The broad ax., 1911-02-04
FARMERS LISTEN
TO GOOD ADVICE
lileaOllss. )IastlfTts Enisfialis
Seventh Annual Conference.
HOITzCLARS ABLE ADDRESS

Thrilling Personal Experiences Of Men
Who Get Their Living Out Of the
Soil Were Features Of the Meeting.
ShiftIessnSss. IdIensss and Debt
Slavery Condemned.
Uica. Miss.-A strong. common sense
address to farmers by William a.
Holtzclaw. principal and founder of
the Utica Normal and Industrial in
stitute; remarkable stories by indi-
Vidual farmers. who told Of their ef-
forts TO purchase land and educate
their children. and a sane. conserva-
tive public address by the farmers
and visitors assembled were the prin-
cfpal features Of the seventh annual
farmers conference. recently held at
the institute
In Ms address To the farmers. which
- ~ Ihs' ..SrrriSF~. Professor HoltZ-
r..w - cd the ObjeCt Of the con-
r., r:I 81" an honest effort on the
:-..i'f 10. institution 20 be Of service
ia -. -. -. uf the community and
E..rp So. tainted advice to the peo-
Dir "a i'i.'.SSIeSs. idleness and being
always ~ debt were strongly con-
denied by the prominent educator,
and. on the other hand. he told his
hearers that If they wanted to enjoy
prosperity they must work for it.
The price Of success IL industry.
thrift. economy and morality.''I be
said with these you must mix
good degree Of foresight For nearly
fifty years you have been renting
land. and you have worked IT until
you have literally worked IL 10 death.
Yet there are some present today who
are not worth one cent more than
they were foTty-eIght years ago. We
get into the habit Of believing that the
world Is against us; that the white
man is making an effort to keep US
down. I have never found one white
man, whose opinion was worth any
thing In the community that was Op-
posed to Negroes being respectable
and progressive citizens. On the 9TH
Ct hand. know them by thousands
who have helped Negroes to buy
homes and attain respectable places
as citizens
The personal experiences Of many Of
the uRlettered colored farmers who
have been Inspired by the institution
IN ifs efforts to relieve their condition
formed by far the most interesting
portion OF the conference program
Several hours were taken up IN hear
ing these impromptu speeches. and
among the farmers who gave interest
ing testimony were Pleasant McCad-
ney. Isaiah Marshall. Daniel Lee. Dan
Sci Grimm. Henry Samples and many
other farmers who have struggled hard
until they are now In comfortable cir
cumstances-
Significant resolutions prepared By
a committee composed Of Professor I.
J. johnson, r. G. Smith. Nae Dixon.
O. S. Kelley and NJ. B. Anderson were
read and adopted unanimously. The
resolutions were vigorous and forceful
and expressed the real sentime1t Of
the progressive eolOred man. The Ne
no was commended n III s4ofts % be
law abiding. to acquire property. to
raise ne neral statuB. ana industrial
education vas bed up 70 Be Of ne
greatest possible benent to the masses.
"A frank statement Of the condition Of
the rural public schools and the lack
OF law enforcement was one q the
noteworthy features Of the address.
which read IN part:
at cannot be expected that Negroes
remain on the farm from year % year.
receiving seant wages only onee A year
with no educational opportunities be
cause their teachers are poorly paid
This can be changed to a very great
extent. The Negroes az the state Of
1lisppl make up IS PEI cent 81 the
population. yet they receive only p
per cent Of the money for education.
We do not even suggest that the white
ehudren should receive less than they |
already receive for edncat1On. but The |
best interests Of the safe demand that
TIE Negro shall hare more"
Al large number Of prominent men
from various sections Of the state at
tonHad the conference.