The advocate. [volume] (Charleston, W. Va.) 1901-1913, 1907-08-08

and religious development. In all
these matters. those in charge Of the
Negro department deserve the high,
est praise. l know that all this has
been accomplished under great diff
that hardshipS lay back Of all things
worth while
Il have been equally interested
and gratified on the account Of the
department Of the thousands gather
ed upon, these grounds today. They
present = clean. orderly. sober, in
dustrioIs, appearance. This ,deport-
ment on public occasion, such as
this, is within itself the highest evil
dence Of your progress. Whenever
an opportunity to see the slightest
evidence OF the progress of our race,
presents itself. there. our people
should not fail to put in appearance
in large numbers"
| DR.. Washington referred feelingly
to the sacred memories that cluster
ed about this vicinity which was to
him q hone for several years. 1t
was as q student at Hampton that
he gathered his first aspiration to go
forward to hold up his head and
strive to be a man. He felt that
| he owed to Hampton an everlasting
debt Of gratitude for whatever he
had been able to accomplish had it's
root In that great institution,
II believe that our people should
take advantage of every opportunity,
no matter wherever presented, North
or South, to show to the world the
progress that We, as a race, are max
ing. No battle was ever won by an
army standing still or sulkipg in its
tents. Racial battles are to be won
I by marching forward. not by haling.
There are some special reasons
why we should have q part in the
jamestown exposition. 1t was near
this spot. nearly three hundred
years ago, that the first representa-
tives of our race were brought into
America. 1t is especially fitting,
therefore, that since here we enter
ed slavery that OH the same spot we
should show results of improvement
both in slavery and in freedom. When
our first representatives landed we
We're only 20 in number, now there
are nearly ten millions; when our
hrst representatives landed, here we
had no uniform language, now we
speak the English tongue For the
most part, We We're pagan, now, we
profess Christianity.
More and more as a race I be-
hA ch
opportunities, as being done at this
exposition, rather than our disad-
yantages. In the fundamental things
OF life we have great opportunities
before us as race, in this country.
@o one who would be honest should
deny or overlook the fact that we
have disadvantages with which to
contend and that acts of Injustice are
often perpetrated on us, as a race,
but in spfte%of all this, in the funda-
| mental consideration of securing a
home, of earnings and saving money:
Of tndIng employment, either in skill
cd or common labor, in entering into
business or professional life, no one
can deny the fact that in America.
and especially in the South, we have
rare opportunity. These are the
things in hand, and we should get
all out fthem, possible"
Utilizing the Education We Have.
In the matter Of securing and US
ing education we have, in this eoun-
lFy as whole, an opportunity which
we should highly value. While in
| ments, acts Of uRfairness, yet taking
the country as whole, the public
school system Ia wide open to our
race; further, without ,hindrance, we
are at liberty to establish private
schools, industrial schooIa, COLLEGES,
and professional institutions. One of
The peculiar advantages presented by
the South consists in the fact that we
are at liberty to use whatever. educa-
tion we receive in promoting our
own welfare, as well as the welfare
| of others.
No one event during the past
year, has been so important as the
magnificent gift of 100000 by
Miss Anna T. Jeanes, Of Philadel-
phla, the interest Of which Is to be
uSed In promoting rural schools. So
long as the race fines such friends
we need not despair.
Again, we not only have an op-
portunity to make progress in ma
terlal and educational lines, but we
are in a position where no man can
take from us the privilege Of having
a beautiful, well-kept home with
nigh moral standards. Throughout
TINS country we have freedom Of re-
ADVOCATE TEN
llg1ous worship and the progress
that we have made in the number OF
ministers and, church organizations
L L.. 4.