Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-04-18
ADVISES NEGRO RACE
B. H. Warner Makes Emanci-
patton Anniversary Address.
CALLS PROGRESS A CREDIT
But Declares Colored Man Must Obey
Laws and Not Commit Offenses
Against Society.
CALLS PROGRESS A CREDIT

Services in celebration of the forty
ninth anniversary of the emancipation OF
slaves in the District We're held at large
number of local colored churches last
evening. The exercises consisted largely
Of addresses appropriate to the day and
of musical numbers.
One Of the principal addresses at the
Cosmopolitan Temple Baptist Church
was made by B. H. Warner
1T may be said that the colored race
started at the beginning when the eman-
cipation proclamation was issued. so far
as the acquiring Of education and the
accumulation of assets were concerned -
Mr.. Warner said. 1T is hard to believe
that only a few decades since it was
against the law to teach any man, Wom-
an or child of the black skin how to read
or write. no matter how kind an owner
might have been. Many people now still
have an idea that the colored people
have been educated too rapidly: that
they have theories without practical ideas
OF life. In some cases this is undoubted-
ly true, but it no more applies to the
black race than to any other. The edu-
Gated brain is what counts and gives in
tiuence. no matter who possesses 1t.
There is another emancipation that
must take place in the lives of many who
have no ambition or aspiration beyond
the enjoyment Of today. 1 refer to the
emancipation which leads men away from
transgression Of law and from comrpit-
ting Offenses against society. This is the
mission of the leders Of the colored race
offenders against society feel that they
are lnisrepresenting the race to which
they belong. and are preventing their
progress.
creditable thing to belong to the Young
Mems Christian Association. Nearly
every morning We saw in the papers that
some man who had taken money or done
something wrong was d member of the
Young Mems Christian Association 1t
became a reproach, and this great organ
ization. which now has millions of men,
bers and monumental buildings through
out the world, was compelled to outgroW
these constant reflections. In one sense
this is the case with the colored race.
Every day We see a notice of some Of
tense against law and coupled with it is
the statement that the offender was a
colored man. 1t will take time, patience
and forbearance to outgrow these con-
slant aspersi9ns
Crime Among the Ignorant.
Crime is not confined to any race. 1t
dwells. however. largely among the igno-
rant-those who are contented to get along
without work. 1t would be just as fair
to judge any community by the acts of
few people, as to Judge a whole race
by the acts Of a few who bring reproach
upon 1t.
when the colored man started out he
had comparatively no teachers or min
listers: no s,choolhousas or churches Now
an army of more than 5000 teachers
and preachers is constantly working for
his welfare. The property he has ac-
quired since he was made free aggregates
up into the hundreds Of millions. He IL
making progress along all lines. The best
way to increase the number Of his friends
is for him to exercise forbearance and