done something in the way of providing the children of the South with educational privileges he continued, but not enough. There must be nine months of school for every child in this State. You need not tell me you are too poor. You may be poor as compared with the people of the North. It Is not that you are poor, but that they are disgustingly rich" And the audience heered again.
 Educating the Negro.
 Touching the education of the negro. and incidentally the attitude of President Roosevelt toward the blacks, the speaker said:
 Now. what shall say about the negro and his education? It Is my duty to say something and I shall not dodge that duty. l find myself disposed to avoid It because just now the whole aues- ton seems to tangled and difficult and delicate that 1t is hard to bc certain whether one can do any good by speak ing.
 The President of the Unitedstates is sn earnest, strong man, who has a passion for the right as he sees 1t. It Is very unfortunate that in one way or mother there Is issuing out of his policy much harm to tho negro and much difficulty in the path of those who would deal with this problem helpfully. He seems to me to be approaching it more in the spirit of righteous pedagogue bent on pre- serving the traditions and discipline of his school according to preconceived notions of right, than in the spirit of a patient statesman who reckons with mill lions of men with their deep feelings, their stubborn strength. greater than his. their intense pride and prejudice of races, a thing more deeply beaten into the human heart than almost any other inn pulse. The President wants to do what is right. He needs the righteousness based on experience and the counsel of those who know this business and want no favors.
 Stands With the South.
 Every Southern State Tn it's Constitu- ton and laws is soIsmnly committed to the education of the negro iecause he is human being. an American citizen and an economic factor. I stand with the Southern States. Our other policy Is pure folly because ignorance is no rene- dy for anything. The problem that real. ly faces us is to find and apply the wisest' method of training to this backward race. w nat sort or trainlnS sHdlf the negro be given at this stage. Manrestly the industrial should be set in the fore ground"
 At the conclusion of Dr. Aldsrman's address the audience broke into cnthu- siastic cheers.
 Hon. John W. Abercrombia. President of the University of Alabama, was de- tained by a late train and was conse- quently prevented from presiding last night. Mir. Abercrombie will preside at the meeting this evening.
 The conference will be In session almost all day today in the Montgomery Theatre
 The attention of the public is especially called to the meeting tonight at o'clock Hon. A. J. Montague, Governor of vir- ginia, will deliver the chief address of the evening.
 The member of the Legislature and the Superintendents of Education have been provided with seats for the reserved sec- ton.
 As large attendance is expected, the holders of such seats are requested to go to the Theatre in good time, After two minutes of o'clock all seats will be re- leased. No tickets for admission are re- quired. All are cordially invited.