The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1904-10-27
SHOWS PROGRESS
FOR THE NEGRO
Colored State Fair is
Now on Here.
EXHIBITS EXCELLENT
In the Opening Addresses Governor
Aycock is Highly Praised and
North Carolina is Heraided
as Being Great
State.

The Colored State Fair will be in
full swing to-day, the opening exer-
cises having taken Mace yesterday
The Southern Pines Silver Cornet
Band was delayed by a late train and
Tor this reason the marshals were
without music on their ride. but short
ly after one o'clock the music came
and the twenty-sixth annual Colored
State Fair began.
The audience assembled in Floral
Hall at the Fair Grounds and after
music by the band there was a short
and earnest prayer by Rev. Coleman
OF the colored First Baptist Church
Then again there was music after
which Rev. c. H. King vice-president
of the Fair, introduced a. r. Middle
ton, the president of the Fair. as the
orator of the day saying that he re-
GREETED that Gov Aycock was not able
TO be present to speak as he was one
of the greatest friends the negro ever
had, not only in North Carolina, but
throughout the whole Southland, that
he was interested in the entire people
and that he could say for him that
he was the Governor of the whole
people, and that, if the nav of North
Carolina permitted, ii would be the
wish of the colored people that he
might remain Governor indefinitely.
President Middleton began by say
ing that he appreciated the privilege
of speaking and that he felt that the
fair would be a good one, that it was
i'm great State. because of it's great
men. He emphasized the matter or
caring for home upon his hearers and
urged that the women and children
of his race be cared for and that loaf
ing be stopped, that money be saved
and invested in land.
He paid a tribute to Governor Ay-
cock, saying that no State in the
Union had such an able man, one
who stood in the foremost ranks. He
said Governor Aycock is the pride
of the State, that he was proud or
what he had said and what he had
done to equalize education. He then
introduced Rev. G. II. King. saying
that he wanted him to put his feet in
Governor Aycocks shoes" and open
the Fair.
Rev. King declared that he had been
taken advantage of. that he was not
able to speak as Governor AycocK
would speak, that his language was
not adequate to express the ideas OF
that treat man. that he knew that
Governor Aycock would wish good
cheer and God speed to the work of
the Fair and bid it go forward, that
he would tell the colored race to 90
their best and to become good citi-
ZenS OF WhOm the state would not De
ashamed.
That the race had not come up to
the mark he agreed, but declared
that in the forty years out of slavery
it had done well. He thanked God
for living in the best State in the
Union and said that what was needed
was better understanding between
the white man and the black man.
AS to social equality, he said that was
a ScarecrOW, that the negro did not
want it and recognized that there must
be classes. just as there were classes
among the white people. Social equaI-
it, he continued, must come by agree
ment and this ~reat government can
make no law to bring it about. Let
the idea of social equality be de-
throned,'' he said. "for the negro is
not clamoring for it but for equal
rights before the law, with nothing to
discriminate there because of the color
of the skins, or texture of the hair.
We clamor for that and by the Eter-
nal God we shall never rest till that
comes to pass. The home of the
black man is in the South. Here is
where we must work out our destiny.
Here we must fail or we must sue
coed.
''We are not concerned about the
government, though we think that
some of us ought to have little to say
as to how We are governed. The day
for what we are. We ought to be
proud of our progress, for friends
and enemies say we are making
progress. No race, except the Jews.
have made the same progress under
such conditions. We imbibe our views
from the white man and emulate
them The English emulated the Ro-
mans, the Americans the English and
the Negro the Americans. The negro
is emulating the white man and the
white man should set good example
to him.
He urged upon the negroes to pro-
tect their women and to protect all
women, and to give the penalty OF
the law-not lynch law-to all who
assaulted woman's virtue. He urged a
cultivation of peace and friendship
with neighborS and prayed that the
day would come when this lana shaIl
be in truth the best of all lands
Then after more music presiden,
Middleton declared the Fair formally
open and the band gave more music.
The Fair Exhibits.
The placing of the exhibits had no,
been comrIeted yesterday afternoon.
but the exhibitors were busy liking
up and things were gettin" in GOOD
shape. There are a number OF mer;-
torious displays. but of these there are
four exhibits in agriculture that eX-
coed all others.
The Colored Deaf, Dumb and Blind
Institution has an excellent exhibit,
we'll arranged. There are displays in
all kinds of needle and fancy work,
broom and mattress making. while
garden products are also exhibited.
Shaw University has a big exhibit. II
consists of brick laying, work in wood
and metal, fancy and needlework, and
really splendid display of work done
in the kitchen, a department in cook
ing being maintained by thoroughly
trained teacher at Shaw University.
The Colored A. & NJ. of Greensboro
will have a good display also. but