The Colored Race Awakening

A conference of colored people is fimiuall} held at Tuskegee, Ala., and tlic ome recent ly closed was productive oï much tlua'fc 'was fcood, anti a synopsis oí what was said :m:l done t'here may help some ol our norbhern people in v.he way af kno-wledfje, also. Booker T. Washington', tibie most advanced oolored man living today, as chosen presklunlt of the conference, arad iui li is remarkfi fsald this amiong o'tlher thitaigs : "I wfeh 'o aafil a t fceaitiiioii to the uM-inia.; purpoee oí bheae conferences. Thiey wcre descaed fOT the vank, and fté of thie people, wiith the view of tfaïing out Buch trouKes as verc ud'üliln our own power to l'emody. We aan reniedy our iindu,strLal conditilo.n, we can lengthn our school term witih money a.nd iabor, we can have a )iiig;her order oí ríjCigioii and better .möiiaüs, amd we oan acquire property. I liope eaoh one has come to get eomiet'himg to o:wi-y 'oack with hlm. The oonference wii'J not anuuiLiit to muc.li H you simpúy consWer youiseM alaiie. You must carry Lnitio ycmr own community the hielp you get here. Lay holil of somethjflUg tiiat win help you and then use Kb to help someboidy else. We -.vaut tio 'see cTiil:lence oi tihe valwe o{ these mieetdings ïn eyery communiity. I hope you wiU ajl speak out. We want to kno.v tlue trutli, whate'Xïr l't be. Do net exagigenate. If things aire bad, say so ; if good, say so. "o one )u b.MML asked i'O prepare any speech. Spc.-il; iOmp".;,v as if at your own Hreside or in the preeence of only two or l.hree." Aftcr thdB the stream of testimony from tlhe rarmers begiaa and bb imvOd ooátiinuonly, except at the dinner rec&ss, {or nearly eight hours The ïollowHig out of many will glve some idea on' the conference : R. L. Bmith of Oakland, Texas, a öne-armed man, a practical farmer and a member oí tlie B'tate Legliaure, said : "Atout five years a,g-o I began io :ook ai tbe condil ion of my people. 1 ïoiuui Uiem mafcimg good crops, f, om ome and a-haOf to 1 wo balea of ocrivon per .■u-re, but their homee were siuadl and 'iiheiniluence bad. In L892 I stai-ied i Bociety ealled the 'Villag-e Impi -u vi-m. iü 3KX!ety.' AVe liad ídfty-six miembérs in a vlOlage oí 200 people. In fjve yeavs flfteen. families have spent $10,000 in Improvements. The surrouuddng eountry h,aa b ■■■■i -i by our work. Our snrallesl luouse now Iras four rooms tn it and some have eight rooms. Lasi year we exteaided Mie order and oailed it l': uiers' Impnoremeint Society.' with abon-1 í 00 mernbe , We have In ,'rci out of debt and keep (mi . in .-iiluni Improved methods of farming, to co-operate bn buylng .■in it selling, to gei home and Improve them." Mt. Smlth sald ome resuClt of the efSorts had been a mia-rked chance ia the tivai ui uit they liad receivcil ram Mie wMte pe:)p:ie. He feit vliat Texas was more liberal than most of 1he aoutiherii states. HJesaaldlw liad never beec io the Tuskegee conierence befo re, bil't haal been move or Bess g-uided ia hls wiork by wh,t he hud hearil aad 1-ead oí 'olie eonfereaeeft. AN ALABAMA FAIIMKU TESTIPIES. II. J. WiKiaOÜ Of Clwiciaw rnuuly, Ajaliaina, a teacher and iarmer, eai'd: 'Wiicii we licard of what was beIng dune at Tuiskogee, I saiJ tio tlie peupje, 'We oaa dö Sö 'coo.' Ho e owgainizetl a coeïereoice in oiir county. AVe affe umlef the QJ irtgage system, and -)ur labor is umskUled. Last ycai', ol tweniy-five families that iiaü nvortg-ages on their crops, onr.y trrelTe were able to pay them. Forty-four families live on rented laniLs, in one beat - si. ui these in h.ouses wtth but jne room. Borne raiteed nothlng but collón. Twcnty-four íamijies híive reoeavKy boug-lit land. Ten are building better to'uses. Nlmé faoni'lies repu: led i nat they had Ivved tor the year without a nuortgage. Theavenage leng bh o! omr schools is 1 livee miiniiis. AVe haro ao Bchoolhouses but u.so 'uhie ehnrehes, viiu-h ave no't lor service ui tilie winter. sixtysix per i-cnl. of toe teachers hoid 3d gnade certDfJceutes, ï!0 per cent. 2d grade, .-nul [ per oemt. Isc grade. Moráis aTe better Ihau tho.v nsed to bc. Woiiicu aiv H'ca I cd botter. On the whole, less whilsky i uaed : and ïi s we have no radíroad in our cxunty We are not troub'led wttii exoursions. We propoee to orgianltoe coiiierences ilirouü'liout the Whole oounty and gnafliiallly brirng tihe people up. Our people get taoiuey eniouh, but' they don't uso It right." H. T. Ta:ij", Laach'ajpoka beat, repoTted forty-two as having bouglit farms In the last f erar yoars. Théy ho:d comifei-cnces iu every part of the beat. "Ho oiw, g-oes to gn.il trom my Beat. Ae a.dd two niionitlus to our ficüool lei-m each year. .torais and rel iglo n are coltl sometimes and "warm BometdmeS)" ha saiü. Óne man, vlaea. asked about tlie moráis in hós conamunlty, scratched liis luead a;nd replied : "Weïl, dey's only sorter. We luis a lk'ap ei men, beairiloig de name. of preachere, but dey aiiu't preacherd in nuöi"als or 1'arnJïi.' Xearly all oiir _people belcmig-s to de church, but der rölagiion don't show up." One man eaild : I only gaes to scluooi onc diay in de year, and dab ie to-day. I aki't got ao Tand, 'oept six fcet, and I has gjot to dte to glit d'a't. De conference sh,owed me how t.o LLit riid oí niortgues, and liere is m'.nc - ai! puid." He held up hi-a cajnceled nio'i'tgage beiape th aiudlJce, nmH proüomged clieere nrwl excltement. WIMte l.iu ju. living near Taekegeéi sald lie liad beeai at every oonierence. He Is a s'. NskliOCder Dn batlj bhe Macón county banks, Many years ago he made his tirab erop harnessed to llie p'joav, while nía boy held the hamdjes. He Baiid : "iMamy eojored nxeni are not only tmyiflg jainl. bui are gefcti'ag cotton gtoa autl gris I and saw miMs. My settCemeát Ls gettraig so tliick that X m golng to slui-i a lifctle tcnvn ca',1 ib Xazareniei. AV'e would get aflong better if wo were not so dísoobedícni. God aald to Adam : Sometímes, íor yomr (1:.s;'imíí.')ut, yon sJia'J searcely (?et a living.' " TEIBÜTE TO TIIB INSTITUTE. One man reported. for Diade, Coflee and Genova - tbxee eounties of Alatama. He said : "Ti:i a Tuskegee graduate carne amion us, ive nerër heard of a conference. The amoujit of property yiou have makes a great differenoe ta the treatment ycvu receive." Mne. Xeilie Lyle aM : "I never liiavc been to the conference 'oef ore. The Lord seul míe t)o tliist one. I Warre -ofien. heard of them, and wttnted to oome. I am na educated woman, bul I wamt to tío batter and rajse my cfliíidrea betrter. We rniiüt no i ; al ; all t h ; 1 jm 3 but ño i om tlim I uní g-alng.t'O buy som e lanil, and I ■wüll iii.Ji iu.rtg-;iigs iny erop, evem ií I have bo Uve 011 bread and -water. 1 m 51 years oíd, and want tío imppove. I 'vi;i su;l motbes nottIng except land." One man ijaid lie ha;l lj-e:i rieltlng dhíen -il c niimuiMjtias, Bhowing the peopLe how ío eau and dry fi'uO., how to garden, and to turn potfjtry and eggs ti good accoujiüt áa buying grocert&s and eavijng ni'Ortgages. Ono aaid : "K me ianii.ijs in my l.eat mvii, togefcher, 2,000 acrOs oí iand." Anotliei1 'sad'd : "Out teaclier toíd us wliere we woulil eat Beven biscuits to save the s.iventii. 1 believö mysell we olten eat toó mucli. We are exti avagant, too. We buy expem-ive biuí.ics, scm ing m.aclikies, clocks, and fuiniiun. 0:1 the instaJlnient plan. We buy -ojo mucli whisky, 'otacco, oandy and jeweiry." Anol'lier said : "We tlu-ow too niuck away, uid ljm't woi'k enough. My happiest 'cime te waJking behind my ox and si-nging 'Amazlng Uiaoe.' " PLAIN TALK K110M 'VaTHEK" SUTCHELL. "i'aüiri" MitetoeU said : ■1 ihank 'itüd I ia liviiL' j-it. De Dilggi i eau ui'ii;,1 di; beso peopie . .1!. Jeae allow me to cali ye 'ndggers," case ye i all black. 1 : .i. . .i i :ul more i,i df.se eonferences dan I ever kno-wed beM e ia ail my slxty years. Tbere is icss miortgagimg in my commj anti ying away oí ejaock, trut dry d.iiL't j;o ou PeülgSop as mucli as dcy aagit. BeCflgtott is a migluty ndoe fchiaig if yru use i: rlghst. J.t 3 a páicras man. t-o talk religión. De IiO'Ugei tle WOTI' sland.s de witóBr it grow. Same ot oiili peopJe is get■lin' tico uTise. Muny llkes to dance too niucli. De jaJlhouse is i'nll, and we Ls nimolng excuTBlons. Ii you sees a man oro ., I. Eítraíghtein him, iy (Je gnaoe oí God. W hoílers and li' illors too nnu-'.i, aiid Jumps up like we wa crazy. It. ás a sad tWóg to preaoü 4 i.'iKpel ; de saddest tihing is sidr ob de grave. Onr oaurches 's ii-lum (uil o! e. If a mal) [ü-eaclies de pare Ooapel, dey dom't -wani bo hear luim. We w;t:iu de tiruth. Dis buödltog d m3 oomua up by . If we 3ia:i dia 1 iith white - oonld live and nággeTS could live. Dey 'thinks more n' a bid pevson thau dcy does oi a good one. You Iet : ; d ' i rue ;.',' hspel tund he wiin'fc li'it many nlckels in hls pocket; Dut if he hollere amd jumps he gits all de nickelB he can h iM, and chiokens a-s. I lias been im de eausé 45 years, and I kaowS wimt preae i-;, and I toll yon i f out youüg race ilou'b do better ia ten years, -we're gioae. Xcnv, Mr. PTeai'din.t, I fotched yon a Iwi's1 yestörday to heíp feea dl6 tMiiHVi'ouri'. I licqied to see eight or nine üi dis pen, bnt mine is d on'.y ome. ril bKltag yon a liog or cow ncxt year. Failn-r Washington, I"ee ,-i gwtoe to stick to you as long as 1 llvie." ( VÍEW8 OP A WHITE PLANTES. K. O. Bdnnpson oí Forman, Ala., a prominent sont.bern whiite p5antr, saSa : "Iri mj t-ounty there are 24,000 co'joarcd people, and 6,000 whirtes. 1 ;ike tile colored people a ni ;un at lunue wtíh them. They have made ailvanccmcnt along all the llne.s, about as mucli as yon cou'Jd oxpect oí íiiiy people, the circumstuces. I huve done business with Ilu'iu ia my Unes, and tliey are in a botter condlltiion sío S'ar as property and moráis are oanoerned tlian they ever were, Bh ';',u:i iwt wlxat they ought to be. I knuw tliey hiavo advanced. lend ■;r,:nrauiGii which saya tluru is a mutual depeudence befweeu the races. I aan beneíited ín aomtng here. I learn more of you, and get better .deas oí what I ought to do. The conferences are good bhings. The best; eüements of the ïuioe oome bere. They get eucouraged, and go home and do somethlng, and have a good inftaence upon the otlbere. We have conferences In my llocialiity. They are the solutioa oL tlie pnotwjera. They make the peaple feel tliat thej can le elevated. I feel it my duty to be trae to all ïneoi, irrespective of colar. Tire true man is tru-e to afll men. Tlie cause of man is greater tban any problem." DECtARATION OF THE CONFEKENCE. At t:h tóü'shig of the conference the i'oUowiQfj declaratloma were unaniuioixsly adopted : 1. "VVo iKilieve there must be owneiKliip oí the so; as the foaiidation oí all progrese, and, sdnce ïully lühreeiouitais oi the negro race ïiv3 by aglic-ultnre. we urg-e th,at uure b , Ivem 10 improved 'uethods of ■i - tin: rai-sioïg ol stock, jxwrltry, and frak. -. "We discourage extra vagance, and advise all to live 011 less than they eara, that they may have homes umi money in the bank, which are aruanig the best evidences o-t' our vortJi aimd progress. 3. We advise preparatioin to withslanil compctilion that we may conttaue to stuare, in an increasing degree, the oominan and skllled labor ■of the sonith, inasmuoh as la the business wxwHÖ fitness, no't oolor, will be ('he test. 4. We urge tbat each conimunity Keep ifs eohiools open six months or more in the year, and that our young pewple toe kept busy, in Bcluool or at ■viork, tlmt they nuay not become laafers and crimináis. 5. Wc; should ma.ke the immoral, amon? the Isaderg or in the ranks, fee; t.he iorcL' of our condenuiat ion. MiniÈfbers sluouM teaoh the poople that religión should enter into the Bmallest tletai'js of daily lifo. G. We reoojfnize the mutual depenilenee oï tlie white and black races in the sniitli, and pOedge oufselves to üo all in our power to remore ol siaeJes to our mutual progrese. 7. In morate, educa tion, and property we note, eaoii year, a steady g,ain. We advHe the organdzing of "f.ïi crnierences 'tJhroughout the sonth. SOME GRATIFYING RESULTS. Abioiit 2C0 teacliiCTS met in the cooíeremce oí wockere to tailk over iixat6er.. lieai' rep rtB froan the various forras of woTk goisug on, and to imprrese upon. all tlie lesso'na of the conference oi the pre'.tous day. Many of the Country school teachers naiil tlney often feüt tliey were "taught out'' and oould not go any further. Tbey longed for the conference to oome, as Bfc gave them Uew plaiffi and slaitcd them out afresli and they were ablc tio go cm. for aaother year. A venerable college presiden carne a Long; way to nioet tbe conference, lio suid lie was oomscious that the aameness oí lis work was Iieading him íinto ruts. He aatd he uliould go hom-e wílU mauy aow plans for lielpImg the popje and oí biinging liis Iiege IntO closer sympathy with thom. I: Fi-iiseU BaM : "We need to kiiow the material we have vj dea; -wiith. We don't tiww enouirh oí the probCean before as. The conference brjngs aa Into contact w4th the people, and their - are broiight right home fco ns. ÍVi' co-operate with caoli otber and the different institutioiis. ami reaiize thiari there ia work for them all." Presiident Bumstead eaid : "By the oonfereïice method tlie pnotjüwn is laid afc ouar feet and we are attje to see tlie fiiots ia a talm, Mi.ic way. The crownkig glory ol tlie Tmskegee conference is that it ■- ü;h ttoe tru til at fw-st hand, wlitther W iá agrieeablie ar disagreeabie." Presddeiit Cravath Kaid : '■The report of the iirgt ccmierpiit-e made a prol'oiind Impreseion on ui' . The conferences reveajl to ns the af our work on 'Jie masses." Mde Chai-XKK; Thorae of GalhouB, Aia.. t'Old of the effect of the conferencies about her school. She naid : ''As a. direct resuüt last fall we lïe'Jd a couaty fair, Avitli aüO exhlbits nul. Jan. 1 Bast, twentyoae men made tlie first payment oa iarms." Dr. Iiankin sald : ' 'Jiy reason of tlie conference Mr. W'asliiac-tion reaches out a hand into every íami::y and tney i-emember hiru aül the year." One oí tii.e p-leasaii't features of the conference was vhe presence ot' the ■u-iilnw aml of General B. C. Alias trong, the foumler of Hampt'on Iastitute.