Iowa state bystander. [volume] (Des Moines, Iowa) 1894-1916, 1911-06-09
GOVERNOR Mann OF VIRGINIA
ADDRESSES COLOREO PEOPLE
TELLS HIS AUDIENCE SERVANTS
WHITE CAP AND APRON ARE
As HONORABLE AS COLLEGE
CAP AND GOWN.

INiCuHlOuu, td.-OHo VI IuS Duelcst
sessions ever held by the Virginia
Baptist State convention. DR., r. H.
Bolding presided and the praise
services were conducted by Revs. F.
c. Patterson of Hollis, L. A. Green Of
Swansboro and J. s. Minor of Beulah.
Home Life of the Negro" was the
theme Of the address delivered by
President Bowling to the convention
Zone Of the things that we must teach
our people In this world" he said, lis
the importance Of getting homes and
paying for them, educating their chill
dren and lettering their own condi-
tons as individuals, and this will
mean racial progress.
Education must go a long way
toward helping our people. ! want
that we shall do all in our power to
wipe out our illiteracy, ignorance and
crime. Every state in the Union
should do this. The men of both
races who make the most trouble are
the ignorant, vicious class. While
here, let me speak against crime and
criminals. They are produced by
loafers. Loafers Of any race are dan
gerous and we are willing to Join with
the lawmakers to reduce loafing.
Teach them that all labor Is honor
able; that the white cap and apron Of
the servant are as honorable as the
college cap and gown. Teach them
that the pickax and shovel, the plow
and the hoe are as honorable as the
pen and more honorable than the
sword. Teach them to tell the truth,
pay their debts, to give their words
as hostage for their lives, and that
crime, criminality, loafng, stealing,
gambling, swearing, are the things
which bring disgrace to races or indi-
viduals. The Virginia Baptist State
convention stands for higher manhood
and womanhood."
Prof. w. T. B. Williams, field secre-
tary of the Slater fund and secretary
of the Negro Organization society, was
presented to the convention and deliv-
cred an address. He said he was de-
lighted to see the wonderful progress
being made in the convention and felt
that 1t meant much for the future Of
the negro in this country. 1--WE can
not sit down and wait, but must be
ever up and doing something"
When Governor w. Fl. Mann entered
the Fifth Street Baptist church, &C.
companied by a committee consisting
Of Revs. w. F. Graham, Walter H.
Brooks, B. Tyrell, W. B. Reed, M. B.
Hocles, J. Madison Young and w. B.
Hood, he was given an enthusiastic
ovation by the fifteen hundred mem
bers of the convention. n
The Rev. w. F. Graham, d. D., pas
tor of the church, introduced his ex-
cellency the governor, who addressed
the convention.
Governor Mann said in part:
Having text assigned me. feel
that am here for two or three pur-
poses. I want to show the people OF
Virginia and the people Of Richmond
where l stand. stand to push for
ward the good of the people and l
was elected governor for that purpose.
I speak to you az 'layman who be-
lieves that Jesus Christ came to save
sinners, Of which I am one.
IF could give word Of advice to
this body of representative preachers
who have assembled here from all
parts of the state of Virginia and Dis
trict Of Columbia, I would use the
words Of the apostle Paul, that l
know nothing about you save Jesus
Christ and him crucif1ed." The people
who come to church come to hear the
gospel. They care nothing about your
theories and science, but they want to
know the way to heaven.
II have seen mems whole course OF
life changed in moment by the Spir-
it. Now, have you got this religion ?
I hope you have. The religion that
will make a man better. You can
come to the throne of grace asking
for loved ones, as Moses did.
"Why are you here, preachers?
Preaching for money? No, l can make
more money at anything else, but I
am preaching because am compelled
to preach. Do you fall into error
sometimes? Yes; but then what
would you do? Do like the man who
stumps his toes. Get up and go on
serving God. Look up. Cling to the
higher things in life Read the life
of Christ and that's all you need to
do. You will never find a single in
stance where Christ did for man what
he could do for himself When he
went to raise Lazarus from the dead
some one had to remove the stone, be-
cause man had to do that for himself,
but Christ had to raise the dead.
II want to impress Oh you that God