Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1907-02-27
Down at Tuskeuee,

Last week was the great week of the
year at Booker Washington's great
school at Tuskegee, Alabama 1t was
the occasion of the 10th annual con-
ference of the graduates and friends of
the school and they came by hundreds
from all directions. Wednesday was
the day for the negro farmers and they
did not fail to improve it. There is no
mystery about their love for these
yearly gatherings and eagerness to be
present at them. The conferences
have changed life-the whole face of
the world and look of the future-fOr
hundreds on hundreds of the negro
farmers. Men who when they first
saw Tuskegee didn't own an acre and
lived in one-room cabins now own
large, profit yielding farms, have COM
Portable homes, are putting money in
the bank and growing in self-respect
and sels-reliance from one year to an
other. The conference is their con-
''At''N' ''iit 'iiNy envy tNtty
of it. No meeting could be freer or
more informal; farmer after farmer
gets up: tells what he has done on his
farm and is planning to do, relates any
special experiences that have come his
way during the year. and reports on
the general condition of things in his
r2ighborhood. The wives of the farm
ers are heard from-they tell about
their kitchen gardens. poultry yards.
and SO on. Principal Washington, as
father of the conference, is privileged
of course; without his opening address
the conference wouldn't be itself. Ex-
cept in exceptional cases, the other
school principals, the teachers. all the
visitors who don't farm for a living,
Just look on and listen.
In this years opening address Prin-
cipal Washington preached the gospel
Of honesty, industry. thrift, cleanli-
ness and all-around goodness with his
accustomed visor. Here's one of the
things he said:
ANY black man who is worth his
salt and build a decent house-can
raise a respectable family-can secure
all of the work that he wishes-can
educate his children-can have freedom
of religious worship-can secure and
maintain the respect and confidence of
mis- neighbors, of both races. But We
must not be satisfied with what We
have achieved in the past. We must
continue to go forward"
Here's another:
more and more. as race of people,
we must learn to draw the line be-
tween the moral and the immoral; be-
tween the good and bad: and we must
set the standard of life among our own
people nigh. and let them understand
that we feel ourselves ashamed to as
scciate with idlers and criminals. We
must use our influence wherever pos
sible to get rid of the large idle class
that hang about the street corners and
dens Of misery in our large Cities
Every year the negro farmers, at
the close of their conference, adopt and
set forth a series of declarations"
very practical these always are. and
it's n very practical man who writes
them. The fifth declaration" this
year runs thus:
"While the past year. because of
clashes between the races, has been
one of anxiety to many of us. we are
cheercd and comforted by the evil
dences that we frequently see around
Us that our friends among the white
people, cooperating with the leaders
among cur people. are determined
more in the future than in the past
TO prevent such outbursts. In order
to cooperate with the forces of law
and order in our several communities.
we urge upon our leaders and teachers
tnat they earnestly seek in every
way to reduce the number of idlers
and Migrants of our race, especially
i'm the cities"