Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-08-20
Booker T. Washington Ad-
dresses a Negro League.
CONVENED At BALTIMORE
Counsels Thrift and Industry in An
nusl Message.
BEST FOR ADVANCEMENT
Pays Tribute to Cardinal Gibbons
No Hope for Any People Except
in Constructive Work.

BALTIMORE. August o0-The most i'm
portant feature Of the first days session
OF the ninth annual convention of the
National Negro Business League in this
city yesterday was the annual address Of
the president Of the organization, Booker
T. Washington of Tuskegee, Ala, delivered
last evening.
This speech is the important message
of the year by the great negro educator
to the people of his race. and it is al
ways replete with words of practical ad-
vice for the conduct Of their everyday
affairs. During this speech yesterday
DR.. Washington took occasion to pay
high tribute to Cardinol Gibbons. saying
that the amicable relations between the
white people and the negroes Of this
city and state was largely due to his
influence. He also stated that the negro
succeeds better in the south. in a busi-
ness way, than anywhere else In the
country. and he pointed out that the
negro and the white man of that section
will always get along better than in any
other section because in the south the
white man Is willing to give the negro
business man q better chance.
Booker Washington's Address.
President Washington's speech in part
was as follows:
1T is we'll that the National Negro Bust
ness League meets in Baltimore. a south
ern city, where, with perhaps two excep-
tons, there Is the largest negro popula-
ton Of any city in the country. In this
city for the most part there Is thrifty.
prosperous and law-abiding negro popula-
ton. and here the most kindly relations
exist between the races. Much OF this, let
me add, Is due to the influence of that
great citizen and churchman, Cardinal
Gibbons, whom every negro loves and
honors.
THE Negro Business League stands for
courageous optimism, constructive work
and friendly relations between all classes
and races.
of individuals who are optimists, but OF
those who possess courage-the only real
courage that is worth the name. While
we do not overlook the wrongs ana IN
justices and obstacles needlessly placed
in our pathway. We are more concerned
in finding q way to overcome these Diff
culties than in merely exploiting them.
Opportunity for Race.
more and more as a race We must be-
lieve In ourselves. in our race, in our
white neighbors and in our country. From
an Industrial and business point of view
the ten millions Of my race In America
have an opportunity that Is more favor
able, in my opinion. than those of a SINH
lar number of our race in the world.
LAS strange as it may appear to the
uniformed nevertheless it is true. that
the opportunity for industry, for business.
increases as one goes farther south. and
it is in the far south that business en-
terprises are most numerous and most
successful.
"There is no hope for the negro race OF
any people except in the direction of con-
structive work. This constructive work
must find a place and need right in the
communities where we live. There are
golden opportunities for 1t in the cultiva-
ton Of the soil. work In wood. in iron.
the home, in the world Of trade.
mo matter what the excitement or the
temptation may be in local politics or ma
tioual politics. let us resolve that nothing
shall turn us aside for minute from get
ting the essential and fundamental things
in life. Political parties and public Is
pear. but the fundamentals Of industry,
thrift and high. rugged character remain
forever Without them all else Is vain.
With them nothing can defeat us.
other Speakers.
At the afternoon session DR.. ]. H. n.
Waring spoke in behalf of the. school
teachers He was followed by Rev. w.
F. Naylor Of the Washington conference
of the Methodist Episcopal Church. The
addresses of welcome were concluded by
William l.. Fitzgerald of the local branch
of the league. ]. e. Napier, prominent
negro banker of Nashville. Tenn. and
Isaiah T. Montgomery Of Mississippi re-
sponded. The regular program for the
day was taken up and the talks given
for the day were as follows: "One Hun
dred Years Of Blacksmithing." by c. F.
D. Fayerweather Of Newport, r. L.;
Making Farming Pay" by ]. d. Nc
DUFFY Of Ocala. Fla: Truck Farming in
Maryland by jeremiah Gather of Anne
Arundel county. Md. and Tho Livery
Business" by Thomas Harris Of Larch-
mont, N. Y.
At the evening session, besides the prin-
cipal addresses by DR.. Washington, talks
on the following subjects were given:
"Woman's Possibilities in Pharmacy" by
Mrs. J. p H. Coleman of Newport News,
Va. and Mrs. Amanda v. Gray of WASH
ington, d. c.: "A Cooperative Business
Enterprise" by Stonewall A. Crews Of
Port Chester. n. Y; Managing an Tn
dertaking Establishment" by J. H. Dab
ney of Washington. D. c., and A. N.
Johnson Of Nashville, Tenn. The report
of the National Negro Undertakers' AS
ISOLATION, which is AFFILIATED with the
no~,a o1so nraoontod