The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1912-03-02
IMMENSE CROWD HEARS DR..
BOOKER WASHINGTON SPEAK

thing OF the progress of the colored
people and of the relations existing
between white man and black man.
want at the same time, wherever
can, to speak a word which shall
make our people more useful and will
further friendly relations between the
two races. l am perfectly aware #
the fact that the average man who
was not born here in the south, or
who has never lived here for any
ength of time, often misunderstands
md misjudges the south. One living
outside of the south hears of the worst
things that occur between white peo-
pie and black people, but seldom hears
of the best things that occur. One
living outside of the south hears of
the lynchings, the burnings, and the
work Of the mob, but he rarely hears
OF what white people are doing in
nearly every community of q state like
Florida to help and encourage the coll
ored people. The worst that occurs
between the races is flashed by tele-
graph all through the world, while the
best that occurs is seldom heard of
| outside of our immediate local COM
munities. In no other part of the
world can there be found white and
black people in SO large numbers who
are living side by side in such peace
! full relations as is true in our south
ern states. This / say despite much
| that is wrong and unjust despite the
| work of the mob which so often dis
graces both races.
ADVANTAGES THEY HAVE.
Il want to impress upon my people
in the state of Florida the advanta ges
! that you have in a state like this. In
| the first place. you have the oppor-
/ tunity OF living in one OF the best eli
4 mates in the world a climate which Is
J 9d3nta6 m condition and 70
| needs. In addition to that, you have
/ the opportunity of being able to Sc
| cure land in large quantities While II
is reasonably cheap, but | warn you
that land in a state like Florida viii
not always be cheap. Florida in many
states. There are almost 10000, 900
acres Of unimproved land in the state.
l repeat, in no state in the south do
negroes have such opportunities, and
in few places are they better paid
than here.
THE average value of farm land in
1900 was SOS. In 1910 it was s17.S3
an increase of 153 per cent. At this
rate of increase, if our people do n
secure land in Florida within the next
few years they will find it very hard
to do so in the future.
PLENTY OF WORK.
I'VE not only have the advantage in
state like Florida of securing land
but the further advantages of finding
plenty of work. I will guarantee t.
say that there are few if any mem
bers of our race who have spent any
considerable length of time in seeking
labor. Instead of having to seek labor
labor seeks them. Our condition is
different from laboring people in many
parts of the old world where theJ
have to spend days and sometimes
months in seeking labor and then are
not able to find it. And then aftel
they do find work in many parts o.
the old countries, they receive a wage
that is much smaller than the wage
! paid to the average negro man 81
woman in the state OF Florida.
while we may have disadvantages
in other directions. we she how
ever, bear in mind that the soil o
, Florida draws no color line; Its sol
will yield as much of her riches to tn
touch of the blacklist hand in Florid;
: as to the touch of the whitest hand II
Florida. The rain draws no color line
, The sun draws no color line. In al
. these fundamental respects We hav
:. the same advantages that the whites
man in Florida has.
NO DISGRACE TO WORK.
9 In Florida, like many other south
} ern states, the negro is the main de
pendence for labor. I want our PEG
. pie, in the first place, to get rid or tn
! ! old idea once for all that it is a dis
? grace to labor. Get rid of the ide
once for all that an educated man Q
;, woman should not work in the field, i
the shop, in the kitchen, in the laun
: | dry. We must impress upon our PEG
!; | ple everywhere that it i5 just as dig
!. | nified to work in field or in shop o
: in a kitchen or laundry as 1t is t
= | teach school, preach the gospel Q
: write poetry.
= II do not want it said OF our PEG
pie anywhere in Florida that they al
~ merely tolerated as laborers. ! wan
: to hear it said that the negro Is use
as laborer In Florida because h
u renders such excellent service tina
! people feel that they do not want
: dispense with his services. II
= would retain our place in the world
labor, in an increasing degree every
where we must make our labor re
< liable, If we give our word that "
g will be at q place of labor at a certai
= hour on Monday morning, We must Q
s right there, not a half mile away c
It not five minutes late. We should nc
= let the temptation to go on an eS
L cursion or the temptation 10 90
=, town on Saturday pull us away Trol
It our places of labor. AS a race "
h waste entirely too much time in ldle
d ness on Saturday and in going on use
t less excursions.
10 And then if we are employed as Is
borers we must learn to improve
IS our methods of labor. The kind I
y labor that would satisfy few year
: ago will not satisfy today. Progress
: is being made In methods of cookiI
= and serving food, In laundering,
" every one of these respects the negl
= must make progress or he VIII nm
h himself in a few days without 10
n Everywhere, especially in the lare
e towns and cities of Florida, we mu
# get rid of the idle man or woman
"a our race. Wherever there is idlenes
Z wherever there are people hangll
- around on the street corners and raj
: road stations or loaing around bf
rooms there you are likely to hay
| crime and to find racial friction. Fro
"a the pulpit, from the school teacher
" desk, from the fireside, everywhei
> we must impress upon our people II
"a fact that the idle man or idle woma
= must be gotten rid of, that an inft'
~ ence must be brought to bear on the
- that will make them go to Work ar