The Colorado statesman., 1912-05-04
STINS0N GIVES ADVICE
TO The NEGRO RACE
EVERY NEGRO SHOULD BE
TAUGHT A TRADE, DECLARES
ATLANTA EDUCATOR,

Atlanta, Cain a recent address,
delivered to a large audience OF ne.
groes in the Atoc African Methodist
Episcopal church at Dawson, Ga,
Rev. R. ID. Stinson, president of the
Atlanta Normal and Industrial school,
and one OF the best known negro edu-
Gators in the south, offered much
timely advice to the colored race.
In part he said:
Il am not unmindfuI that individ-
uals among us are making headway
that will permanently enable them to
be fixtures in the communities where
they live so far as their own com
forts are concerned, but they are one
in every thousand. Let me repeat, as
torcibly as | am capable: Put the
negro youth in school that is
manned and controlled by persons
who believe in fortifying every boy
and girl with a trade that will enable
him to make a living for himself.
Find your place and stay in it. II
you are a cook see to it that you are
the best one in town. If you are a
seamstress do your work so well that
when those who employ you pass you
on the streets will say OF you, there
goes the best seamstress in, this
place Character and common sense
are the essential things to strive for,
and few definite things along the
line of right have value with God and
with men. You may die ignorant, but
you can die honest and respectable
The best thing you can give your
child is a practical education. While
believe in higher education there are
only ten out of a hundred that need
1t or would be benefited by it. God
has set the metes and bounds OF
some things and some men,"
AFRO-AMERICAN CULLINGS
A layman whose business brings
him into direct contact with a large
number of negro ministers asked us
few days ago: What are we going to
do for better preachers" On being
asked to explain he said that many OF
those he knew did not seem to have
very definite conception of what
was expected of them and fell far
short of measuring up to our accept
able standard of intelligent discharge
of duty. They knew little of what
was required of them and frequently
failed in that little. Now it has not
been ours to observe so deplorable a
condition, but We We're struck with
the sincerity of his words. He was
devout and loyal churchman who
loved his own church in particular
and would have given any reasonable
nf ie,
had been made to believe that too
many preachers failed in the knowl-
edge of the Bible, in matters of com
mon intelligence and above ALL in
sustained effort to fill the great place
decreed unto them. Was he right?
Perhaps not, altogether. Those who
study the church today will agree
that there is not the eff cheney there
should be, on the part of number OF
pastors.
Men enter the holy calling OF the
ministry without the consciousness of
the gravity of the work taken upon
themselves, they begin without any
definite idea of what they are to do and
proceed without special preparation.
Why wonder that failure is soon writ.
ten large all over their careers? Ig.
norance of the word of God, whether
from inability to study it intelligent.
ly or evil mindedness, that precludes
an insight into things which are spir-
itually discerned is inexcusable with
the gospel ministry. If to this igno.
rance of mind and heart is added
venality of purpose and practice there
is to be expected a woeful state in
the church
The church owes it to the gospel
she breaches, to the great name she
bears and for her own self-preserva.
tion to prepare men to fill her pulpits
and shepherd her fiocks
In the councils and conferences of
the church, she does so urgent a de-
mand, more time and care should be
given to providing for the training OF
preachers; we mean preachers who
can preach the word in season and
out, rather than to the equipping of
servers of tables and collectors of
funds. These last are incidental and
secondary. The first are vital and
primary Brethren, for Christ's sake
and the Kingdoms, let us have more
preachers