Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-11-27

The President. at the laying of the
corner stone of Nne colored Young Mems
Christian Association, in his address
said:
1t is to me matter of peculiar pleasure
to be present on this occasion, at the lay
ing of the corner stone Of the building for
the colored Young Mems Christian As
sociation of Washington. The Y. NJ. c. A.
has worked among colored men for less
than thirty years. For a number of
reasons for some time after the work
was begun very little progress was made;
indeed. at first, curiously enough, the
churches tended to antagonize the "a NJ.
c. A. But during the last twenty years
the Y. NJ c. A. work among our coored
fellow-citizens has proceeded rapidly, and
these the very twenty years in which
the colored race in America has made
most progress
The religious people. those standing
highest in the colored churches, now ap-
precate, as they failed to appreciate
quarter Of century ago. that innocent
sports and amusements should be encour-
aged. and that the poorest lesson to be
taught to any men Of any race Ii that
pleasure and vice are synonymous terms.
The bowling alleys, the swimming pools
and gymnasiums of the Y. NJ c. A. build
ings are adjuncts of very important
kind to the effort for the moral and re-
iigious upiift with which the Y. M. c. A.
movement has always been identified.
Moreover. the Y. NJ. c. a. reaches both
the classes that are reached by the
churches and the classes that the church
es fail to reach.
Such building as this will be is open
every day and every evening. 1t brings
In men of many different types, for II
appeals to many different sides OF human
no
has membership in this country OF
nearly 10000, 5000 belonging to the
thirty-seven city associations and 5000
to the student organizations. OF the
$4,000 spent last year the current ex-
penses of the thirty-seven city .associa-
tions three-fourths were paid by colored
men.
1t Is noteworthy that of the 10000 coll
ored men attending the colored colleges
Of this country. half are active members
of the Y. NJ C. A. This speaks we'll for
the spirit of these colleges. and gives
us hope and encouragement for the char
acter of the leaders of the colored race
in the future. Over 400 volumes were
circulated last year from the as yet linn
tied number of colored Y. NJ. c. A. IL
braries.
Wide Field in Washington.
No city in the country presents a better
or wider field for usefu. Y. M c. A work
among the colored people than Wash
ington. Here we have more than 10000
colored men, who have, unfortunately.
but few safe places to which to go for
innocent amusement: Hundreds of young
cOlored men are every year being lured
away from the habit of decent living
because they are not supplied with the
chance to go where innocent and healthy
amusements are provided In surround
ings that encourage education and mo-
rality. / can not too heartily commend
the action of those colOred men who are
responsible for starting this building.
When completed it will be tribute to
the advancement of colored races; and
also a monument to the advancement or
the city of Washington. 1t will be
model for the entire country; 1t will infll-
ence other cities; and 1t affords an excel
lent opportunity for both white and col
ored men to join in the work of uplifting
class that sorely needs aid.
The colored man who builds that which
improves and beauties his city earns the
right to the respect Of his white neigh
Dor. and benefits himself in double
way. / hope that the colored men will
contribute freely toward this building,
and / hope that their white friends will
help them also. Such a building as this
means the Improvement In morality, in
Christianity, in education. of the colored
citizens OF Washington. and therefore it
concerns not only the colored people of
Washington. but the white people also.
When completed this building will cost
10000 and no sum of money could be
better expended. In thirty days the col
,ored people of this city pledged s25, 900
IN order to secure a gift of $4,000 con-
ungent on their raising like sum.
OF tNis $4,000 pledged Wy colored men
only $4,000 has been paid in, and right
here let me say word TO the colored
men who have pledged sums and have not
redeemed their pledges. No man has q
right to promise aid to a cause like this
and not to keep his promise. 1t is the
duty of every such man to make his
promise good and TO do 1t at once. and
all those who have not pledged for a
contribution should likewise contribute.
Every church, every fraternal and civic
means, should feel the obligation to COM
plete this building as soon as possible.
What Colored Men Have Done.
Let me mention couple of cases in
which colored men have contributed
largely to work Of this nature.
A colored man. born a slave in Knox
willie, Tenn. was SO much impressed with
the value of the Y. NJ. C. a. work among
white young men that he gave piece OF
property costing 5000 to the colored
Young Mems Christian Association He
has the honor of having given the largest
Eift up to that time of any individual in
the state Of Tennessee. regardless of
color TO the association movement.
A/other colored man. who was born
on the Gold Coast of Africa. came to this
country at an early age. was befriended
by the Philadelphia Y. NJ c. A, and by
the use of their library prepared for a
competitive examination. entered the Uni
versity of Pennsylvania after winning
the prize. received his education, and is
today very successful physician in the
city OF Portsmouth. Va. gave $500 to the
building fund OF their association year
ago. He also gave 500 for current ex-
penses the first year the association en-