The Denver star., 1915-05-29
GREAT AGENCY FOR UPLIFT.
Thousands Hear Washington Speak
Under Auspices of National League.


its workshop for the unemployed and
the return of ITS associate director, Eu-
gene Kinckle Jones from n brief trip
south, the National League on Urban
Conditions Among Colored People held
four big public meetings on Sunday,
May 16, three in this city and one in
Brooklyn. The speakers were DR..
Booker T. Washington, principal of the
Tuskegee (Ala.) institute, and Mayor r.
Il. Motion, commandant of cadets at the
Hampton (Va.) institute and president
of the Negro Organization Society of
Virginia.
The object of these meetings was to
more fully acquaint the public with
the purpose and work Of the league
and to show what it has accomplished
during the past year. The first of the
series of meetings for the day was held
at the Union Baptist church in West
Sixty-third street, of which the Rev.
G. II. Sims is the minister, at IL a. IN.
The Rev. Mr.. Sims presided and over
1900 persons were in attendance. DIR.
Washington delivered a most helpful
and instructive address.
The second meeting was held at Pal
ace casino at I 30 p. m., and was pre-
sided over by Borough President Mar
Gus NJ. Marks, who on introducing DR..
Washington said that race oppression
was not an unmixed evil, as it gave
chance for TIE manhood of the oppress-
ed to exert itself. Mr.. Marks also said
hof ha hof hn To-
In beginning his address DR.. Washing
ton said:
Il am mighty glad to hear Mr.. Marks
say that he is proud of his race. 1, too.
am proud Of my race and wouldn't
change places with the whitest man in
America, and l don't want to know
any man who is ashamed of the race
to which he belongs.
Our people in Il big northern city
like this have their own special prob
lens to solve, just as we have our own
problems down south, but you must
always remember that we are one
race and that what hurts you here
hurts us down south and what helps
us down there helps you here. One of
your greatest problems is that Of re-
adjustment. Settle down and get iden-
tilted with some one place; then build
up there regulations for sobriety and
industry. If you can't find the right
place in the city go to a small town
near by or get back to the soil. At
any rate, settle down and get hold of
some property and start bank ac-
count. You will soon find that your
savings are growing and that you are
growing faster and bigger than the
bank account"
The third great meeting was held at
the Abyssinian Baptist church in West
Fortieth street, Rev. DR.. A. Clayton
Powell minister, at o'clock. This as
semblage was held under the auspices
of the Young Women's Christian asso-
citation. and Mrs. E S. Ransom pre-
sided.
The fourth and closing meeting was
held at the Concord Baptist church, in
Brooklyn, and was presided over by
the Rev. DIR. William Maurice Moss.
minister of the church. Major r. r.
Motion made the address introducing
DR.. Washington in his usual forceful.
happy manner. The audience filled ev-
cry available space in the auditorium.
lecture room and aisles of the church.
and the crowd outside extended for
nearly block north and south Of the
edifice. DIR. Washington delivered a
mastery address and was wildly
cheered.
DR.. Washington said the New York
colored man cannot be downed. If he
fails today he will rise tomorrow.
This Is the best country our race
knows. We may curse it sometimes.
but We stay here. l do not mean to
say that we do not have difficulties to
overcome. injustices. opposition and op-
preston TO surmount, but despite these
the 100000 of our people have made
more progress than any similar people
in the world The colored people of
Virginia own one-tenth of all the farm
ing land in that state. They pay taxes
on S54.OOO,0OO worth of property. The
white man has increased his farming
lands 80 per cent. and those Of the col
ored man have increased 1913 per cent"
Santamarina Speaks on Race Question.
~ l,n.