The commonwealth. (Scotland Neck, N.C.) 1896-1929, 1896-11-05
COLORED MANS WISDOM
MISTAKES OF THE NEGROES.
Study Politics too Much.

The Daily Pilot of Norfolk recent,
, reported speech of Booker L. Wash
Ing to the colored people of that city
Prof. Washington is president of TuS
kegee Industrial Institute of Alabama
and Is perhaps the most advanced think
er of his race In the country. He spok
in part as follows:
"We haye made mistakes, I fear, il
constantly keeping in mind our advan
ages. We have had any number o
conventions whose object has been tt
seek redress for some grievance. Thi
is right and proper, but it is with {
race as with an individual, it will begir
to make progress backward, if it Is con
stantly dwelling on the dark side, *
constantly grumbling and finding fault
is constantly finding way not to sue
ceed. It requires man with no spe.
cial gift of brain power to find fault
with an individual, organization, OF
state of things. After all what we want
(and it is what America honors) is a
man who can teach his fellows how to
find way or make one.'
ain much that we have attempted, l
fear that we have failed to get down to
first principles, to reach bed rock on
which to lay foundation. We have
spent time in discussing the value of
the nations keeping of friendly terms
with France ard the Sandwich islands,
and have failed too often to cultivate
In every manly way friendly relations
with our next-door neighbor, even
though he is a southern white man.
We have spent time and energy in try
ing to go to Congress and to the Legis-
lat1lre that would have been better
spent In trying to become the leading
builder or contractor, or real estate
dealer in our town or city. We have
spent time and money in making stump
speeches and attending political conven-
tions that could have been better spent
in becoming the leading truck garden
er or merchant, or In starting steam
lndry or dairy farm.
People tell me that the young col
ored man is cramped, and after he gets
his education there are few chances for
him to use it. / have little patience
with such argument. Heretofore we
have had too much of the idea that
an educated colored man must either
teach, preach, be a clerk, or follow a
profession. Our educated men, more
and more, must go to the farms, into
the trades, start, brlckyrds, sawm1lls, |
open coal mines. They must |
apply their education to conquer the
forces of nature. Education within it. |
self is nothing except as it is used in |
a way to produce something. An ed
ucated man standing on the street with |
hands in his pockets is of no more val |
ue to the world than an ignorant man |
doing the same thing.
''In the present condition of our race,
our education for the next fifty or |
hundred years, should be especially di-
rected along industrial and scientific |
lines. The trouble with a large pro-
portion of the negro race is that it is
hungry, and it is impossible for any
race to make satisfactory progress along
moral, and religious lines
when in this condition. In other words
It is hard matter to make a good
Christian out of a hungry man.
II have heard it remarked over and
over that the negro knows how to work,
md does not need training in industrial
education. There was never a greater
mistake. Let me illustrate. Some
lime ago, while travelling through the
State of Indiana, saw man engaged
N planting corn. Instead of walking,
ne was seated upon a large machine,
which he termed a crlltlvator. Hitch
ID to this were two fine horses. The
nan was not only sitting down, but
vas holding large umbrella over him
md all the strength he had to expend
vas in holding the horses back to pre-
7ent their working themselves to death.
This machine plowed up the ground,
aid off the burrows, dropped the corn,
md covered the corn. Besides, instead
If planting one row at a time, two
'ows OF corn were planted. Another
line, while travelling through Alabama,
saw an old plow that was loosely
patched together, and about four inches
vide. Hitched to this plow was an old
mule that was going at the rate OF
,bout two miles an hour. Instead of
he man riding along on cultivator,
his fellow was following the plow, bare
ooted, carrying with him long pole,
which he occasionally laid on the back
If the weary looking mule. Nearly ev-
,ry time he reached the end OF fur
.ow, he would have to stop and repair