The advocate. [volume] (Charleston, W. Va.) 1901-1913, 1907-02-21
SIXTEENTH !:
Annual M j u Session of
Conference '!l'lnEl'fl
At Tu.keaee Keep. Up the
: High Standard Set BY )
! "Revipq. Session,
offarmers -


sixteenth annual session of the rus,
kesee Negro Conference began hero to;
day at the Tuskegee Normal Institute.
Inc great Chapel OF the school, where
PRESIDENT Roosevelt spoke a, few
months ago, WAS crowded. with. the
hundreds Of farmers and their. wives
ana educ atof1 from all parts, of
south and trnm the North as we'll,
When the; session was called to order
at 10 O'CLOCK ......
T These, Negro Conferences grew out
OF an, idea, which, sixteen years ago,
called the Negro farmers of the
southern States. together for the pur-
posee OF comforting as to- their moral
ahq material condition. From q few
1nen representing one State alone, the
Conferences have grown so that ut
toaaY's session all of the Southern
States were represented by farmers
coming even, from as far west as
Texas. 40
The Tuskegee Negro Conference
mas often been styled the one day In
schoof for many of those who attend
and WellmaY 1t be so called, for
there are many; in the south, who by
putting lnt0 actual practice the les
sons learned al these Conferences. are
now owners OF farms where formerly
they were renters. The Southern news,
papers constantly comment ON the mum
per OF black men who are regularly
giving up tenant farming. Many COM
munities have good school terms
some OF thams I'VE to seven months in
iength-Where formerly the school
term lasted only two or three months
Int the year. The travelling school
teacher has, In q large measure, been
fPnlQppn tor nk4, nh L.
TIED In the community to make it his
or her home With the purpose. of helm
ing the people In their home life, as
we'll as the Schildren in their books.
Many communities also have got rid
OF the Immoral minister and are ins
sistlng that he shall be a man of in
iteiilgence, .a3Snristiah, an upright
practical maM, who shall labor faith.
fully for the moral, spiritual and ma.
teFial upHft 3f the people. These
things and more; in hundreds Of com
mbnities have been ACCOMPLISHED
through these annual Conference
sessions. Each, farmer who has really
accomplished something, who owns
land, is made to- feel perfectly free to
discuss the subjects brought before
the Conferehea fh the fullest manner.
The interest antfested by them at
these Cosser ICES ifs amazing. They
travel miles 1b& miles to attend in
search ofshelp ana guidance, and jpdg-
lug from the reattltsE of the past SEES,
sions, theys leaveSencouraged and anx-
'1eus to- pHt into epractieTe what they
learn. - III" ~ ~..
Principal Booker r. washington, OF
the Puskegee FaStfHte, who has: pre-
Fsidet at all of these session, in his
| opening addresststhis morning con.
graduated the farmers upon the sue.
Cess. which IT,. attending their efforts
In putting into practice the teachings
| OF the sConferenees& when a race
own land and has q ban, account" he
| satd,; these possessions indicate that
that race has Learned to- make sac.
rifices, that it has. learned to look
ahead and plan fer the future He
| also eounseled them ,againGt ignorance
Eurging that they make even more sac
| riftces in: the futnre, than ,ney have in
the past, to educate, their. children
fContinuing he said: -.
I ANY black naan who is worth his
salt can: build Bs decent home-can
raise "a respectable family-can Sc.
cure all of the work that he wishes
| can educate; his aehildren-ca nave
ffreedon of reiighaas Worship--can Sc.
EGeEe aun ma1nt8an the respect and
confidence of his yneighbors, Of both
1aces.- But we must not be satisfied
with what. we have, achieved in the
past. We must continue to: go for
ward. -. Our progress ip the future
must be more satisfactory than here
| tofoFe.: a5an
E>.-"In the first place, we must decide
where We are olive; then we must
decide as to whether we will take adj
vantage OF every opportunity that is
open to us. 1t, is important that, all
members Of our race to save their
money and ceass%scattering 1T to the
winds as they have done in SO many
cases buying whiskeY, cheap jewelry
and other gew-gaws. We must not stop
at that, We must learn more and more
to invest our money in property, de-
post it in ba11k, and have something
always laid by for rainy day.
More and more as q race Of people,
we must learn .to draw the line be.
tween the moral end the immoral; be-
tween the good and bad; and we must
/ set the standard of life among our own
people high, and;.let them understand
that we feel ourselves ashamed to as