or itself and also for the race in their wide influence
upon the same. There is a constant and ever-increasing demand coming
from the people for a higher and nobler service in the pulpit, and the
demand is being met in a comparative measure. Moreover there are
professional men whose lives prove the possessors' estimate of virtue
and are being spent in bringing others up to these lofty ideals.

The noble army of teachers, most of whom are women, are not to be
overlooked or underestimated. Next to the faithful mother, these noble
women have lived and worked for the race. They have proved themselves
ever against untoward conditions. Their work and worth should not be
reflected against because of the few whose lives are not up to the
standards of true womanhood. It is undeniably true that the virtues of
Solomon's virtuous women may be duplicated in multitudes of our women
teachers.

A word concerning the criminal record of the Negro might be worth
considering. It is here that the moral weakness of the race is said to
be most manifest. We are told that figures do not lie, and an appeal
from the records is not to be considered for a moment. Yet, he who
wants facts and is in search of the truth must appeal and must make
personal investigation.

As yet statistics, the press and history, have not given a truthful,
unbiased record of the Negro of to-day as he really is. One side has
been faithfully followed, and elaborately and painfully portrayed, but
of the other side only here and there an item, a reference and a
charitable surmise rewards the seeker after knowledge. A careful study
of the environments of the so-called criminal class, also the courts
of justice before which the criminals are arraigned, would develop
some interesting, not to say startling, facts; for example, "it has
been shown by Prof. Branson, of the Georgia State Normal School, that
while the illiterate Negro population of the state furnish three
convicts per thousand, the Negroes who have profited by the public
schools furnish only one convict per thousand." Many of the criminals
start from the court-room and are the victims of injustice.

Such untoward conditions serve rather to stamp out every vestige of
nobility rather than inspire to a reaching out after higher ideals.

The young or post-bellum Negro is steadily improving morally. In the
face of strong opposition, in his moral development, just as he does
in mental, financial and civil growth, agai