Arizona republican., 1910-09-07
THOUGHTS OF BLACK MEN.
A Plato of Indiana at the Negro Bus-
 ness Mems Convention.

He was a philosopher and his name was Plato, Samuel Plato of Marion Ind: and he made one of the most in teresting speeches at the convention of the National Negro Business league last week, but at a session so crowded by Booker T Washington's address that the newspapers did not have time or space to print MT. Plato's remarks Both Mir Washington and MT Plato were telling their people how to get along.
 one white man in America hasn't much time to spend with another white man who hasn't got anything, said MT. Washington, and do you expect him to have time foB negro who has Tt anything?
 The Japanese have got something, so therefore the world wants to put more money into their laps. If their bankers don't come over here fast enough for money our bankers from New York go over there to force II on them. There are too many negroes try ing to get something for nothing.
 Come on down the linel" somebody called cut from the audience and eY- cry one roared at pr. Washington, who laughed too.
 It seemed quite right that soloist sang Mandy. Put Your Best Clothes On" and that the whole audience joined Major Morton in melodious camp meeting song that seemed to fit the occasion, 'I Want to Be Ready to Walk in Jersalem, Just Like John
 MT. Plato was there to tell the com- panv how he had got ahead.
 "I lost interest in Cecil Rhodes and De Senectute'." he said. and went to work at carpentering in Marion with &. 40 in my pocket We were working on a schoolhouse when the foreman came around one day and said he would have to discharge me.
 "Is it because of my wOrk?' said |.
 '.No.' said he It was because of my color; the white carpenters refused to work with me.
 .I went to them and said: Some day you will come to me for a job
 "In less than three weeks ] had q school contract of my own. l don | know how it happened, but it hap pened. Afterward I did an interior of postoffice building for $159,eOO.
 Tn a recent competition l was awarded the contract for a Cathollc schoolhouse. I have earned more than g.. 900 this year so far, and l employ twcnty-fiv men, some of whom re fused to work with me on that first schoolhouse job.
 The first thing did when I went to Indiana was to assert my desire Tor money. I knew was entitled to it just as the tramp is entitled to fresh air and susnshine. A factor of my sue cess has been my mental attitude toward myself and others.
 Did it ever occur to you that we are constantly giving out thoughts that affect those about us? I make 1t a point to sweep out from my associates those who hamper progress by there everlasting I can'ts.' A person who thinks, talks and expects poverty sur rounds himself with people of like mind and they paralyze all effort" Plato was followed by kindred spirit, T. J. Allston of Boston, who said: q started as a bottle washer in a manufacturing drug firm over a 1 quarter of a century ago. Now I'm at the head of their laboratory and ship ping goods all over the civilized world V MT. Allston had this to say of the inpatient Impatient people water their miseries and hoe up their com | forts New York Sun.