Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1892-05-21
THE NEGRO PROBLEM.
What Wealth and Education May Do To
ward Solving 1t.

PROF COOKS TALK TO THE HOWARD ALUMNI
HE URGES THE NEGRO To PROVE HIS WORTH
AS cITIzES-wHITE MEN MAY THEoRIzE, But
THE NEGRO MUST DO THE WORK HIMSELF.
At the triennial meeting of the Alumni Asso-
citation at Howard University. Wednesday even
ing, Prof. George ". Cook. principal of the
normal department. delivered an address ON
sour Relation and Duty TO the Problem which
attracted considerable attention
The problem referred to. it may may be I'M
necessary TO saw, the negro problem.
MEN NAV befog the ISSUE" said Prof. Cook.
''dust may be thrown into the eyes Of the care
less and unconeerned. but to the thinking man
there Is nothing more than case of gigantic
injustice. Treat the negro with political and
civil consideration. characterized by justice.
and the whole case is settled. Try that remedy
and pens now dipped in ink will never reach
the paper The national course of life will
when compared with what it will be otherwise
become monotonously quiet. Continue the
present course and-well. history teaches the
result. Who ia the man of such mighty con-
Germ? Does he come forth with armOr to
alright the nations of the earth? IL he a wild
man! l. his hand inst every man And every
mans hand against him? Every mans hand
seems to be against him. He Is "a man of sor-
rows. acquainted with grief. torn naked from
his home. forced against his will to foreign
CLINE. enslaved. subjugsted, sC5dued. re-
pressed. oppressed. robbed. OF a gentle and
forgiving disposition and harmless. deserving a
better tate, but forever treated WIZ injustice.
This il the man who prOvOkes a question which
interrogates the ration and the individual
alike.
Prof Cook said the three relations held by
the negro since this nation was born are slave,
soldier and citizen. and 20 estimate his WORTH
he said. one must analyZe the negro from these
three standpOints. He then spoke of the char
acter the negro had shown in these three re-
latiOns-his fidelity a slave and lis achieve
ments : a soldier and a. a citizen After refer
ring 10 the condition of affairs IN the south ard
the relations of the negroes and whites he re-
marked:
This trifing with the forces of nature il
dangerous: this defying superhuman DEGREES.
both of nature and the divine. is lighting 4
match in FIRE damp. There will be all eX-
plosion. Who can measure the damage TO be
done. the changes wrought and the evils
checked. What will IL cOst? No serious patriot
can with compO-ure view the present state of
affairs and rock himself TO sleep with political
lullaby. W. say with equal force with
Jefferson We indeed tremble for our country
when We reflect that God Is just. When he
uttered these sentiments the form Of evil was
avOwed ownership III man; TODAY II l. boosted
superiority. denying political and civil rights;
an evil Us sure and as strong, though IL another
dress
BY DEEDS AND NOT By TALK.
The charges made against the Afro-American
as a citizen" continued the speaker. imply in
his nature lack Of those essential qualities which
make men strong and respected by other men.
They nseessarl imply natural irferiority,
and. if not refI,ed apparently prove it. Now.
what is to be done! Prove them to be wrong.
not by everlasting talk from theoretical point
OF view alone. Ii may be unscientlrc TO con-
clude that the negro l. inferior. or II may be
illogical TO change when opportunity has not
been given for a test of power; but successful
verbal answe- cannot avail much. Time has
not Vet reach al erd- IL will avail but little
to talk thus. slcce the burden of proof IL with
us. The man Who II prone must get up. If he
would prove -. he can DO 50. The eonqueror
b approved. i. l. The vancuished who need
justifying- How. then. shall we do that! By a
strict training and DEVELOPMENT. Let us hold
one thought ever IL mind. 10 wit: lime II a
very essential element in the case. and that no
matter what the conditions the time will be
proportional to the real work of excellence done
a doty by ourselves. No amount of interest
from without can solve the problem White
men NAV theOrize ana sermonize, but the negro
must do the work himself.
ANY genuine aid can be thankfully received.
but no amount of earping can do tine work
alone. When We go to school II must be for
systematic study and mental development. with
sufficient time allowed for natural and acquired
maturity. Time must be given for both prepa-
ration and finishing The notion that the col
ored boy should be hurried through. that he
may go into the world and that other ruin
Gus practice of sending him into active life Mt
only to teach negroes. are damaging III fact.
pernicious in tendency and contradictory in
character. When we attempt to build house
Ii must be by plan and specification carefully
carried out When We enter business il must
be upon those principles that make business
success, with energy and practical application
Of right theories.
I'VE cannot rest vet upon any victory won.
We have not vet demonstrated our full worth.
We have no standing in the literary world.
Financially We small, though creditable
Morally worse than the whites. and
with regret / say no better. There is no crime
or misdemeanOr IN the category, either in fac,
or degree not practiced BY white men and black
men alike. The difference IL that the white, by
higher culture. has eliminated. to some ex.
tent grossness Of manner from his vices anG
does his SHINING with the elegance of the
modern Parisians after the manner of the
Dsthetic Athenians.
Money does sometimes hide the enormity o.
his crime. but il does not lessen it. In th'
worlds history We often md brilliant cultur,
I'm close consort with deep moral degradation
Athens sank beneath such union and Roma
fell when the same eneryating influences ver,
transferred from Attica TO the banks Of III,
Tiber. How, then, can America hope to prom
byit7
within. The patient is better cured whose con
stitution Gun throw OF the disease rather thai
trust to the reinforcing influence Of foreigi