The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1908-10-02
VERNON TO NEGROES.
Brilliant CoIored Man Makes Address
Last Night.


The second night session of the col
ored MethodIst's conference at the
Auditorium last night was attended
by over 1880 people and was the best
meeting of the conference
The meeting last night was called an
Educational Rally" and the speakers
of the evening discussed the educa-
ton and moral development of the col
ored race. W. T. Vernon, registrar of
the treasury, was the principal speaker
of the evening and in his own words
never felt more like speaking in his
life"
The education of the colored people
or Kansas revolves around their uni
Versity at Quindaro of which Mr.. YER
non is president, and all of the speak
erS or the evening are members of the
faculty of Western university.
The foremost negro educators of the
west spoke and pleaded with the color
ed people for the uplifting of their race
and great appreciation was shown by
the tremendous applause. The first
speaker of the evening, DR.. o. E. Jones,
pastor Of the First A. NJ. E. church of
Kansas City, Kan, spoke on the three
important Quotations, moral, mental
and religious. He said that the mental
and moral education was the founda-
should be considered so in the colleges.
This was followed by a statistical adj
dress by Professor S. H. French, A. NJ,
acting president of Western university,
in which he showed that there were PA
students enrolled at the present time
in Western university.
To the surprise of many present
Western university contains ten de-
partments-liberal arts, business, do
nestle science, dress making, millinery,
printing, carpentry, agricultural and
mechanical drawing, tailoring and
music.
Professor E. r. Vaughn, D. D., dean
of the theological department of west
ern university. talked on the import
ance of Christianity to education and
pointed out the fact that the future of
the colored race depended upon the
youths of the present time. Professor
Vaughn was followed by Professor w.
r. Carter, who is president of the
Western Tuskogee of Topeka. Profess
sor Carter only spoke short time but
in that time he received round after
round of applause. His talk was to the
point. Elder C. A. Gregg, A. NJ, pas
tor of the A. NJ. E. at Leavenworth,
sang Lead Kindly Light" and he was
encored again and again. Bishop Grant
tried to quiet the audience but they in
sisted upon another selection and they
received it. DR.. Gregg has rich bari
tone voice and it carried wonderfully
in the big Auditorium.
After several musical numbers Bish-
op Abraham Grant introduced w. t.
Vernon, the idol of the colored people
of the west and many think with the
exception of Booker I. Washington, the
greatest negro living. Mr.. Vernon spoke
without notes of any kind. He started
out in a slow easy delivery and grad
ually warmed with the subject until
near the end of his speech he was in
nd his words favored
with varied gestures.
Mr.. Vernon started by compliment
ing the first speakers of the evening.
He then paid a glowing tribute to
Bishop Grant of the conference. He
said in part:
Bishop Abraham Grant stands with
out a peer in this country today as the
leader of the colored people. And he
is the same good old Bishop Grant
wherever you see him. I have seen him
in the humblest of places. 1 have seen
him in the work shop in the pulpit,
in the affairs of the state and in the
White House at Washington in con-
ference with the president of the Uni
ted States and wherever he is he is the
same faithful, loving Bishop Grant
Mr.. Vernon then spoke of the foun-
dation of the nations of today and the
development of the races of different
nations. He said the one word of the
hour was forward" and everything
was moving forward and the colored
people should do the same because"
he said, whenever a colored man rises
the whole race rises. but when a col
ored man falls they all fall" Mr.. Yer
non spoke then of the education and
uplifting of the colored man and fire.
quently during his speech he would be-
come greatly excited and when near
ing the climax of an especially inter-
esting point he would suddenly end the
discussion with a few sharp phrases
and start at once on something else.
This occurred many times during his
speech and the purpose was not known
by the audience until Mr.. Vernon
neared the end of his speech and then
with a smile creeping over his strong
features and a light flashing in his eye
he burst out: "A certain man has been
saying Shall the people ruler Does
he mean the colored people or the
white people or does he mean all of us.
If he means the whole race of people
we are with him. The cork was out
non broke into politics with all his
force. He paid a tribute to Taft in
the following words:
1T has been hard for me to keep
out of politics from my speech tonight
I have been swimming in it the last
few months and 1 can't forget 1t even
in the light of this great assembly of
religious forces. But / want to men
ton little incident in sthe past. Once
there was man of Ohio who brought
out the militia to protect a negro. Who
was that? 1t was Alphonso Taft, the
father of the present Judge Taft, the
next president of the United States"
The applause at this point lasted for