The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1913-11-25
A. M. E. ZION CONFERENCE
Annual! Cape Fear Conference in Sc>-
sion at Wilson and What 1t 1,

'i1SoI-, NV. - lie SeCbiu SEES
sion Of the Cape Fear Annual Confer
ence Of the A. NJ. f. Zion church, now
IN session in this city, Bishop Alex.
Walters, who is the leader of negro
Democrats. and one Of the ablest ne
gro prelateS in the country, presiding.
is largely attended. The pertient fea-
ture Of this conference is the able an
nual address Of the bishop, since he
is regarded by the administration at
Washington as a sane leader of his
people. After speaking Of the splen-
did work accomplished by Rev. +. w.
Smith at Whiteville and the support
given him by the white people, he
"a an exhaustive resume of the
work Of the conference aud the gen
eral church.
In this message he says relative to
the status of the negroes in America
and what is the outlook for the negro
that II think i is generally conceded
if not openly admitted that the negro
is slowly, but surely, making his way
to the front. Financially, the status
Of the black man is the same as that
Of the white man in all parts of the
country. His note is as good in the
banks as the note of a white man
provided he has collateral. In he
courts of our land the status of the
regro is far different from what it
used to be. His civil rights are better
respected Inan heretofore. mere ana
there he appears in the jury box and
cur lawyers have better standing at
the bar. 1t is only a question of time
before it Will be unpopular for the
courts to have two standards of jus
tice, one for the white man, another
-injustice-for the negro.
The status Of the negro politically
in the North. East and the Central
i States is all right and is growing bet
ter in the South. In the North the
negro is not allowed to vote but IS
!, Frequently elected to office. | am of
: the opinion that our political status
: in the South would be in advance of
: what it is had there been a concerted
+ action on our part to contend for the
ballot. / am sure that a great many
more could have registered and voted
! had greater efforts been made to do so
r and a willingness to pay the poll tax.
= | have gotten the impression as | have
travelled through the South that the
: average negro is Indifferent to his po-
t litical rights. One OF the needs Of the
/ hour is an awakening along this line.
e In this year Of our fftieth jubilee
t it is proper and right for US to stop
S land take our reckoning, note our fail
S ures and our successes. Many are
: the causes of the trouble. shall only
mention a few. They are the lack OF
home training-Want OF better ethical
training in our public schools lack
. Of definiteness III our preaching and
Y lectures. The main effort with man,
! is to please and entertain. Very little
$ effort is made to instruct our people
: Unless some plan or method can bs
: adopted to change the order Of thing:
we shall surely go upon the rocks
"Financially the outlook is good
! Our wages are better, the profession:
: are opening to us and we have mor'
!. money in the banks than ever before
So far as the negroes of the South ar
concerned the outlook is eXceedflgl,
! fright and will be as long as cotton i
king. He gets as much for cotton a
the White can. and can make j
cheaper, for nearly all the member
of his family are helpers"
: The Bishop then paid a tribute L
President Wilson for the high mora
stand that he had taken in the Mexl
= can affairs. He c~ontrasted the meth
= such questions to the humane an
able diplomacy. Of the present admin
- istration. At the conclusion he wa
II given an ovation.
q Among the other prominent neSroe
1t attending this conference IS John I
Id Dancy ~ex-recCrder Of deeds Of tn
II District OF Columbia, and secretar
IL df the Church Of Extension Board q
ar this denomination.
-. -o.I 1nx- IN the gTG r har Ar