The Nashville globe. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1906-193?, 1911-01-20

UClca, MISS, Jan. To- "A STRONG,
common sense address to Negro farm
ers by William H. Holtzclaw, princi
pal and founder of toe Utica Normal
and Industrial institute, remarkable
stories by individual Negro farmers,
who told of their efforts to purchase
land and educate their children, and
sane, conservative public address to
the farmers and visitors assembled
were the principal features of the sew
enth annual Farmers Conference
which was held at the Utica Institute
yesterday.
In his address to the farmers which
began the exercises, Prof Holtzclaw
explained the object of the conferences
to be an honest effort on the part of
the institution to be Of some service
to the people of the community. He
gave some pointed advice to his race.
Shiftlessness, idleness, being always
in debt, were strongly condemned by
the prominent educators, and on the
other hand he told his audiences if
they wanted to enjoy prosperity they
must get it just as other people.
1.-THE price Of success is industry,
thrift, economy and morality. With
these you must mix a good degree of
foresight" He said, For nearly fifty
years you have been renting lands
and you have worked 1t until you
have literally worked it to death;
yet there are some in this house to-
day who are not worth one cent more
than they were forty-eight years ago.
We got into the habit Of believing
that the world is against us, that the
white man is making an effort to keep
un down. There is nothing in the
world to keep the high-spirited Negro
from measuring up to the highest
standard of citizenship. In this eff
fort we have always the personal as
sistance of the best white people in
the various communities. have new
err found one white man, whose opin-
ion amounted to anything in the COM
munity, who was opposed to Negroes
being respectable, progressive citi-
zens. On the other hand I know
them by the thousands who have help
ed the Negroes 10 buy and attain re-
spectacle places as citizens"
The personal experience of many OF
the unlettered Negro farmers. who
have been inspired by the institution
in its efforts to relieve their condi-
lions formed by far the most interest
ing portion of the conference program.
Several hours were taken up in the
personal experience of various farm
ers, most of whom declared that they
received their inspiration from the
school teachings. Pleasant McGadney,
Isaiah Marshall, Daniel Lee, Daniel
Griffin, Henry Samples and many
other farmers who have struggled
hard until they are now in comforta-
BILE situations gave such testimony.
The following seemed to be the
general opinion of all those present:
cit cannot be expected that Negroes
remain on the farm from year to year
receiving scant wages, and getting
this only once year with no educa-
tional opportunities, because their
teachers are poorly paid. All this
can be changed to very great extent.
The Negroes of the state of Missis-
sippi make up fifty-eight per cent of
the population, yet they only receive
twenty-four per cent of the money TO-
education. We do not even suggest
that the white children of the state
have one per cent less than they al
ready receive foc their education, but
we do believe tlas the best interest
of the whole coul.ry will demand that
the Negro receive more
NEARLY TWO THOUSAND GATH
ER IN PnMEE REN(E AT