Pine Bluff daily graphic. (Pine Bluff, Ark.) 1893-1942, 1916-12-01
Bishop Conner Tells M. E.
Conference Something OF
Progress of Race.
DEPLOREs THE USE
OF INTOXICANTS
Rev. James Jones OF Pine Bluff EulO.
gizes Bishop for His AscendancN
His Work and His Advice to
Negroes TO Remain in South.
NV Chas SteWart.)


years ago, see the negro bought ana
sold like dumb brutes and see ms
condition today paying right hefe IN
Arkansas taxes On millions OF DOL
lars worth of real estate, some or
them owning the plantations where
thew served as slaves, we have much
to he thankful for On this day. were
the words of Bishop J. NJ. Conner, ID.
D.. of Little Rock, in addressing l,00o
negroes this morning at the opening
of the second days session of the
South Arkansas African Methodist
Episcopal conference.
"'The Lord hath done great things
for us, whereof we are glad con-
tinued the bishop. land | might say
thankful too Look where slavery
left us. homeless, moneyless and
some of our people, nameless. 1t was
almost as much Of task for negro
to find a name for himself as any
thing else, but with faith in God, ana
having passed through the American
industrial school. unable to read and
write. yet we had sufficient mind cul-
ture to direct our hands In the right
direction. and with faith in God and
ourselves we went to work. The whole
world sees the result today.
"Say what you will or may, the
South has helped the negroes. AS
thew graduated from the schools, ur
knew enough to teach, 1t was the
Southern white people who estab-
lished the public schools and not
only employed the negroes who had
graduated from them, but the negro
from Northern schools found it prof
table to come down here in order TO
exercise what he had learned in the
schools. This is also true today.
Those who graduate from the big
schools in order to accomplish any
thing must find their way down here.
"The negro found 1t necessary not
to sit down and depend on others to
de- for him. He found that a Goddess
education was worthless education,
hence he himself decided through the
churches to establish Christian insti-
tutions. In all parts of this South
land you find Christian schools for
negroes. In this state they are to be
found here and there. In Little
Rock, we have the Arkansas Baptist
college, with Joseph A. Booker. a
product of Arkansas, having gone
through the graded schools and the
Roger Williams university, Nashville,
is president of the college; and then
there is our own Shorter college, in
Argenta, with one Of our own men,
DR. Boyd, president supplying the re-
ligious training together with the
literyary work. In this work every
negro is called upon to do his duty, to
make his contribution.
Invest In Brains, Not Autos.
Money being invested in auto
mobile and other worthless luxuries
today should be invested in brains.
find some of my people, spending
thousands OF dollars today to have a
good time and allowing their chill
lren to grow Zip in ignorance. In
vestment in automobiles, land and
bank stock with an inheritage OF
ignorance and illiteracy will not go
we'll together. My people put your
money in brains. Help the Arkan-
sas Baptist college, the Shorter col
legt, for this is what the negroes are
doing for themselves. and il you will
help yourself you will find others
ready and willing to help you. You
must write books, teach our children
that politeness and courtesy will
win.
II note that here and there some
worthless negro Of the North who has
less common sense than he has brains
strikes at me. l am reminded Of a
dog we had once. who would bark at
the moon every night it would shine,
One morning we came out and found
the old dog sitting with her head
turned toward the moon dead, but the
moon continues to shine. l am going
to continue to give my people good
advice, aftes my critics will have
their heads turned up dead. I have nc
apology to make by asking my peo-
pie to remain right here in the South
Look what the fathers have wrought
and you should be an Improvement or
your fathers. If you will notice, but
few negroes have left the state of Ar.
kansas. because Arkansas has treated
us well. Stay right here and Duild
up this race of ours
Jones EulOgizes Bishop.
The people were loud in their ap
plause when Bishop Conner con
cluded his address and Rev. James