The Montgomery advertiser., 1903-04-10
ADVICE TO NEGROES
HON. I. W. HILL ADDRESSED
 TEACHERS ASSOCIATION.
Large Audience at old Ship Church Applauded His Practical Sug- gestiors-Washington and
 Council Failed to Come.

Hon. I. W. Hill. State Superintendent of Education, delivered an address last night to the State Teachers Association. composed of negro teachers, which met in its second days session yesterday at Old Ship Church. on Holcombe Street. The third meeting of the day was called to order at S:30 o'clock last night, and, after two instrumental and vocal solos, rendered by pupils of the Montgomery Industrial School and a teacher from Bessemer. the President, c. 8. Lewis, of of the evening the Superintendent of Ed cation, MT. Hill.
 In commencing his remarks to the as- sociation, MT. Hill informed the teachers that he had been i'll and had not prepared an address. but said he thought a practi- cal school teacher should be at all times prepared to make practical talk on ed- ucational lines to any body of practical school teachers.
 He said that one of his earliest recoi- iections was that of the black mammy." whom he eulogized. He spoke of his boyhood days in counties of the black belt, where he grew familiar with the ways and characteristics of the negro. and his race as he grew te manhood MT. Htll casually referred to Booker Washington's school at Tuskegee as one Of the greatest in the world" which elicited tremendous applause.
 He said he did not come before the con. vention as . theorist. but as one who know the practical needs and wants of the negro, and that he hoped and ex- pected to see the negro race in Alabama progress more in the next four years ad. mtntstration than 1t has ever done
 MT. Hill said that few teachers of the negro race ever think of the object of education, and embodied in the answer of that question. Mir Hill said, was the achievements of the day and time of the generations of centuries.
 The best system of education" he sal1. nhH.,s as passed on the development of the
 He spoke of the downfall of Athens caused by corruption brought about by tne lack Of practical education.
 Cuitfvation of moral. physical and in. tial to' education" declared MT. Hili ed" '
 ras speakins K of religion among the negro The negro Is emotional in his religion. Many or you do not work along given
 lines. but give away to your feelings.
 Lhst Kind of religion does not work in the
 do not do their duty to the race" deciar-
 cd Mir. Hill. and he explained that 1t was the weak and uneducated class of
 ministers who are menace to the race.
 The highest function of a government
 is the education of its people" continued Mir. Hill, George Washington, Thomas Jefferson and other philosophers Of ancient and modern times have declared this. And the education of a pepople must be made on moral. intellectual and physical lines.
 Your race must join with law and
 order to reduce vice and crime in your ranks declared the Superintendent, "and
 to make progress you must respect your women.
 You as a people" he continued. Twill never never succeed until you build up home life. Morals will never develop as long as the negroes live in small, dirty cabins and do not have more eelf-respect.
 Too many of the young men of your race are crowding into the cities. whe,e are induced to crime he said. :" likeness is the devils work shop"
 MT. Hill spoke of two industrial schools for negroes in Montgomery and Elmore counties which are teaching the young men farming. wheelwrighting, black smithing and giving them practical edu- cation which. he said. was a great thing for the negro race in Alabama.
 He spoke of the low price of land in Alabama and said that these prices would go up when the negroes of the State made intelligent farmers and put brains behind their strength.
 He advised the negro teachers and citi- gems to avoid theory. and said that many of the race had no Idea of environment He told the convention that the greatest friend of the negro race was the South ern reared white man, and the speaker was roundly applauded.
 Mir. Hili spoke of and paid tribute to the new constitution of the State He told the negroes that when they become so ed ucated that they could take advantage of their opportunities they would grow wealthy and powerful in the State.
 The speech of Mir. Hill was one of prac- ticality throughout and the audience of negroes showed appreciation of his re- nsrks by frequent applause.
 Prof W. B. Patterson. Principal of the State Normal School for Negroes of Montgomery. made a few remarks in which he appealed to Mfr. Hill to do what he could toward increasing the salary of negro teachers in Alabama.
 After Professor Patternsons remarks a resolution introduced by D. W. Parker of Besseer and S. F.. Moses of Anniston, thanking MT. Hill for his address and approving his remarks. It was passed by
 Bishops Alstork and Lomax of the Af- Tican Methodist Church. were introduced to the Association on motion of Rev. W. H. Nixon of Selma. follows:
 Discussion. s. M Murphy, Eufaula: paper. How to Raise the Standard of the l Teacher" Cornelia Bowen. Waugh: dis | cussion Nellie ". Green. Bessemer; pa- per. Manual Training" H D, Davidson, l Centerville: discussion, C.l A. Burwell. | Blocton.
 The afternoon session included the fol- | lowing:
 Paper. Rational Methods of Developing | the Memory" R. D. Hunt, Huntsville l general round table reading and compo- sttton. R. B. Hudson. presiding. l
 A committee composer of W. Fl. Nixon l of Selma. D. W. Parker of Bessemer and | s. E. Moses of Anniston called on Cover | nor Jelks at ii o'clock yesterday morning | bearing an invitation to deliver an ad- | dress before the association. The Cover | nor replied that he could not accept the invitation on account of pressing official l business.
 The association will hold three meetings | today adjourning tonight.
 Neither Booker Washington nor w. H. | Council have yet appeared but the ne- | groes confidently expect that Washington | Iviu ha here today 1