The Birmingham age-herald., 1903-05-03

a mansion in heaven who has not pro- vided even a cabin for his family. If you will start a bank account or begin the purchase of a home or other property, you will feel more like working hard.
 Your employer will be asked by his asso- ciates and by others who are studying the race question to inform them to whether you are reliable, industrious and desirable laborers. Are colored men as laborers? What will be his answer? It is your privilege to make him answer what you will. You can so work and conduct yourselves that he will be com pelled out of respect for the truth to give a good report of you.
 If your work and character are satis- factory, your employer will feel like doing something for you in addition to paying you for your work. It is your employer s duty to pay you promptly and well for your labor, but he will be inclined to do more than that when he finds that you are doing your best in his interest and also trying with all your power to make the best of your opportunities. The man of broad mind and deep sympathies knows that there should be more in life for you than the constant digging of coal and exposure to danger; and he is desir- ous of having you prepared to better en- joy the results of your labor by making 1t possible for you to read wholesome lit- erature, provide good schools for your children and churches for you and your families, and otherwise helping you to enjoy life. In passing from this thought. I would like to urge you to place your employer under obligations to you, to speak well of you as workmen and as men.
 l am exceedingly glad to find that most of you have your houses well and neatly furnished, and that you take pride in your homes. As I am speaking plainly to you, I would say that some of you have fur niture that costs too much for people who earn small wages, but 1t is really gratify- ing to see the cleanly appearance of things about your homes.
 You must not forget that there is an- other phase of home life even more i'm portant still which must have your care full attention at all times.
 The husband and the wife each has a most important responsibility in bringing up the boys and girls properly. You should be splendid examples for them in right living. You both should regard strictly the marriage laws, neither giving the other cause for complaint in this re- spect and you should throw around your family all the good influences possible, 10 the end that your homes VIII repre- sent the highest moral standard.
 You will doubtless believe me when l tell you that a good. pure home life is very close kin to a good Christian life It is plainly true that there is too little regard for the worship of God in camp and this Is true throughout the district There are too many vacant seats in your churches. You cannot afford to turn your back on God and His worship. He has more to do with your progress than all other agencies combined. You ought to be willing to pay your preachers such salaries as will enable them to give proper attention to their church work so that your services will be instructive as well as enjoyable. If he should not be able to instruct you then get one who can Ministers should be industrious in their work as well as anybody else.
 In all your efforts to help yourselves most of these companies stand ready to help you. Tn nearly every camp the com pany has helped you to build school houses and churches in which you may be instructed This makes 1t more bind ing on you to have good teachers and preachers, that you and your families may be properly cared for in education and the worship of God