The Washington bee., 1909-08-07
try to Support Him

Sdllld LCdulIiS MICH III tllC OOLLi
try to Support Him
The idea of the National Religious
Training School and Chautauqua, as
we have attempted to explain to peo-
pie whom we wished to interest, and
as it has been generally disseminated
through the press, is briefly, as fol-
lows:
THAT the religious training of the
Negro, is the base, the real founda-
ton upon which his whole racial
structure must rest. All industrial
or college education that will cause
the betterment of the real condition
Of the race, must be founded upon a
moral and religious training.
"We have labored insistently to get
rooted into the minds of the people,
that they might be prepared for the
work which it is the purpose of this
institution to accomplish. We claim
that a religious training has certain
advantages for the race. To be spe-
cifc:
81. It awakens the sluggish, dor
mant energies of the individual and
turns them into channels of useful
ness and service.
?. It lessons crime, reduces idle
ness, stops violence and teaches les
sons of self-restraint.
3. It builds up a better citizenship
and checks the waste of human ma
terial found in chaingangs, jails and
penitentiaries.
4. Makes a man practically reli-
gious and the educational and indus
trial side will take care of itself.
The charge has been made that the
Negro is already too emotional and
religious. but it is not a practical re-
ligion. It can be illustrated by the
story of an old Negro who claimed to
have been converted. He told his
employer about the great change.
His employer was delighted-said he,
John, it is going to make better
man OF you, is it?'
Yes, sir he replied.
Going to make you a better nus
band and citizen, and make you love
everybody
Yes, sir, it is.
Well, John replied his employer
Religion will make you pay your
honest debts. You remember the SC
cents YOU borrowed from me? You
are going to pay it, are you not?
John began to scratch his head
and said, See her, boss, religion is
religion, and business is business, an
I am not going to mix them, either.
''Now this has been largely the
kind OF religious training that the
Negro has had. We are attempting
to change it.
:. The rallying cry should be
change the man, and the environ
ments will be changed by the man.
Thus we have stressed these
important truths everywhere, anC
with equal emphasis have placed be
fore the public our plans to be car
ried out in the establishment of thi:
institution. The plans we have placed
before them are the same ones tha
have at various times been called t
your attention. We propose
TO train men and women in th'
Bible and thus change their inner
life. and with this life changed, senC
them out to change others.
1T is also planned to have liter
ary department, especially adapted
to the needs of the illiterate minis
ter. as we'll as a course in general in
struction, equal to the curriculum il
the most approved institution o
learning.
TO have a special course for Sun
dav school workers, realizing tha
the Sunday school workers will b
the largest and most potent force il
shaping the future of the race.
"The ministers are the real lead
ers of the people, and for the mex
three or four generations will re
main so. There are about 5000
colored ministers in the Unitet
States. A safe estimate is tha