Metropolis weekly gazette. (Metropolis, Ill.) 1???-19??, 1911-07-21


reside N me southern states, you
must excuse me If dwell a good deal
on what ! shall say upon the oppor.
tunities afforded our people in the
southern states; opportunities for de-
velopment IN material, educational.
professional and religious directions.
NATION WITHIN A NATION.
In numbers. we constitute, as It
were. a nation within ourselves. We
are 10000. 900 strong. Canada has only
100000 Of people; Australia 4.000.-
900. Belgium 100000 and Holland
5.000.0o The combined population of
Norway, Sweden, Switzerland and
Denmark is about equal to the popula-
ton OF the black race in America We
must learn to use the strength OF mum.
bers and improve our condition.
This means that we should cultivate
in an increasing degree In every part
of the country. pride OF race. II there
Ia any one human being whom | de-
test. Il Is the man or woman who Is
ashamed of the race to which he or
she belongs: who Is all the time trying
To get away from the race: who would
rather be third rate white man than
first rate black man. The negro In
America must learn to have as much
pride In his race as the Frenchman or
German or the lrishman has in his
racial identity.
There is a passage In the Scripture
which reads something like this: THE
heavens wer opened and saw visions
Of God" ! believe that the heavens
are Just N truly open today as they
were thousands of years ago; that we
can see visions OF God Just as truly
a. the prophets OF old saw thousands
of years ago. and we must begin 10
see these visions before Il Is too late.
Let IA open our eyes and see the
visions that are I'm the south in the
direction OF opportunity for material
Advancement
Two hundred million acres. or over
fifty per cent. OF tho total land 20 the
south Il nnimproved There are .ABbout
.000. 900 acres In Alabama. $4,000 900
In Georgia. 100000 in Louisiana.
5000 900 In South Carolina and 100.
600 900 10 Texas that are unimproved.
That means that there are 2O0.000000
acres OF land waiting 10 be cuitlvat-
ed. that means that this land at the
present time IL comparatively cheap
aud can be purchased by black man
or white man. but II viii not remain
cheap long
In the paA ten or fifteen years land
values in the south have increased
very rapidly. In some instances the
increase has been from 100 TO 500 per
cent Lands which hgteen years ago
were selling al from $3.50 to SIS per
acre are now selling al from $50
10 900 per acre The wealth OF the
south has been increased by the rise
In land values alone over $500. 600 900
WOES OF LAnDiEss RACE.
While men from all parts Of the
world are seeing this opportunity and
getting land want the negro 10 do
the same thing. and am glad TO see
that many OF our best colored men
throughout the south are seizing this
opportunity and are buying large
tracts Of land. A landlesa race means
poverty stricken race. iandless
race means a dependent race with IN
certain employment. one that lives
by picking up odd jobs here and
there. n Iandiess race means ncn-tax
paving race. an unsettled race.
lhTlfttekg race. Everywhere let Us
encourage our people 20 enter into
the possession OF soil OF this country.
north and south
Throughout the south there are
numerous organizations that work
every day In the form OF commercial
clubs. farmers clubs. clubs 10 pro
mote manufacturing and clubs to pro
mote merchandising. that have for
their object the control and the de.
Yelopment OF the immense material
possessions OF the south. The negro
everywhere must wake mp and fellow
the example OF these organizations
OLD KING COTTON.
Let me be a little more SPECIFIC
the price OF cotton Is increaalng In
value every year There Is only
small territory. so far found. where
cotton can be prodtably produced
That territory IL In our southern
states. The black man can get this