The Cairo bulletin., 1908-11-27
THE PRESIDENT
ON THE NEGRO
HIGH PRAISE FOR THOSE WHO
ARE INDUSTRIOUS, SOBER
AND WELL BEHAVED.
PERFORMANCE OF DUTY
Should Be Test Applied to Negroes
and White Men Alike-Tels Of
Negro Town in
South.

Washington, Nov. 2G.-Speaking to
| a large audience of negroes and
white men, gathered to witness the
| laying cf the corner stone for the Col
cred Young Mems Christian Associa-
tion, President Roosevelt paid the ne.
groes of the country a high tribute
for their earnest activity in religious
work. His address concluded as fol
lows.
As for the white man, let him re-
member in this as in all other mat
ters, that to do justice to the colored
man is demanded not only by the in
terest of the colored man but by the
interest of the white man also.
Sooner or later In this community
every class of citizen will feel the
effect of the raising or degradation
of any other class. "All men up"
is a much safer motto than "som<
men down." and ii is to the interest
of every class of any community that
the members of every other class
shall feel that industry, sobrety
good behavior the conduct that
MARKS man as being good neigh
Dor and god citizen, should receive
proper reward SO as thereby to
put a premium upon the development
of such qualities. am not speaking
of social relations; ! am speaking of
equality of treatment before the law, |
of equality of opportunity to earn a
living, of equality of opportunity TO
earn the respect that should be ac
corded to the man who behaves de- |
Gently, and is a good neighbor and |
good citizen. There are plenty of
difficult problems in this country,
plenty of problems requiring infinite
patIerce, forbearance and good judg-
ment if they are TO be dealt with
wisely, and which can not by any
possibility receive even an approx
mately complete solution within a
short time. What Is known as the
race problem is one of the most diff
cult; and IL exists in the North as
well as in the South. But of one
thing we can rest assurd, and that is
that the only way in which to bring
nearer the time when there shall be
even an approximately fair solution
Of the problem is to treat each man
on his merits as a man.
The performance of duty should be
the test applied to white man and
colored man alike, and each individ- :
ual should be judged not by the fact |
Of his color, but by the way in which
he meets these demands of duty; $
and the first duty which each colored
mar owes both to himself and his
race Is to work for the betterment .
both of himself and his race; for it's
educational, but above all for its In
lustrial and moral betterment. II is
TO the great interest of the white =
people no less than of the colored {
,eople that all possible educational }
ABILITIES should be given the colored {
,eopls: and ii is of even greater in. +
crest to both races that the colored "
nan should steadily strive for his !
'wn industrial and moral uplift. {
| want TO call you attention and n
he attention of all who care to lis 4
en- II me to the noteworthy record 4
II the town of Mound Bayou in Mis-. n
iissipDi. ! stopped at Mound Bayou a
year ago while going through Mis-
issippi.
Twenty years ago the place was all :
Vide mess. Now a thriving and pros I
'erous town has been built. with a
hrivi1g and prosperous country .
ound about; and every man in the s
own, every man in the country i
ound about. is colored man. In 4
he Planters Journal or Memphis. \
'enn-. a white mans paper. there is a
description in an issue OF a coupe =
{ years ago of Mound Bayou under n
he healing of The most remark :,
bic town in the South This paper :
e. bes how the town has been :,
DuDded. populated. and managed =
urely by men OF the negro race. 1t =
! a thriving growing town Of 1900 :
eOple. There is not a saloon nor y
icioJs resort Of any kind in the u
,vn. There are some 5000 people u
n tie tract Of land Of which the p
lWn is the center. This tract in p
Iutes about forty square miles. al U
it owned BY the colored people el
lemselves- Ten thousand acres Of a
md are in a high state of eultIva- Il
on. There is a big cotton crop. and q
] addition the colony produces four el