The Montgomery advertiser., 1909-10-25
NEGROES AT AUBURN
BOOKER WARRINGTON SPEAKS ON
 AGRICULTURE.
Dr. Tbach sf Polytechnic Institute Hn- d0rscs Plan of Extending Agricultural Work Into
 Lee County.

Auburn, Oct. 24--tSpscial) )---BookeI I. washington spoke here at o'clock this afternoon to an audience of 2,0ee negroes and 800 white people in ar appeal for moro intelligent work by negro farmers.
 The meeting was a part of the plar of campaign inaugurated by Dr. & A Knapp of the agricultural departmen, for the extension into Lee county oi the campaign for education of negro farmers.
 ed as the time for the meeting be- cause 1t is the only day in the week at the season of the year when . large audience of negro farmers can bs expected.
 pr. c. c. Thach, President of the Alabama Polytechnic Institute, and . number of the faculty as well as students. were in the audience and the speaker was given close atten- tion. At the conclusion of the address pr. Thach spoke briefly, giving to the movement his unqualified approval
 Washington said in part:
 Wherever can do 70. I always try 10 do that and say that which will influence the members of the negro race to settle down and live at some one place. I am very anxious that the negro not get the reputation of being an unsettled rover.
 The members of our race who achieve the greatest success and who have In the highest degree the respect of their white neighbors are those who have settled in some one community and remained there from year to wear. They are the class of negroes who own little piece of property, who n<1A Al and who have become taxpayers. Such a class of negroes I have ob- served, almost without exception when tney get into trouble and need as- slstanee In any direction can get such assistance without hesitation from tbe pest white people In their town.
 There are few if any, better ulaoes m any part of America for the negro tc sostie oown and live permanenr,, than In Lee county. and in other counties with the same conditions sur rounding them right here in Alabama. IT man wants to work hard, save his money and lead happy and useful Hie. ne cannot find better spot on earth to do so than here in Alabama, put we injure ourselves from every point of view because fin too many cases we move about too much. Some or our people move every year. They move from one town to the other town, from one plantation to the other piantatfons from one county to the other. All this should be stopped
 Tn studying the condition of the people In Lee county. as elsewhere in the South. I find that they are far better off when living in the coun- try districts than in the cities, and adyise every man of our race to keep nis family In a small town or in the country. In the country he is free from the temptations of the city: free From the immense competition that he finds in the city. Tn the country he has plenty of fresh. pure air, plenty or fuel; can live on fresh, delicious vegetables. and have all the poultry and game that he wants, while in the city for the most part he lives in a crowded district, breathes impure air and eats stale food.
 Many negroes fail as farmers be. cause they are trying to perform ths Impossible, that is. live without work, Ing long enough and hard enough ts bring success. I would guarantee ts say that the average negro farmer ol Lee county. leaving out Saturdays aut Sundays. does not work more than ,f5l days in the year: that is to say. tn. average negro farmer works cni, about half the time. Now. no othel business will stand such q loss ir time. If man wants to succeed ir banking he must work every day ex. sept Sunday The same Is true Of the merchant of the clerk, of the lawyer of the doctor. Every man of every vocation feels that he must work 30i days in the year except the farmer end then he wonders why he fails.
 Tn Lee County something can b planted and grown every month in tn year. I want to see the negro farmer get out of the old habit of feeling fha there is nothing on the farm for then to do after they have gathered thei cotton crop in the fall.
 There are any number of vegetable that can be planted in the fall and al through the winter, poultry, pig, stock can be raised, hesides, instead Q frIttsring away the time during tn winter the house sh ,uld be repaired white washed or painted. the fence should be put in good condition, ditchs should be opened: any humber of thing are needed to be done which can oc cupy every hour and day both winte and summer. Let us get rid once fo all of the old habit of feeling that tn farmer must work only half of tn time while people Of all other trade and professions put in full time.
 "No sensible man will argue todd that the two races, black and white are not to live here in the South sid