The Washington bee., 1908-09-26


has further and to a higher degre,
| eventuated from this advancement q.
thus organization has been purified
strengthened and perfected. So that
every effort for uplift and reform
whether social, political or religious
has found its safeguard and hope for
perpetuation in the character of is
organization and the men comprising
the same
In these organizations which have
lived, men have sought for the elimi-
nation of weaknesses, crudeness and
non-essentials, and striving for the
converse have placed leadership in
the hands of those most worthy and
enlightened. As a result, these or
ganizations have made great leaders
and in turn have seen their greatest
development under the direction OF
such leaders.
A race, envirOned as we were, until
within half a century ago, had no ma
tional leaders nor organizations, ,rami-
flying our entire national life, was
forced to prove itself in a world of
organization
Demonstration alone could satisfy
the query-is the Negro capable of
organization? 1t is not fattery to
say, that your order as much as any
organization of the race has answer
ed the question afirmatively and con-
clusively.
Civilization is advancing by the
method you have employed. This
civilization today the accumulated
greatness of a century--grown world
gives to Us the highest form of indi-
vidual culture, its flower and fruit,
The men sitting before me show
the vast step from the serf to the
man. These Negro people are men,
and their manhood should call for ell
the rights enjoyed by any otehr peo-
ple-for them and this country there
should be no discriminatory laws, but
laws should be equally applied.
1t is not to much to ask that this
be the rule of action of Our common
country. as i must of necessity be
the rule of action of any order carry
ing out your principles of Friend
ship, Love and Truth"
1t is not too much to suppose that
the race leaders-members of this
order and you are all vitally inter
ested in all these things which 60 10
make up our racial development, and
that the purposes of this order and
the life purposes of its members are
to be a source of uplift to the tre-
mendous struggle and remarkable pro
gres being made by these people OF
whom we are all a part.
After wishing the greatest success
to your order, we shall pass to a dis
cussion of those questions (which af-
fecte you and affect us all and with
out which the highest individual pro-
gress-the fullest possible success
for your order-are impossible: The
question of how best to secure for
all the people of America, fair play
in the race of life.
Contemporaneous with your re-
markable growth and achievement.
has been the upward tendency of the
American Negro. You have pros
pered as he has prospered, and be-
cause Of this prosperity, and he in
turn has developed because such or
ganizations as yours have furnished
a medium by means of which he
might develop. Our country develops
as he and all other citizens develop.
America will be great and free when
its 8o.Ooo.OOo people, without regard
TO color, are free and prosperous.
This country of ours, the outgrowth
of the efforts of men through centur-
les. to know the best in human life.
struggled for years, and we trust them
once and all, with the question as 70
whether we should be a free or slave
civilization, and whether the mission
for which America was born should
fail. The AbolitioniSt who preached
with the energy of a Crusader for
the liberation of all mankind-the
soldier and sailor who died that such
might be accomplished, were but the
reincarnation of those men of other
centuries, who out from the blackestI
night of oppression ever emerged at
Gods command to lead the world to-
better day.