The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1910-09-23
AN OBJECT LESSON IN RACE PRO.
GRESS

New York became aware last weel
of the presence of an unusual ele
ment among the throngs of stranger!
who pass through or sojourn briefly
in the metropolis. In the public con
veyances and in the districts where
the Seeing New York" coaches arc
themselves stared at were a notice
able number of negroes, men, women
and children, well dressed, self-re
liant, forceful. The badges worn by
some showed them to be members
of the Negro Business Mems League
which was holding it's eleventh an.
nual session in the Great Palm Gar.
den.
Looking in upon the gathering on
Friday forenoon, we found the hall
and galleries crowded with men and
women of color. President Booker
7. Washington was in the chair-or
rather on his feet-guiding the de-
liberations with vigor and alert
ness that tolerated no waste of time
and emphasized ever point of value
that was brought out. 1.-THE Negro
as Banker" was the topic of the
hour, and colored bank officers arose
all over the room, one by one, and
narrated their experience in general
banking and in savings institutions.
There were the crispness of speech
and force of delivery that belong to
the business man. 1t came out that
the first Negro banking concern, To-
Gated in Richmond, was started only
twenty-five years ago, and that there
are now between fifty and sixty in
successful operation DR.. Washing
tons inquiries elected the informa-
ton that nearly one fourth of the de-
positors in some of these institutions
are white.
At other sessions of this Clear
ing house of experience" as the
chairman called it, colored PHYSICIANS
and pharmacists, lawyers, merchants,
newspaper men, farmers and planters
told what they had accomplished, and
on cross examination laid bare some
of ther difficulties and the obstacles
to greater success. '
The chairman's address put to-
gether some solid facts regarding the
progress of the race. In Georgia
alone last year they were taxed as
owners OF 1,536,766 acres of land,
and in Virginia for 1,517,5OO. Neg
roes owned $26,000,O00 of taxable
property in the Old Dominion, where
when the speaker was born they were
themselves chattels. Mr.. Washington
figured that the American Negro was
adding from $4,000, 900 to SIS, OOO,-
900 annually to the wealth of the
race. i
The Negro race Is a new one, he |
said. Many of the old white races
have gone to seed; the Negro has
the future ahead of him. Sister Susie
met Sister Caline on the road, down
In Alabama, one Sunday morning.
&"Where you gwine, Sister Susie? ?"
asked Sister Calline.
'Lawsee, Sister Calline,'' answer
ed Sister Susie, Use done been
where Use gwine."
The Negro race has not "done been
where It's going" cried Mr.. Wash
ington, tits on its way!'
Two great events of the convention
were the visits of a white woman and
a white man. The woman was Mrs.
Henry Willard, the worthy daughter
Of William Lloyd Garrison, the Abo-
litionist. How her father would have
rejoiced to see the affection with
which that great throng of slavery's
sons and daughters rose to meet herI
or her fathers sake, singing sweetlyl
Ind with inexpressible path6s, to an
I'D camp-meeting air, their Free
lom" song:
O-ah freedom,
O-ah freedom,
o-ah freedom over me. over me,
And before I'd be q slave, & III
I'd be buried In my grave,
And 80 home to my Lord, and be I
free.
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