The Montgomery advertiser., 1904-02-18

my nine bales of cotton and people were willing to help me. I generally raise now from i5o to 200 bales of cotton year. I have 1900 acres of land. Some of 1t cost me s3U per acre, some of It less than Fxls. I bought the place where l now live for $ll.0o0. owe sSo0O on It. charge from 12 f-2 to 15 per cent for money that I lend. I pay s115 taxes. want Tus- kegee in my community. l say where there is will there is way. have a store of my own and do my own business I have two boys in Selma University. I can't write my name to save my life"
 Iohn Herbert, Conecuh county, said q am not ashamed of telling what we are trying to do. We had lumber on the ground for i2 months, when Prof. N. E. Henry came to us in November, 1903. We began our school under a tree. Now we have a school house with dressed lum- Der. inside and out Our school lasts seven months. We have only s2s public money. We have 6i children enrolled. We own seven acres of land. We pay si.OO to enter and tuition according to grade. We raised SEQ worth of cotton on our seven acres of ground, by the work of the students and patrons. Mir. Eubanks, Harris county. Ga., said, "we are getting along very well. rent a farm for s700 year. own 25 acres with a good house of six rooms. People are not buying land much. They want to go to town. Schools run five months in my county. School houses are very good.
 o. E. Endley, of Tennessee, said. T own 50 acres of land with good house. am a truck farmer. We have hogs
 chickens. cows, fruit and vegetables. We
 have very good schools, running from five to eight months. We own a good
 deal of land. My 60 acres are worth s5,O0O. It cost me $40 an acre. Education raises the morals of the people. Rufus Heron, of Camp Hill, Ala, said. I've as race of people can't be depended on for labor either in the neld, at the shop or the wood pile. We can't hirc man who will go into the field and do an honest day's work. We must teach our boys and girls to work. I pay my poll tax though over age. to encour- age those who are younger. I live where was born. I bought land from the man that owned me.
 said. ''rhe people of Perry county are doing about as well as anywhere in the State Most of the colored people of Uniontown own home and those in the country own land. More colored people are in business in Uniontown than in any town in the State. Of the % stores in the city, IS are colored. One of them does a business of Sl00.0OO per year. In the Merchants and Planters Bank of Uniontown the coiored people have 0e- posits in cash and collaterals of $62.0OO. We have the best school house in West Alabama. We have five teachers and the school runs eight months. Four years ago we had asi old school ( a he We raised $i,4OO among the colored people toward the school house. The general trend Is approved.
 Robert Reese. Scranton, Miss, said. i've have come to the conclusion that
 without education we will soon have no
 children at all We have 300 unedcuated
 boys and girls in Scranton, POO of them
 are girls. I would not take a wife from these girls, not because they are not virtuoue, but because they are not capa-
 ble of caring for a house. carried a re-
 port from the last Conference and the
 people are aroused. They are buying land and educating their children. Ten men since last February have bought land and built on 1t.
 Mir. Garvin of Kentucky said. 's5 per cent of the people of Kentucky live in
 the city or town and over 90 per cent.
 
 homes. We have men who own 800 acres of land which with us means S50,o00. The spirit here has raised the desire of our people t9 get homes and we are going
 to have q Conference.
 Mir. Moore of Nixburg, Ala, said, 'the coIored people of our settlement own about 2,000 acres of land. Our school lasts seven months. We have about
 fifteen or twenty who have paid for land. We own two gins and a saw mill. We feel much encouraged.
 Mir. Reynolds of Talladega County said our school terms have increased from three to five months. The people are learning to economize and get bank ac- counts. I am called the boss farmer of TaIladega County. have 2SO acres of land.
 The following declarations were unanl- mousIy adopted:
 First-In this. the thirteenth annual session of the Tuskegee Negro Confer ence, composed of representatives of the masses of our people in nearly all walks of life, from practically ali the Southern States. we would again declare our faith in the wisdom of unceasing efforts to secure homes and land, the exercise of thrift, keeping out of debt, getting rid of the one room cabin, the building of good oCAOOA HOdSSnt dAbu OcblST CIuICnGS the extension of the school term. the build ing of good public roads, the prompt and regular payment of all taxes, especially the poll tax; and because s5 per cent of our people live by agriculture. we urge that everything be done to make agricul- tural life attractive.
 Second-In connection with thorough education of all the people, we urge a high standard of morality, Christian character, and a strict line between the good and the bad, and that our teachers and ministers be required to maintain at all times the highest standard of life.
 Third-A careful observation of the condition of the race in our local com munities convinces us that there is abun- dant evidence that the moral condition of our people improves as education in- ereases, and that there is no evidence that education increases crime.
 Fourth-Slnce the two races are to re- side in the South. we urge that every. thing be done on both sides to promote harmony and mutual confidence, and we urge our white fellow citizens to do everything In their power to place a premium upon right conduct and high character among our people, and to the end that peace and prosperity may abide. we urge that our people be careful to