The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1912-03-04
.C(aOR[D PEOPLE
CONE IN CROWDS
To Hear Booker II. Washington. Who
Gave Them an Excellent Talk

This was a great day for the color
ed people Of Marion county. who came
from every point of the compass TO
hear Booker T. Washington.
It looked to the Star reporter like
Washington drew the largest crowd
that ever assembled in the Marion
County Fair grounds. Every seat in
the immense grandstand was filled long
before Il o'clock, there were probably
two thousand people outside of the
stand and an almost endless stream Of
them coming from both directions. The
crowd was variously estimated at from
six to eight thousand people, among
them probably 1000 white citizens.
People came from all over the county
and many from adjoining counties to
hear the famous colored man talk. II
has certainly been a gala day in Ocala
for the colored race, and the visit Of
Washington viii result in a great deal
of good to them. The great crowd
was perfectly quiet and orderly, and
the best of feeling was manifested
throughout the day.
Messrs. F. z. Harris. T. T. Munroe,
L. c. Chambliss, J. d Robertson and
other leading white citizens occupied
seats in the stand. Judge Bullock in
troduced Washington in a fine speech,
which we will produce tomorrow.
\ great feature of the occasion was
the singing of an ld-fashiOned
church hymn. 1t was led by the prin-
cipal of Hamilton Institute, a leading
colored school in Virginia, but the
whole vast crowd took it up, and the
music was grand.
In the course Of his remarks, DR.
Washington said;
II have but one object in view in
coming into this state at this time.
and that IS to see for myself some
thing of the progress made among the
colored people and of the relations ex-
listing between white man and black
man. I want at the same time, wher-
ever / can, to speak a word which
! shall make our people more useful and
will further friendly relations between
the two races.
among the things which have pleas
ed me most since coming into this
state, is the fine character of the ag-
iricultural and mechanical college
which the state has provided for the
education of my race. I have seen the
state institutions of nearly every one
of our Southern states, and the state
of Florida, in my opinion has provided
for the negro in this state the best
plant with the best equipment of any
state in the union. Furthermore, I am
glad to add, that it is the best kept
UP plant, the cleanest and most syste-
matically arranged of any that / have
seen. l not only congratulate the
state upon what it has done for the
colored people at this college. but
congratulate Prof Young and his
corps of teachers for their part in this
work. I want to urge on your ministers
your teachers and upon parents, the
importance of teaching our people the
Importance of saving a large part OF
their income. I know there are those
outside of the South who do not under
stand conditions, who say constantly
that the negro has no friends in the
South, but for the fact that in every
community in the state of Florida
where the negro lives in large mum.
, bers. have white friends who stand
by US, who help us, who guide US, wht
, sympathize with US, who lend US mon
ley. who give us work, it would hav.
been impossible for us to have mad
as much progress as have made
, But for the fact that we have NOR,
white friends than we have white en-
emies, 1t would have been impossible
for US to have earned s50,000,000 ever.
year. The fact that we have this prop
erty, that we are getting more prop
erty and that we get work is the high
est proof of the friendship and goo'
will of the white man in Florida
"It has been my privilege to trave
rather widely, not only in this coun
try but in many of the countries o
Europe, and I have studied condition
and opportunities Of the laboring man
and nowhere have I found a plac
where the negro can make create
progress than he is making right her
in the South. We must get rid of on
idle dreams and settle down to the fac
that we can live here and make pro
gress.
an the last analysis, I find that tn
relations between the individual negr
and the individual white man ar
closer in the South than they are be
tween black men and white men Il
any other part Of the country. TIL
negro as an individual understand
the white man better and the whit
man an Individual understands tn
black man better than anywhere else
We must use this relationship as tn
OASIS LOT SUN better pTOSTeSS- IHer
is no reason why any of US should b
discoura ged,s but many reasons VIII
we should strive to enter upon a neI
era of life and make up our minds tina
we are going to settle down in som
one community. get hold Of propert
there, become a taxpayer there, max
2 a reputation for virtuous living Their,
for industry there, and work to be
= Icome a permanent part of some com
munity in the state of Florida.
"In certain sections of a state Mk
Florida a very large proportion of tn
labor on the farm is done by negroe!
The negro ought to have encourage
ment in the direction Of making him
self better farmer. a more intelliger
farmer. Thousands Of dollars are spen
ieduca ting white farmers at the stat
universities, and at other schools, bu
$50 far as I can discover in very few c
J.. the states, but practically little
spent in educating the negro farmer
1.-THE man who thinks it necessar
to spend thousands Of dollars in edu
j. eating the white boy as a farmer an
nothing to educate the colored boy I
ment to the negro boy in that b
= seems to argue that the white boy
+ order to sustain himself a farme
needs education TO make him in
Ite1ligent as to the nature of the sol
intelligent as to the best tools wit
Ii which TO cultivate the soil. but tn
! negro boy is naturally so intelliger
i and skiIlful that he can become a goo