The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1912-03-05
JUDGE bUlOCK'S SPEECH
In Presenting Booker II. Washington
to His Marion County Audience at
the 0caIa Fair Grounds Monday

My Fellow Citizens OF Marion Coun-
ty:
Man made in the image Of God is
the instrument through which He
manifests His divine will. In the eyo-
luton OF time, when His purpose was
to be accomplished He stretched forth
His hand, laid it upon that man that
He had set apart for the purpose.
When He wanted his dinvine will
made known He found a Samuel
When the condition OF servitude
and oppression Of His chosen people
demanded a leader and lawgiyer, He
raised up a Moses. When the signs
OF the times must be explained to
His people he brought forth Daniel;
when the exigencies OF war were
present a David was found; when
the plan OF salvation through the
atoning blood OF crucifed Savior
was to be expounded, the magic
touch OF the finger OF God opened
the eyes of the great Apostle Paul,
and the world that sat in darkness
was made TO understand. When, in
our own day d little band of patri-
OTIS, desiring to worship God accord
ing 10 the dictates of their own con-
science, sought refuge in our liberty
loving land, and when in due season
it became necessary to shake off the
yoke of oppression that hindered the
free exercise of this right, he RAM
bled amidst the mountain ranges of
old Virginia and presented US the
father of our country: when, beneath
the CALLING yoke of bondage, the bit
ter vail of the poor, ignorant and
superstitious negro found its way to
the throne of grace, the Christian
spirit of an intelligent nation pro-
yided us the great emancipation,
Abraham Lincoln.
Thus, condition has arisen, one
truly described as without prece-
dent or parallel What are we to
do with the negro? This must be
answered by the intelligent Christian
spirit OF the people of the nation. We
of the southland are most yitally in
terested in the solution of this ques-
ton. This is our land, the land of
our fathers, and of our children. Be-
meath these yinecIad rocks and citrus
groves, rests the ashes of our dear
ones. Beneath these sunlit skies
and cotton fields we must live, and
our children after us. This is the
lands These are his skies. We
must live together. The prosperity
of the one is the advancement of the
other. The failure of the one is the
Encouragement of the other.
Our future peace, happiness and
prosperity rests within our keeping.
God grant that we acquit ourselve
as men, men worthy of so great a
charge
In presenting to you, my friends,
this distinguished citizen, Dr. Wash
phetic vision when | say that the
evidences point that God has again
rambled amongst the hills and dales
of the old dominion and produced a
leader for this benighted and unfor-
tunate race of people according to
his own choosing
Dr. Washington needs no introduc-
tion to you. His fame has far pre-
ceded his coming in our midst
The few paltry words of commen-
dation to him that I might utter
would be a poor tribute to his real
worth. His great work in the inter
| est of the negro erects a monument
more lasting than tables of stone.
! His precept and example to the ne
| gro race stands as a beacon light
whose luster cannot be dimmed,
| stunning the bogs and sand-bars,
| their advancement.
We must esteem ourselves most
favored to have such a man TO come
| in our midst.
He is an inspiration to every negro
in this land and a benefactor to this
nation.
His wise counsel TO the negroes OF
| this nation is known, his words Of
wisdom are imperishable and will en-
dure forever
| In presenting you to the people Of
this section, you are in a country
where peace, amity and good will be
tween the races prevail. I do no
speak as one without knowledge O
the fact. | was born and raised il
this town, amongst the negroes o
this state, on my fathers plantation
now part of the corporate limits o
this city. | have sat and listened II
the old ghost stories of Ignorance
and superstition, how the old witch
es tied knots for their stirrups in tn
horses name and rode them a
night: and that certain old gram,
was a witch and could conjure you
With the boys, We would chase til
old cotton-tail rabbit on moonligh
nights down the cotton rows an
over the old fields: planted the corr
picked the cotton. milked the cows
wrestled with the boys, and grey