The Washington bee., 1910-07-09

our race IN this State had cultivated
as they should have done the habit
OF saving every dollar which tbev
were not compelled to spend since the
day OF freedom, that in this State Won
would own from three to four times
as much property as you now own.
In too large measure throughout
this country our race has the reputa-
ton OF not being economical, of not
being a race that saves its dollars.
We are tempted too largely to spend
all that we get, and sometimes more
that we get at the end of every week
or at the end of every month
With all the emphasis that | can
command, | want to urge upon the
cOlored people throughout the State
of Delaware from this time forth to
begin the saving habit. If you have
not bank account, start one at once
If you can only nut few dollars in
the bank at time, begin bank ac-
count, and you will be surprised at
the end of the year to see how much
you can accumulate.
i want TO urge parents to teach
their children the saving habit. Let
every child wherever possible have
his bank account
If you have not purchased a home.
do not rest satisfied until you have
made contract for the buying of a
home and have paid for that home
Many of you have thrown away
within the last few years enough
money to have purchased several
homes.
And then, i'll a State like Della
ware, there is no reason why a larger
number of colored people should not
go into business just as the white man
does. There Is no reason why in a
large degree we should not learn a
lesson from the foreigners, who flock
into this and other states. Learn les
sons OF saving habits from the
Greeks, from the Italians, who come
into communities in Delaware and
start business with almost nothing.
but by hard work, close economy.
within a
You can often get better results by
encouraging an individual than by too
much adverse criticism, and the same
IS too often said that all colored peo-
should be drawn between the good
cOlOred man and the bad colOred man.
1t is too often true in the newspapers
and in public speeches that all col
Ored people are clasSed together. 1t
is too often said that all COlOred peO-
pie in a community are lazy, all are
criminal, all are shiftless. Such eX-
pressiOns discourage those who are
trying to lead correct lives. A dis
tinCtiOn should be made Those who
1a1I l4v-ac
should be held up as examples, and
it should be said more often than it
IS that some cOlored people are bad,
but many are trying to lead good
lives. When good and bad are classed
together, as IS too often true, such eX-
pressions, as those to. which | have
referred, tend to discourage those who
are trying to do the right thing.
Throughout the State of Delaware |
am glad to note that there are col
ored people who are living successful,
clean, upright lives. You have many
in the city of Wilmington and else
where We want to increase that
number. There are colored men and
women in Wilmington who, i'll bust
ness. who, in their moral lives, are
people that any race should be proud
of
Throughout the South | have noted
an increasing disposition on the part
of the best white people to feel re-
spOnsibility for the salvation of the
negro in their own community. 1t IS
lust as important that time and work
and money be given toward the ele-
vatiOn of the negro by our side, as II
is to spend effort in lifting up the
people in Africa, China, Japan or any
foreign country. The best type OF
white people are not afraid to let the
world know that they are interested
in the progress of the negro. The
best type of white people are no
longer frightened away from trying
to help the negro by the bugbear of
social intermingling,
LET me add that throughout this
country the negro is making immense
progress There is nothing to dis
courage us We are making prog
ress in getting land, in building
homes. in saving money, in going into
business. We are making progress IN
education, and we are also making
progress despite statements to the
contrary, in the type of white people
who are not afraid or ashamed OF
the fact that they are interested in
the development of the negro race
At the close of Mr. Washington s
address, Mr. Burleigh sang a solo, af-
ter which the Rev Alexander Alison,
Jr., pronounced benediction, and while
the orchestra played national airs, the
audience filed out. The officers Of the
Business Mems League, under whose
auspices the meetings are being held,
are: S. G. Ebert. NJ. D., president;
VIM. f. Grinnage, vice-president;
Lewis A. Redding, secretary; ].
B. Stubbs, NJ. d., treasurer; Executive
Committee - Charles H. Colburn,
chairman; Henry c. Stevens, NJ d,
c. L. Jefferson, d. D., John H. Wood
len, Thomas s. Anderson. Isaac Hen
~, B. T. Moore, d. D., A. McPher-
son Johnson, James Winchester, John
II. Benson, Eli H. Hoxter, Leiion Col
lins.
Reception at DR.. Elbert's.
The beautiful home of DIR. Ebert
was the scene of an animated con
course of Well-knOWn men and women
of both races last evening, when DR..
Washington was the guest at the re-
ception given in his homer People
from KNasbin0tOu ID c Baltimore