Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1918-07-05
GOOD ADVICE TO NEcRoS.

GOOD ADVICE TO NECR0S
Tssksfss' Frssidsnt Plssds Assinsf n.
Saturday Holiday.
TUsKEGEE INsTrTUTE, ALABAMA
To the Negro PopulatfOn Of the South
/ Twelve millions of us are being
weighed in the balance. Thank
God our feelings Of patriotism
are above question, but America
wnnts to know, and the world
wants to know, if we can trans
late our feeling into action. into
useful service and self-control
One hundred and thirty-seven
thousand of our sons and broth
ers are already in arms fighting
for our country. What will you
do to help your country and to
help your brothers on the battle
field? Over there their lives
may be snuffed out by cannon
shot at any minute. You are not
exposed to danger. They are liza
bic to suffer from hunger; you
have food. Would you let a sin
gle American die from hunger
when it is within your power to
share a crust with him? Yet
every time you waste food, every
time you neglect your garden and
crop you are snatching bread out
of the mouth of the American
soldier.
In our work we have strayed
far from the rulings Of the Scrip
ture: "Six days shalt theu labor
and do all thy work" five.
That is the word Of God, and
upon that word all that we are as
q people has been built. Do you
realize what you lose when you
stop on Saturday? The average
farmer plows four acres of land
every day during cultivation for
one month. If he lays off on Sat-
urday he misses 16 acres. If he
runs two plows he misses 81
acres. In Q great many cases our
crops suffer because of lack Of
cultivation. If you work all day
every SATURDAY. during crop sea-
son you can double your amount
of cultivation and increase very
materially the yield Of your corn
and cotton.
Again, throughout the south
land Saturday is a day for breed
ing crime. The records of our
police courts will show that fully
two-thirds of the crimes commit
ted by our people are committed
between Saturday and Monday.
Our young men get into gam
bling on Saturday, fights, result
ing in cutting and and sometimes
in killing. often occur at games
and picnics on Saturday. The
friction between the races and
the colored people them
selves frequently come where our
people are gathered about the
streets in town on Saturday, A
great many cases of immortality
among our young people. as well
as among our old people, have
their beginnings on Saturday.
The southern negro wastes more
Of his money, money that ought
to 90 to educating his children,
by loafing on Saturday. A great
deal of our farm stock; by hard
driving and by neglect. is killed
or indirectly on Saturday.
Let us turn Saturday from a
curse into a blessing by working
al day. by saving our money. by
keeping out of mischief and by
making more food to support our
sons in fighting the battle of
freedom. Our white friends can
greatly held US in this. A few
extra pennies will yield a hum
1red-fold right now when crops
need cultivating. They will save
many heads of cattle and stock,
which are neglected, and will
bring forth a better workman on
Monday morning. A little en-
couragement, a good days out
ing when crops are laid by, will
10 much TO make our people con-
tent to work on Saturday.
AS q last word I want to beg
The ministers and leaders in every
community in the south to dis
courage Saturday holidays, and
especially Saturday picnics. in
order that the people may save
heir money on the one hand, and
On the other work their crops and
supply food for our soldiers and
hose who are our allies. May it
never be said of any one of us
II ~ o,., v,na,, ~ kko f~cnk c,,Ho,