The Colorado statesman., 1911-10-14
TELLSOF THE POWER
OF UNITED EFFORT
H, 7. Healing Gives Valuable
Advice in ForCefuI Address,
CRITICAL PERIOD OF RACE
SAILING UPON TROUBLESOME
WATERS IN UPWARD sTRuG-
GLE-ILLUSTRATioN ON
RACE COOPERATION

Little Rock, Ark.-One of the most
forceful and enjoyable addresses heard
at the recent National Negro Business
league convention was delivered by
Prof. II. T. Healing. principal Of
Western university, Quindaro, Kan.
Professor Healing was heartily ap-
plauded when he said: What the ne
gro needs, in constant increasing de-
gree, is the help of his own kind.
don't care how much inspiration comes
to us from other sources. Self-help
self-reliance and strength must come
to us from seeing what our own people
are doing and what they can do
Professor Kealing's address:
Mr.. President, Ladies' and Gentlemen:
There is one thing that is not de-
bated from this platform Except by
Bishop Cottrell, who has just preceded
mel and that is eloquence. Aside from
the excellent and practical speeches
which have been delivered to this CON
vention by some of our races best
business men, successful bankers,
prosperous farmers, capable editors
and the like, you have just had a lib
eral dose of eloquence administered by
our learned bishop, and | shall make
no effort to follow in his oratorial foot
steps. even II could. / merely want
to tell you as briefly as | can what
this Business league means to me, or
what think it means to the race, and
what think 1t means to the nation.
1t has, first of all, discovered us to
ourselves For fourteen years | traV-
eled all over the United States, sur
prising myself at every little town and
hamlet by finding unheard of negroes
who were successful in business and
who were noted, in their respective
communities. for their wealth, their
enterprise their public spirit and
sterling character.
Influence of the National Negro eusi-
ness League.
When the National Negro Business
league came into existence twelve
years ago in the city of Boston, for
the first time it brought together from
the farm and plantation, from the car
penter's bench and workshop, from the
store, the counting house and manu-
factory a number of successful mem
bers of our race for mutual help and
inspiration, where they might give ana
get a great schooling in racial pro-
gress, where they might let each other
know what progress of various kinds
was being made by negroes in their
several communities, and where, In
this way each delegate could go back
home and let all know what the whole
race was achieving. In this way great
good has been accomplished, for the
negro is beginning to find himself out
is beginning to know himself better
and to have more confidence In HIM
self as well as more respect Tor MS
race.
Secondly, | want to say. this league
has stimulated business enterprises
that were already established, ana
created new business enterprises
among members of our race that never
would have come into existence but for
the direct or indirect influence of this
league.
Thirdly, it has stimulated the inven-
tive genius of the negro, so that you
have upon this platform today the
model of a cotton-chopping machine
| Invented by l.. d. Moore of Little
Rock). which will scrape both sides OF
the row, chop it out and dirt 1t all at
the same time, thus evidencing the ac-
tivity of the negro's brain and vlndl-
eating the wise policy of this great
association and its worthy founder,
who saws: Put your brains to work
az well as your hands," and so we have
at this convention negro cotton
chopper, scraper and dirter 10 make
an eloquent speech to you, the design
| of which is to save so much cotton
chopping by our women of the south.
On the plantations, in the homes, on
the streets and railroads. and in the
mines and factories of the southland
we see abundant use and employment
of the negro's Drawn and muscle. oul
7 tell you, gentlemen, whenever the
negro reaches that stage OF develop
ment that he puts his brain to work
nc well as his hands, there is no power
on earth that can pull him down.
man passing through the country came
mon a negro who was bareheaded
and busily engaged on rock pile
breaking rock for living under NOT
sun MY friend" said the traveller
"aren't you afraid you will get brain
fever working there on that rock pile.
bareheaded, beneath the burning
sun?" With his face all wet with per-
spiration, and characteristic smile
unon his countenance. the black man
looked up and quickly replied: Brain
fever boss? Do you suppose if had
anv brains | would be working at this
here iob?' Now, my friends, what the
negro wants to do is to learn, through
this league, and through the lesson
that is being so effectively taught by
its president and founder, to put more
brains into whatever he is doing, to
nut more brains into his farm work.
more brains into his business, more