The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1896-11-18
4 SENSIBLE NnGRo 10 NEGRons.
They " Spe Il More Time Trying TO Live IN
Heaven Than ON Earth He says

Professor Booker T. Washington, Of
Tuskegeo, Ala. tho foremost negro oil
the south. lectured last night at the
First BAPTIST church (colorcd) Tor inc
1enedt oil the Colorod Y. NJ. c. A., 10
a large audience. Professor WASHINGTON
il president of the Tuskcgcc Institute
ana his remarkable address In Atlanta
during the Exposition, gave him ma
tional reputation, and made him the iead-
or OF his race I'm the South.
In the course Of his lecture last night
he said:
"The negro race is divided to-day, per-
hans. into two Classos-thc one Is OF the
opinion that we cannot redeem ourselves
in this country, ANA especially III 'he
south. and had just MS we'll give up all
hone or leave this country; the other
class believes that effort and struggle
will enable US to overcome every SEEM
ne obstacle.
I've have made mistakes, ] fear, In
not constantly keeping IN MIND our al
vantaeos. We have had any number OF
conventions. whose object has been 10
seek redress for some grievance. MS
is right and proper but IL IS win a
race as with an individual; u VIII begin
10 make progress backward II IL Is con-
sfantlv dwelling on the dark side, Is
Is continually finding way not to sue
coed. IL requires man with no special
Gift Of brain power TO find fault with
au individual organization. or state OF
THINGS. After an. what we want iand
IL IS what America honorD. IS the man
who can teach mis- follow how 10 over
come Obstacles how to find way or
make one.
In much that we have attempted,
to
first principles. 10 reach bedrock on
which TO lay foundation. We have spent
much time 100 discussing the national
debt that micht have better been spent
I'm finding % way 10 pay the debt due
the man lust across the street We have
spcnt time in discussing the value or
tho nations keeping on friendly terms
with France and the Sandwich Islands
and have failed too often TO cultivate IN
every manly way friendly relations with
our noxt-d1or neiphhOr. We have spent
time and energy In trying to so TO Con-
gross and the legislature that would
bovo better been spent in becoming the
LEADING. truck gardener or merchant or
B., etortir- Il steam laundry or dairy
farm. -- ..,o-.,
man Is crampcd. and that after ne gets
his education there are few chances for
him 10 uee IL. ] have little patience
with such argument. Heretofore we
bq,e had TOO much of the idea that an
educated colored man must either teach'
preach. be q clerk. or follow a proies-
sion. our educated men. more ana more,
must 20 TO the farms, into the trades,
start brick-vards saw-mills, factories
opon coal-mincs. They must apply their
education TO conquer the forces OF ma
turc. Education within Itself IS MOTH
ing except as 10 Is used In way 10
produce sometime. An educated man
standing ON the streets with his hands
i'm his pockets is OF no more value 10
the world than an ignorant man doins
the same thing.
I'm the present condition Of our race.
our education for the next fifty or a
hundred years should be especially di-
rectcd along Industrial and scientific
lines. The trouble with n large pro-
norton of The negro race Is that II is
hungry. an, II Is impossible for any race
10 make satisfactory progress along edu-
cational. moral. and religious lines when
In this condition. in other words. II IS
n hard matter 10 make q good Chris
tian out Of a hungry man.
what I mean by Industrial education
is 10 get the masses Of our young men
to the point whore they can apply their
education 10 conqucrng the forces OF
nature. And who can say that this is
not specially needed here in the South?
. The plain hard fact OF the matter is. the
South IS called upon TO compete with the
world: and when II comes down TO the
plain. hard business proposition
the business man is going to
buy his corn from the man
who sells Il cheapest. whether the corn
be produced in Indiana. or Alabama.
and just so long as the man In Indiana
is able TO do as much work with his
cutivator and one workman In one day
as four mon and a mule can do I'm three
or four days. Just so long will he con-
tinue TO buy corn of the Indiana pro-
Queer.
I'VE must bring our education down to
the plain practical hard. everyday
facts. As "A race. we are very emotion
al. We are inclined TO spend more OF
our time preparing to live in heaven than
on earth. We like TO talk about living
in the white mansions in the upper world.
and at the same time live in one-room
log cabins here We like to preach about
wearing golden slippers and long white
robes I'm the other world and go
barefooted and nearly naked In this
world. We like 10 sing about living on
milk and honey in the next world. and
eat conbread and peas here. I believe
that living right In this world Is the