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The Athens Republique
Devoted to the Religious, the Economic, and the Industrial Development of the Colored Race
Vol. 111.
ATHENS POPULACE
CELEBRATES EMAN-
CIPATION
Athens, Georgia, January 5,1922
Pursuant tv» the proclamation
of the Athens Hostorical Society
the people of Athens joyously and
enthusiastically celebrated the
fifty ninth anniversary of their
freedom January 2, 1922. The
day was ideal for the occasion,
with a blue “Mexican Sky’’ above
us and a temperature of a l >ove 60
Fahreinheigbt at noon when the
parade began. Mr. Charles
Shepherd, marshal of the day,
headed the procession at Morton
Theatre, the s arting point. The
E. H. Harris Concert Band came
next m Older, and their conduct
and efficiency were par-excellent.
Tne U. R., K. of P. followed them;
and with German precision, these
organizations, under Captains
Middlebrooks and Hunt, marched
off down Hull street to Broad
street, thence along Broad street
to Rock Spring street; northward
along Rock Spring street to Han
cock avenue. Thence along Han
cock avenue aid Hull street to
the starting point. Halting in
front of the Harris’ Drug Store,
the band and battalion pulled off
their very best and held the great
crowd spell-bound for nearly an
hour.
Decorations
Entering the theatre spectators
beheld a beautifully decorated
auditorium, the artistic designs of
Mrs. Lizzie Smith, Mrs. A. B.
ATHENS, GEORGIA, SATURDAY, JANUARY 7, 1922
Derricotte, Mrs. Nora M. Powell,
Mrs. Hattie Grimes, Miss Katie
Lee and Miss Anna Belle Allen,
all of these representing the Social
Artistique Club. These ladies
showed the ability of French art
ists.
Program
The following program wa s
rendered: Rev. W. C. Livingston,
master of ceremonies. America,
Audience. Invocation, Rev. G.
B. Wilson. Reading, Miss L. J.
Falls. Mdody, Miss Ruth
Murden. Reading of Emancipa
tion Proclamation, Miss Agnes
Heard. Reading, Mrs. Dorothy
O. J -lies. Presentation of Speak
er, Rev. N. H. Gamble. The
Orator of the Day was Dr. Ernest
Hall, of Atlanta, Georgia. In
the course of his speech Dr. Hall
said that Lincoln’s Emancipation
Proclamation wus the greatest
document that had been heard
since Moses enunciated the ten
commandments on Sinai’s
Heights. Likewise was his ad
dress the greatest and most cele
brated exegesis of Negro emanci
pation and its attributes that had
been heard in Athens since the
promulgation of the great emanci
pate r’s proclamation fifty-nine
years ago. There is no phase in
the comp fcated lives of the
American Negroes that Dr. Hall
did not touch in a practical and
constructive way, and in spite of
the somewhat unpleasant room,
the large audience sat patiently
to the end. The statement that
he could have been listened to an
hour longer was heard by many
as they came down the stairs.
Finance
The finance committee was
headed by Capt. Thomas Garfield
assisted by Deacon Joe Telfair,
Prof. S. F. Harris, Dr. C. S. Hay
nes, W. P. Hopson, Treas., and
Lieut. Brown; and a great success
was experienced. The most of the
general committe members,
chiefly the pastors, principals of
the schools and teachers paid
their annual assesment of a dollar.
In bvhalf of all the people we
wish to thank all who contributed
in any way toward the success of
this celebration.
“BOOKER T. WASHINGTON
FIVE YEARS AFTER"
Booker T. Washingtsn has been
dead five years. Even now too
short an interval has elapsed to
disentangle his real work and
worth from partism zeal and ani
mosities, and to weigh calmly his
genuine contribution to the wel
fare of his race and nation.
For almost a generation the
name of Booker T. Washington
occupied a large share of the at
tention of his fellow-man. The
nation delighted to mark the wis
dom of his sayings and to write
ks speeches in their books. He
occupied as large a place for as
long a time in public esteem and
favor as any man of his genera
tion. He bore the stamp of na
tural greatness. His wisdom was
intuitive. He possessed the genius
of common sense and the philoso
phy of simple things. His was
a universal mind. While he dealt
with the most complex and dis
tressing social particulars, his
spirit always rose above the tem
porary intricacies of besetting
conditions and lived in an atmos
phere that was calm and serene
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