The Kansas City sun. (Kansas City, Mo.) 1908-1924, 1917-01-13

you are going to amount to anything.
If had the means to endow each Of
you with $1,00000, some Of you to-
morrow night would have considerably
less than $1,0000.00 You don't know
how to keep it. You never think as
much of the thousand that is given
you as you do of the thousand that
problem in my own way didn't want
to feel that after. had amounted to
something that somebody could cone
up to me and say, you had boost by
some of your relatives" l never had
any relatives that were worth quar-
ter. If you are starting out with the
idea that because you don't get much
you can't save anything, you are
wrong. During these particular times,
l very much doubt if you could save
a good deal out of your salary. But
when times are little better, when
things are a little cheaper, then /
think you ought to try to lay by some
thing. And there isn't anything you
can lay by which will do yo uas much
good as home of your own. A man
never feels like he is citizen un-
til he has got home. That is the
first thing.
l understand you have a savings
bank here in the high SCI, Nol. That is
a good thing to teach these children
to save. You and l did not have such
n fu 1r-hnn
We thought that fifty cents was too
small to save, and went and spent it.
Now, let me tell you that the s50,0O0,-
900 in the Southwest National Bank of
Commerce are all made up of pennies,
one hundred of them to the dollar.
The penny is the foundation of it. And
if you will save the pennies and let
them stay there, not taking them out
every time you want something, they
will amount soon to a great deal.
And now 1 want you to know this,
that in your trials and tribulations, in
your efforts, in the things that you
are trying to do, that there are lot of
good men and women in Kansas City
that are with you, and want to say
there are a. good many white people
who want to see you succeed. Your
social problems you must work out
for yourselves. We cannot help you
to do that You are being educated in
the same sort of schools that the white
children are attending. Your profes-
sors have the same training that ours
Vnttr. naahnrc haUn tho
education and they are just as loyal.
Now, want to say that you have fair
chance, and if you do not make good
it is your own fault Your chance is
not as good as the white mans.
Your vision is not quite as large, your
opportunity is not so great. You
haven't the education, you haven't the
money, but you are going to get these
things, and l am of the opinion that
when you start to do these things
that you will have as great a salts
faction out of them as you have had
out of anything in your lives. You
are going to feel that you have right
in the community, and get your rights,
not by demanding them, but by show
ing that you are prepared for them.
/ am inclined to tell you about how
to save, but don't know your prob
lens. Just this warning want to
give you, keep out of debt! The first
$500 l borrowed, it took me long
time to pay it. But the fact that
paid it Showed me that l could, and
the next time tackled $17500. If you
are going in for home, for grocer's
outfit, for a huckster's outfit, it is all
right to get in debt. But what l mean,
don't live beyond your means. If you
are buying a porterhouse steak when
you ought to have pork chops or a soup
bone, you are living beyond your
means. When was married, mar
ried very frugal little girl, a Penn
sylvania Dutchman, and she would
rather go hungry than go in debt. And
if you folks will start out with that
idea you will begin getting little
money into savings bank.
A good salaried position is about
the best position that you will ever
have, and let me leave this one idea
with you, hold that position! Don't
take advantages! If man employs
you, give him days service, a good
days service. The first job that was
ever given in a bank, pretty near
ran those men crazy, l got in the way
so much. But pretty soon they were
putting work on me, and letting me
help in everything, and prettysoon
was running the business. l was an
Indispensable article around there.
You know how that comes about. And
If you will do that, you are going to
make yourselves indispensable.
Another thing ] want to say to the
colored people of Kansas City is that
there is not anything in the world
that will get you along faster than
courtesy. Sometimes you think the
white man is not as courteous to you
as he should be. He's just a fool.
Don't you make that mistake. Just
be courteous, kind and faithful, and
don't you ever overlook the fact that
some felloy. viii fnd tat out and
when he does ind that out he is GO
ing TO employ you and pay you a
fair salary, If he is fair-minded man.
And If he is not fair-minded man,
there are hundreds of other men look
ing for a good man. Some of you think
you are worth more money than you
are paid. You ought to be worth more
money than your employer is paying