The advocate. [volume] (Charleston, W. Va.) 1901-1913, 1907-02-21

they may be. The President has done
we'll to attend quite numbe.
Of our larger and thoroughly rep
rep1 sentative functions.
His presence has been entour.
aging and inspiring, and his words of
cheer have remained long with us; but
We cannot hope to have him neglect
pressing public obligations to come to
our ordinary "doings," just because,
forsooth, somebody hos impressed
him With the idea that if he declines,
some Of us may get mad at him." and
pout SO ugly that we may endanger
the success of the Republican party at
the polls in some pivotal State or dis
trict at the next election.
Surely, we have passed the spoiled
child period of our development as a
people. We are trying as best we can,
to conduct ourselves as full grown
men and women, and we want to be
dealt with as such, in al the relations
of life. The visits of Mr.. Roosevelt
to some Of our principal schools, col
leges, churches and places of business,
have brought him pretty closely in
touch with our advancement in the
arts professions and industries. He
knows us in war and in peace; he
knows much Of our virtues and is not
stranger to our faults. If he has
made mistakes that have caused us
concern, they have been errors of the
head, We are sure, and not of the
heart. That the Negro, in common
with every other deserving element in
our body polite, has his good will
and sympathetic friendship, We have
make it convenient to pay a visit to
any of our fairs this year in the sew
eral States, Columbus, Mobile, Lexing-
ton-or elsewhere, We shall all he de
lighted" if he cannot, we shall have
no reason to feel sighted. In any
event, he will be at the great James
town Exposition, and will make it g
point to scan closely the variety of
things we shall display in the Negro
Building. There should be no end of
interesting evidences of our three
hundred years Of progreSs, since the
landing of our ancestors from Africa
much as he would find in a score or
more State exhibits. The best way
for our people<to indicate to advan,
tage their wonderful educational, in
dustrial, mechanical and agricultural
progress this year Is to combine their
resources at jamestown, and to see to
it that every State is adequately rep
resented. State fairs, nevertheless,
serve local needs, as such, they should
be given the heartiest support in the
localities about them, for all cannot
go to, jamestown. Let it be under
stood, however, that the only really
National Negro Exhibition or the cur
rent year will be at Jamestown, and
the President will look in upon us
there.
Virginia's DISTINGUISHING constitu-
ton is to be given whirl in the
United States Circuit Court, now in
session at Richmond. Argument was
begun this week there in the case
of, John E. BriCkhurst VS. G. Il. Brooks
and William JeSsOp, VS.. norfolk coun-
ty officials. Brickhurst, disfranchis-
ed Negro is suing the officials for S..
600, and his suit attacks the validity
of the constitution Of Virginia. The
new constitution went into effect July
10, 1902, and since that time it has
been asSailed many times by Colored
men, claiming as citizens of the United
States the right to vote. John S. Wise
is anrearing for Brickhurst, following
Carter and Hayes, firm of cOlore
lawyers, as counsel. The State is rep
resented by firm Of able lawyers
"EO nave lieu a dllSSluS
insufficiency Of the declaration OF the
plaintiff, and sets up plea in ex
tenuation Of the justice Of the dis
franchising law. If MI Brickhurst
wins, it will be an uphill fight, but
the effect will be revolutionary in
character. Here is chance for the
IAfro-American Council to get in some
| timely work.
The corner stone Of the Negro Build
! ing Of the jamestown Exposition was
J laid on February 14th (Frederich
Douglass birthday with appropriate
ceremonies, under the direction Of the
jamestown Tercentennial Commission
/ and the Negro Development Company
/ The program embraced an invocation
by Rev. A. Binga, D. D.; address Of
welcome, Andrew F. Hilyer, History
of the Exhibit Col Giles B. Jackson
The Negro Development and Exposi
ton Company, w. Isaac Johnson; The
Negro Women'S Part, Mrs. a. M. Cur
It's; Financing the Exhibit r. r
Hill; Together We Stand. Robert Kel
ser; What the Negro Will Show
Thomas J. Galloway; music by tn,
Hampton Institute band. The stone
was laid by the Masonic Order The
Negro Building will be a large and un
usually attractive structure. we'll loca
ted on the grounds and will cost $50
900. 1t was planned by w. Sidney
Pittman graduate Of Drexel institute
and TuskeTee AMI is being erected b,
Boiling and Everett Negro contractors
of Lynchburg Va. They promise tina
the building will be ready for occupan
Icy by the opening day, April 80. Tht
rGOl gar lied exec tiVp committee hA U
ing full charge Of the work ofs collect
ing preparing, classifying installing
maintaining and returning the ex
h1bits, comprises the following expert
enced persons: T J. Galloway. chat
man In nharnn Of ON rlnMrr,nrNh 90 Y,