The Dallas express. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1893-1970, 1921-06-04
MICRO RURAL-LIfE PROGRAM.
Or. X. r. Motion Speaks Before Yir.
glnia Rural-Liie COnference-State
Council OF Rural Agencies Win
Help All Citizens Negro Farmers
Need PIOtectiOD-"Race Relations
Are Improving
In MN. .Anthony Aery.

!; est, Industrious black man shoul
: be just as safe with his property an
: with his life, and just as safe 1
the pursuit Of happiness, as any othe
j American citizen. He should shar
in tie privileges accorded TO iothe
: American citizens IN exact proper
: ton to the measure of his merit"
. Dr. Robert r. Notion, principal G
J Tuskegee Institute, made this state
ment at the closing session of tn
I .irginia Rural-Life Conference, Whic
/ brought together, at the call Of Coy
Westtnoreland Davis, some i've hui
bred delegates from all sections q
/ Virginia for the frank discussion c
what can and should be done to Civ
all rural citizens a safer and NOR
profitable living.
Hon. r. Walton Moore, chairman
of the general committee, who pre-
SIDED over the conference, after it
opening by DR.. Samuel G. Mitchell
of Richmond, was given authorit,
to appoint a representative COMMITTEES
OF twenty-five men and women Il
serve as a State Council of Rura
Agencies
THE question of race relations
especially in the South" said IL
Motion in his address on 1.-THE Fan
damentals of an Improved Country
Life" is very closely allied witt
country life as it affects my race
Eighty-five per cent of the Negroes
in the South live in the country
They produce about 70 per cent Of
the cotton that Is raised in America
II Is very important for the country
therefore and equally important for
The Negroes in America, for theiI
own sakes as American citizens and
as human beings, as well as for the
economic value TO the country, that
they should be made happy and con-
tented in the country. This is just
as important for the white man as
! it is for the Negro.
"rhe interests of both races in
tine South are so closely interviewer,
that what helps the progress of one
helps the progress of the other In
order to maintain and develop on
our farms a strong, robust people,
white as well as black, who will love
country life. certain things that have
been neglected in the past must be
carefully looked after in the future
by the leaders of thought and action,
as well as by Federal and State au-
thorities.
Farming Must Pay.
Tile conditions must be made pos
sible for a Negro to earn comfort
able living on the farm. We cannot
have country life satisfactorily de-
veloped in any country until people
are able to earn a decent living from
the soil Much has been done by our
agricultural schools and colleges, but
great deal more must be done to
enable the Negro farmer intelli-
gently and diligently to dig out of
the soil the things necessary for his
material happiness. This Is funda-
mental
"The Negro farmer, as well as
other farmers. must be paid a fair
price for his products. In order to
bring this about, all farmers in the
country must be encouraged in some
form of cooperative marketing.
''The social Ffe must also be i'm
proved. The possession of money ana
of the things which money can buy
is not enough to make men want to
I've their lives in the country. Men
go to the cities for the social contac;
they can have there. We must some
how provide better schools to that
country boys and girls may he able
TO obtain an education that will make
it possible for them to live their
lives completely wherever they de-
sire to cast their lot.
Power of The Church.
I've must do more to make our
churches and schools real centers
Of thought that will give much in
and inspiration as will touch
more directly the daily lives of the
people This will need an intelli-
gent, godly ministry with a knowl-
edge of, and sympathy with, country
and not one that is in
iaerely in what it can get
out of the country people to take
back to the city
MEN and women must be taught
10 play and to provide for them-
selves such forms of wholesome
void in the home life of the people
More and more we must provide our
homes with modern conveniences that
will make it possible for the mothers
Of families to get rid of much of
he drudgery OF country life.
Safety for Negro Farmers.
The Negro farmer should be pro-
Lected. There should be in no part
Of this country such thing as en-
forced labor, or peonage, and
hank God Cor the aroused sentiment
which is driving this menace out OF
Georgia and other parts of the South
IF the Negro is to remain on the
farm, buying and owning a home and
making this home part of live,
$ ide-aw;tke community. he must have
the assurance that this property will
remain his for all time to come. so
long as he desires to own H. We
cannot expect man 10 remain in
IN isolated, country place and plan
l future for himself and his child
rel, when he feels that there is
hanger, not only of losing the prop
srty, but also of losing the lives of
himself and family as we'll
Better Race Relations.
I'm spite of much we hear that is
iiscouraging, there is large and
number of Southern men
ana women, blacI. and white, who are
lsly working, in spirit of
true hristian patriotism, to bring
about such condition as will insure,
not only more kindly feeling, but
also more wholesome economic and
spiritua conditions.
"The South IS now studying itself
N the mirror of public opinion
Especially is this true in the matter
Of race relations A Just and more
settlement of this ques-
ion IL moi fes. distant ,rban x,o Of