Iowa state bystander. [volume] (Des Moines, Iowa) 1894-1916, 1912-06-28
EDUCATOR SPEAKS TO
2 GENERAL CONFERENCES
Booker 7. Washington at Kan
sas City and Charlotte

STRONG TALK TO DELEGAIeS-
A. M. E. AND A. NJ. e. ZION CON-
FERENcEs HEAR PLEA THAT
NEGRO MINISTRY PAY MORE
ATTENTION TO RURAL DIS
TRIcTs.
Kansas City, Mo.-Dr. Booker T..
Washington, principal OF the Tuskegee
institute, after speaking before the
general conference of the African
Methodist Episcopal Zion church al
Charlotte, N. c.. came to Kansas City
and spoke before the general confer
ence of the African Methodist Episco-
pal church.
Doctor Washington was welcomed
by throng numbering over ten tnou-
sand, conservatively estimated, when
he rose to speak at the Auditorium.
which is estimated to be the largest
In the country. Not only were the
bishops and officers of the church
present, but thousands had journeyed
10 hduSdS Slty lioAh oSA>A PA~S
hear Doctor Washington's address.
Doctor Washington, at special invi-
tation of Chancellor Frank Strong OF
the University of Kansas, Lawrence
delivered a stirring address to the stu
dents of that university. The audi
ence is said to have been as large as
any that has ever gathered to hear
any of the notables who have spoken
there, such as President Taft and GOV.
Woodrow Wilson. The students them
selves gave Doctor Washington one OF
the warmest welcomes ever extended
visitor at Lawrence.
In his address before the general
conference, Doctor Washington laid
particular stress, as he had already
done in his address before the gener'
al conference at Charlotte, upon the
great need and necessity Of the negro
ministry turning its attention to saw
ing and strengthening the millions OF
negroes who live in the country dis
tricts of the south.
He said in part:
In the rural districts the negro. all
things considered, is at his best in
body, mind and soul. In the city, he
is usually at his worst. Plainly, one
of the duties of your church is to help
keep the negro where he has the best
chance. In a marked degree the negro
is social being. He. more largely
than is true of any other race, uses
the church as the rallying point for his
social life. Whether it is meeting
relating to farming, business. educa-
ton, politics or secret societies, the
negro church house is used.
Here. then Is the opportunity for
US to improve the church life of the
negro in the country and thus to help
to keep him on the land where he has
chance to grow strong. healthy
body, and be away from the tempta-
tions and complexities of large city
life.
How can this be done? For one
thing, make church life for the negro
In the rural districts as attractive as
1t is now in the city. The negro pro-
blem is to a very considerable extent
the problem of rural, life everywhere
So long as the negro finds poor, I'M
unattractive church house:
in the country, and a good church
house in the the city. or finds weak,
ignorant minister in the country and a
strong, intelligent minister in the city.
or finds in the country church services
held once q month and in the city
a church service held twice each Sun
day: SO long will the negro be tempted
to leave the country and migrate to
the city.
I'm dealing with the millions. of the
negroes, let us In America learn
England where agriculture and the
farm have been neglected by church
and state, with the result that the cit
les of England are filled with millions
of unfortunate misfits who are in the
cutters instead of being on the soil
and out in the free, bracing air where
God meant that man should live,
mo class of people should be more
interested in the plans and work of
our great negro church organizations
than the capitalists, the captains Of in.
dustry, those who directly or indirect
ly employ negro labor. Nothing pays
so we'll in producing efficient labor as
Christianity. Religion increases the
wants OF the laborer. The man, with
out religion is too often satisfied when
he has worked long enough to provide
himself with a little coarse food, a
chew OF tobacco and q bottle OF
whisky. The negro workman with the
spirit Of Christ in his head and heart
wants land. wants good house. wants
another house, wants decent furniture,
wants newspaper or magazine. He
wants to provide himself with the
means with which to maintain his
church and Sunday school and his
family with Bible and hymn book.
Tonight as we stand here and de-
liberate as to methods of Christian re-
generation, in the southland there are
ABOUT, one million black children who
entered no school room this year, and
another million who have been In
school for only three or four months
In the year. Putting the ignorant ne
gro under arrest will not give him
Christianity. Putting him in Jail or in
the penitentiary will not give him
Christianity.
Mine is not selfish plea to the
church. I want to see the negro
saved for~his own sake, and want to
see the negro saved in order that the