Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-08-01

part: We welcome you to the capital city
of the greatest nation earth. We well
come you to the city that has the largest
colored population of any city in America
If not in the world; that has the largest
number of colored schools with the great
est supply of teachers. We have more col
ored churches here than in any other city
with more and possibly ADLER pastors. We
have over hundred physicians, forty law
yers and more leaders and statesmen than
any other city in America. We possess
more. property, more money and hold more
government places than in any other city,
and with all these no resident of the Dis
trict is granted a vote. And hence we well
come you to the only American city with
out the franchise.
We greet you most heartily Forty-one
years is not great while, and yet it
marks most wonderful strides in the life of
race just that long ago emancipated
You represent that race and that growth
Forty-one years from serfdom to Conven-
ton Hall in Washington, with every pro-
fession and trade and business and re-
liglouS faith represented, Is marvellous.
We welcome you as the representatives
OF people aggregating ten million souls
people who make annual contribution
of nine hundred million dollars to the pro-
ductive wealth of this nation, and who
have contributed twenty-three thousand
millions to this wealth during the past
forty-one years. And, better still. this
vast volume of money has found its way
into our own market and found its chan
mel for circulation in our own America
through our own banks and avenues of
trade, and hence aids largely in the swell
ing of our national wealth and giving
added glory to the prestige of the country
and the luster of our flag
You come representing a people strug
Cling against all sorts of odds to rise in
the scale of manhood and moral and re-
ligious worth, who rejoice when we see the
door of hope, like the gates of Gospel
grace, stand open night and day You
come to prove by your demeanor here and
the trend of your public deliverances, your
abundant courtesies eloquent speeches and
charming music that we are entitled to
fair and just treatment everywhere in this
fair land. To prove that might does not
make right, but that right does pave the
way to might
Address by Bishop Gaines.
Bishop Gaines delivered his address at the
session yesterday afternoon, and said In
part:
I'VE meet here today in the second ses-
sion of the Young Peoples Christian and
Educa tional Congress. BY the provision Of
God we nave been brought through many
difficulties and trials since our last meeting
in Atlanta four years ago. Much has hap
pened in these four years. We have faced
many situations that have tried our souls
as race, and we have seen ourselves be-
| ing more and more encompassed by grow
| ing restrictions that threaten seriously our
liberty and our freedom of movement Most
hostile enmity has added itself to these
troubles and has shown itself not only in
bitter denunciation of us as a race but in
in most terrible deeds of violence as we'll
I'VE have stood almost on the brink of
despair as we have looked upon our condi-
ton: but L thank God that In the darkest
hour we have been able TO gather courage
and stand firm In the hope of a future of
better understandings and better days.
And in truth We have much to thank God
for when we face all things calmly and
manfully.' (,
In the course of his address ne also said |:
'In spite of obstacles we have made prog
ress, even in four short years and we
should feel encouraged as our statistics not
only show increase along material lines, but
there is every evidence of mental and
moral growth. In forty-one years of free
dom our people have accumulated about two
billion dollars worth of property and we
have reduced our iiliteracy so that more
than 90 per cent of our people can read and
write We have made remarkable progress
II our race has improved so much iii less
than fifty years, what may 1t not achieve
In another half century,"
Dependence Upon Christianity.
In referring to the attitude OF the white
people toward the negroes. he said: .sWe
look for Christianity to soften the hearts
OF the white people so as to give us a
chance to help ourselves and not to strive
with unchristian spirit to crush US and
prevent US from doing what we can. We
, have had to submit to the awful huuiiiat ton
arising from separate car laws on both
railroads and trolley lines. but we must
| not be discouraged. The mob laws the