The Appeal. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. ;) 1889-19??, 1906-03-03
TUsKEGEE CONFERENCE.

TUsxEGEE CONFERENCE.
Great Annual Meetings at Tuskeoee
Normal and Industrial Institute.
Tuskegee, Ala. February %: Afro.
American farmers from every southern
state met here, Wednesday,, for the
Fifteenth Annual Session Of the Trs-.
k gee Afro-American Conference.
Teachers from nearly all the educa-
tional institutions for Afro-American
youth, with many white and Afro
American visitors from the North were
also in attendance. Thirty states and
the District of Columbia were repre-
sented in the total attendance.
Booker T. Washington, who presid-
ed, in opening the session, said:
AS we come together from year to
year in these Annual Tuskegee Afro
American Conferences, | am Impress
ed more and more with the Importance
OF our clinging steadfastly to the fun
dsmental matters in life; that we
should let no temptation, foreign or
domestic, however strong, lead us from
our mornings. No matter where we:
are to live, no matter what conditions
may confront u.s. there are a few sim
PIE primary principles that have been
at the bottom of all individual and "a
cial success which we must not dis
regard. Success in the fundamental
things of life, however long we may
be in achieving it, will win our victor
les. Failure in laying the foundation
properly will result in our defeat, how
ever alluring may be temporary and
superficial attractions The element
in connection with these meetings and
the influences that have grown out Of
them that have given me more encour-
agement than any other thing is the
fact that everywhere our race is heed
ing thelessons which these conferences
have tried from year to year to en-
phasize."
The Declarations adopted were as
follows:
: /: The. increase in the number of
land owners over those OF fourteen
years ago when the Conference first
| started, is most encouraging, but it
| may be truthfulTy said that we. are
still largely renters instead OF owners
of land
2. The purpose to- OWN land wa;
inever stronger than now. This spirit
we would encourage in every possible
Way. Teachers and preachers should
make it part of their regular work
to show the absolute necessity, on the
part OF every family, to own land in
! order to permanently make progress.
3. We urge that the various forms
Of industry connected with the MAX
ir,p Of irtr oil
! the schools, beginning with the pri-
mary We would especially urge the
teaching OF agriculture and the use OF
such tools as are necessary to do the
ordinary work OF the farm, the doing OF
such building as is needed and the re-
pair of ordinary farm implements.
! 4. Again we would urge our people
to- raise their food supplies at home
as the most effective means to- avoid
the evils OF the mortgage system.
5. We also recomme end that the peo-
| pie give less support to dispensaries
and saloons and that they encourage
temperance in every form.
6. We regret the poor schools that
! are still SO common, especially in the
country and in the small towns. In
many places terms are Short salaries
small, teachers poorly prepared and
school houses unworthy of the name.
We earnestly urge the union Of all
forces to better this condition. Espe-
cially should the poll tax be, paid.
7. There are many discOuragements
but we are confident that these, are
the best days in our history this far.
Signs Of progress are on every hand.
Better houses, schools, and churches
are being built, more land is; being
| bought, better farming done, more are
| going into business, and the profess
sions are gaining strength and NUM-
bers. When these Conferences were
! started, the Birmingham Penny Saw
| ings Bank was the only one prominent
| ly mentioned Now there are about
| 20 banks managed by our people:
! The people are awakening to their
moral, religious and physical condi-
| ton. Character is being appreciated
and the death-rate is being reduced.
| s. We urge that more and more
| energy be put into the Annual Tuske-
gee Afro-American Conferences, the
great school of the masses, and that
| we go home from these annual gather
ings to organize in every community a
local conference iudl Shall serve W
keep alive, and constantly emphasize
| the great doctrine of home. getting
! and character building. the founda-
l.; lions upon which the Annual. Confer
| ence is built.
! The Workers Conference was; held
on Thursday. February o.. This meet
ing was participated in by Presidents
of the leading educational institutions
for the training of AfrC-Amarican
youth and by many others prominent
in the effort to- elevate the Afro-Amer-
| lean.
| The subjects for discussion hinged
about the following:
lis there a local conference, Id
your community so, what has it
done to- help the school,
| H.-What proportion OF the public
schools support is contributed by vol
untary, local taxation ?-What are the
tendencies
III.-What are the conditions Of the
country schools houses Who owns
| them What are the tendencies?
V.-What wages are paid the rmral
| school teachers ?-Is there a tendency
to raise OF lower wages?-Are teachers
/ improving in quality?
| V.-What influence does the school