The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1908-11-26

+ November the Sd, 1908.
candl
+ Subscribed and sworn 10 ber
+ the 25th day of November, 1908.
Notary Public in and
+ 4 = \ + - = + + !. !.
respect of his white nalghbor. and ben
ehts himself IN a double way hope
that the colored men VII Contribute
freely toward tbs building, and hope
that their Whit friends will l.elp them
also. Such building as this mean ;
the Improvement in nluIaIity, in Chris
tianfty, in education. Of the eoiored
citizens OF Washington: and therefore
II concerns not only the ,colored peo-
pie of Washington, bnt the white peo.
pie also. Wher completed this buIll.
ing will cost s10O,OOe and no sum ~
money could be better expended. It
thirty days the cOlorcn people of this
city pledged $4,000 t.. crder t. secure
a gif. Of $25,0nc contingent on the'~
rising like suT. OF this $4,000
pledged ly cnlerct. nHE ol,IY $4,000
has been paid IN; AMI right here let
me say a worL to The cololed mea
who have pledled su:ns and have not
redeemed their pledg.s No man ha /;
a right to promise atd to cause like
this and not to keen Us. promise. it
is the duty Of e 5elY sncL man to mal:e
his promise good arG te do i. at once.
And those VINO have rot pledged :or
a contribution, shnuld likewise cor
tribute. Every church, every frate-.
nal and civic society OF the race, every
eolored man Of means. should feel the
obligation to complete this building as
soon as possible
Let ME menurn couple Of cases in
which colored men have contributed
largely to work of this nature.
A colored man born slave in Knox.
Vile Tenn. was so much impressed
with the value o. the Y. NJ. c. A. work.
among white young m4a that ae gave.
piece of property costing $1,000 to
the cOlored Young Mems Christian
Association. He has the honor of
having given The largest gift up to
that time of any Individual in the
State of Tennessee, regardless of col.
or, to the Association movement.
Another colored man. who was born
on the gold coast of Africa, came to
this country at an early age, was be-
friended by the Philadelphia Y. M. c.
A.. and by the use of their library
prepared for a competitive examina.
ton, entered lie University of Penn.
sylvania after winning the prize, re.
eeived his education, and is today a
very successful physician in the city
of Portsmouth, Va. gave $500 to the
building fund of their Association a
year ago. He also gave 800 for cur.
rent expenses the first year the Asso-
citation employed a secretary, and
says; "The reason ] make these gifts
is because owe all / am to The Young
Mems Christian Association"
Many other cases might be cited
showing how this work appeals to
reputable coiored men in many sec.
tions of the co~ntry. There is posi-.
bly, nothing needed worse in all our
cities and towns than well organized
Young Mems Christian Associations,
which shall stand for character build.
ing in the threefold way in which the
Y. NJ. C. A. endeavors to do its work.
1t pays far better to support the sec.
retary Of the Y. NJ. C. a. in a commun.
ity than to pay the salary Of, a police.
man. Homes are made safe and the
community is lifted to a higher level
by lifting young men to better ideals
of life.
AS for the white man, let him re.
member in this as ia all other mat.
tiers, that to do Justice to the colored
man is demanded not only by the in.
terest of the crlored man. but by the
interest Of the white man, also. Soon.
er or later in this community every
class of citizens will feel the effect ot
the raising or degradation Of any 9th.
er class, %All men up is a much sab.
er motto than Some men DOWN" and
1t is to the interest Of every class OF
any community that the members oi
every other class shall feel that in
dustry, sobriety. good behavior, the