Through the organized effort of this Association the race will, no doubt, be benefited a hundred fold. Already, the encomiums heaped upon the Association from the readers of those newspapers containing letters from its members are many. The Association seeks to come into communication with all journals; and the writer takes the liberty to say, that when all of our newspapers shall have obtained the assistance of the Association, they will add a very important feature to their journalistic pretensions.
The membership at present is forty; the papers represented, ten. The following able and influential gentlemen direct the affairs of the Association: Prof. E. L. Thornton, New York Age, president; J. E. Bruce, Cleveland Gazette, first vice-president; C. Carroll Stewart, Indianapolis World, second vice-president; C. A. Johnson, Chicago Appeal, recording secretary; B. C. Whiting, Indianapolis Freeman, corresponding secretary; R. J. Raymond, Chicago Advance, treasurer; C. E. Lane, Knoxville Negro World, manager.
Edward Loften Thornton, of The New York Age, the president of the Association, was born in Fayetteville, N. C., in 1863, his parents being A. G. and Elsie Thornton. They were well-to-do people; and it may be said that Edward came of a worthy and good parentage. He is the only boy of five children, and his life has been one of great credit to himself and people.
He began to attend school at the age of five years, and graduated from the state normal school at Fayetteville. Bishops J. W. Hood and C. P. Harris were among his first teachers. From this school he graduated as valedictorian of his class. He matriculated at Howard University in the fall of 1878, and was assigned to the junior preparatory class, and at once took the lead in his classes. He graduated from Howard as Bachelor of Arts in 1885.
Since graduation, he has been principal of Edgecombe
