The Montgomery advertiser., 1904-02-18
1.-THE NEGRO PROBLE LEM''
THIS WAS SUBJECT OF DEBATE ' AT CHURCH.
Several Speakers Addressed Their Race, Taking Varied Views of Question4Mew York Negro
 Talked Sense. ..

Prominent Montgomery negroes discuss ea s'the negro problem" last night at the Peoples Baptist Church corner of Adams and Ripley Streets.
 N. N. Nealy, pastor of the church ex- plained that he had announced the ois- cnasion because he thought 1t wise for the negro of the South to meet together and discuss questions of moment to their race. The negro is oppressed In the South, he declared. politically. socially and otherwise. Whether it was the fault of the negro or the white man he was not able to say. If the negro as race can attain a higher standard in the South by education. good morals. ana acquisition of property. the South is the place for him.
 Some race leaders of prominence, he said, continued that however long the black man studies and labors he VIII never be recognized in the South as any thing but a menlai and the negroes should therefore migrate. He admitted that this argument seemed aound. He believed personally in the negro staying in the South. his adopted country. but he had called the meeting to hear aTgu- ment on the question.
 Both of the speakers introduced took the position that the negro should re- main in the South. work and win promi- hence despite the prejudice Of the ruling class of citizens.
 The speakers were Joseph Lawrence, principal of the swayne school and l.. P. Berry, a negro merchant Both speeches weFe even tempered.
 Berry with some warmth. declared that the negro was downtrodden and the victim of prejudice, but he urged his race to strive for better things. He said that if the negroes were dissatisfied with out the franchise, they should move to some other Southern State. where indus- trial conditions are the same. but where the "authorities respect the fundamental law of government. the constitution of the United States"
 The chairman called for volunteer speakers. The first to respond was a young negro from Trinidad who had an unpronounceable French name, which no one could spell and who talked in an excitable French dialect.
 He said that the negro in the South, however we'll fitted for any position of trust was barred from occupying one Vrl account of prejudice.
 ''Eef apply for ze position as book keper in your store, dey tell me to ask for ze job as watair or ze dish washair," he declared, his excitement increasing. In Trinidad he said the negroes would be insuited If the waiting rooms at the rail- way stations had separate compartments for whites and negroes
 Elder Williams said that if all these things were so. the negro should move to Trinidad ar some other place.
 A member of the faculty of Wilberforce University, negro. Arnett a nephew of Bishop Arnett. was called on Arnett is a young man. but he is a speaker of polish and of common sense. He expressed surprise that the negroes should be dissatisfed with Alabama. You may have lost little political fight said he. but you have what Is better. you have the Tuskegee school. the school at Normal and the State Normal in Montgomery. read an editorial in The Advertiser" he con tinued. "only few days ago and 1t seemed perfectly fair to our race. For a negro to be somebody he must do some thing 70 make him something.''
 The speaker advocated industrial and educational advancement and spoke en- couraging words to his hearers, citing the advancement of the negro in the last decade, In church. educational and industrial work.
 The meeting adjourned at 1O;sO o'clock.
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