The Brinkley argus., 1909-01-22
TAFT TO THE NEGROES.
president-Elect Taft Talks
 to Atlanta Negroes.

Presldent-elect Taft made an address to the coIored people Saturday last st Rio Bethel church. on Auburn ave nue in Atlanta. Bishop Gaines pre- sided. The entire congregation sang "America, and Rev. Proctor led Tn prayer. The Atlanta Glee Club. Of the Atlanta University. sang "The Star Spangled Banner
 In his address to the negroes. Judge Taft said he was glad to be present before such an assemblage.
 "Bishop Gaines. Professor Matthews. Ladies and Centlemen-I am very glad to be here in this presence. Had cir cumstances prevented me from having an opportunity of meeting my colored fellow citizens in my visit to Georgia l should have thought 1t great mis- fortune for me- should have regarded my visit to Georgia as not complete in failing to meet part of the citizen ship of this section in whose progress. in whose prosperity l have the pro- foundest interest, and with whose ef- forts to uplift themselves l have the deepest sympathy. It is true that in your history and in the consideration of what has happened in the past. and possibly what will happen in the future. 1t is difficult to exclude political con- ditions and to avoid in discussing yocr present and your future politicalissues.
 "But you will understand me, am sure, when say to you that here as the coming president. should the Lord permit me to live until the 4th of March. must stand as the representa- tive of all the people and avoid in every 
 way partisan and political discussion, but can conceive that the gFesident of the United State can have no more sacred function than to offer words of encouragement. of suggestion and of hope to those to whom fate in the past has not been kind and with respect to whom the whole American people have the highest obligation of trustee ship and guardianship:
 "Now we know great dsal more to- day than we knew thirty years ago. all of us whether on one side or the other. We know that we were not always right in every particular ourselves. and that the other side who differed from us was not always wrong in every par ticular, and we can afford in the prog ress that has been made to rejoice that, that progress makes assurance of further progress and further prosperity for all of Us. One of the things that the past teaches us, one of the things that it impresses on every man who gives earnest consideration to the working out of the Province of God, is that in the man himself must he find the seeds of his progress, say to you coIored men and colored women of this country that hard as ysur lot has been and hard as the road is likely to be onward and upward, if you will abide by the judgment of your conscience. by those very ideals that lead to self restraint, to honest effort. to Providence to self-restraint. you will attain con dition ia the future that you hardly dream of today. Look back to what you were forty years ago. Your people were net 5per cent ef them able to read and write. and today you have reached nearly the figure of 50 per cent of literary among you. and you must coasiier that the conditions. and the hard conditions. under which that im- provement has been made. Brought here against your will. put here in a condition of slavery for years and years, and then made the subject of a bloody war. this country toswhich your fortunes must always be attached was reduced toa condition of poverity and strai2htened circumstances that it was almost impossible for the white owners of property to live. much less those who had no property and no education, and yet under those cir cumstancss you have gone on so that today a large part of the farming -I