The Washington bee., 1909-01-09

sP0Oldi euiloI ldIS S,IleWSpaperdnd mag
azine articles concerning the great
work OF the local and national leagues
in the different States and cities,not
only where we have had our nation
al meetings, but where the local
leagues have been prosperous and de
veloped the commercial and business
interest of the Negro.
At Our New York meeting we had
present Robert Ogden, Foster Pea
body and John Wanamaker. These
men represent the leading merchants
and fnanciers of the country; Mr..
Wanamaker is said to be the largest
merchant in the world. They seemed
glad to meet us and really encourag-
ed us, and addressed the meetings
along their special lines.
In Atlanta, Ga, and Baltimore, Nd,
the Democratic mayors welcomed us
TO their cities and threw open their
doors in a commercial way.
In Baltimore the City Council
made special appropriation for the
electrical decorations which were
used in the thickly populated Negro
sections that led to our national
meeting place They also put at our
disposal the citys steamboat. which
gave us very enjoyable outing
down the river. Without exception,
every city where we have met has
made us welcome and put every pub
lie convenience at our disposal. Our
meeting at Nashville. Tenn. and at
Topeka, Kansas, were held in the
States capitol buildings.
The National League has not only
brought about a better understand
ing and business relation among our
selves and with other races, but it
has now practically revolutionzied
the conditions among our mechanics,
merchants, business and professional
men. At our first meeting in Bos-
ton, a little over eight years ago, we
had only two Negro banks. Tonight
we have forty. Not fake banks, but
zeal banks, which have qualified in
the several States under the laws
thereof, and every year at our ma
tional meeting we have, in conjunc-
ton, the meetings of the National
Negro Bankers Association. With
out an exception, the thirty-eight Ne
gro banks that have been organized
in the past eight years have been di-
rectly traceable to our great nation
al business movement. Our National
League is incorporated under the
laws of the State of New York, and
we have over FIVE hundred regularly
chartered local leagues scattered over
the country. We have had about two
thousand persons to register with the
National League an dover twenty
FIVE thousand connected with our To-
cal leagues. I truly and sincerely
believe that the future development
of the rave along every avenue de-
pends greatly on the development of
the race along business and financial
lines. Just in proportion as the bus
mess man succeeds, the political,
financial, educational and, | will also
say, the social bars will be laid down
which are now so strongly placed
against us. We can study the his
tory of all successful peoples, Coun-
tries and nations through ancient,
medieval and modern history, and
we will not find a signle people, race
or nation who have reached the high
est point Of culture, refinement and
educational development in any civ
ilization who have not developed
ciples which the National NegroBus-
mess League and its officers stand
for, and present to the American
people. Our league, with the help
of God and ourselves, I truly believe
with it's many branches will blot out
and eradicate the so-called Negro
problem in this country. God has
never prospered or blessed any race,
nation, or people who have not low
ed, supported and honored their own
industries and business enterprises.
So let us go on, work on snd pray
O, for the success of the National Ne
gro Business League, its many
branches, and the entire Negro race.