The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1896-03-11
4 Negro Plcn for The Poor Mhiies

boohtf W dShlnSton. the greatest OF Nv
| ing American negroes. was one OF the
speakers at the Presbyterian rally for
home missions in New York on Tuesday
night and he made a notable speech.
There was a great deal of what some peo-
pie call rhetoric in DIR. Talmages speech,
and Or. Charles J.. Thompson tried 10 be
picturesque in his remarks. but Mr.. Wash
ington. though the last OF the speakers.
was the most original and practical I'm his
treatment Of the condition which COM
fronts the Board of Home Missions i'm its
Southern work. There is undoubtedly a
great field for missionary effort IN The
South. one would have thought that Mr.
Washington would have made an appeal
directly in the interest Of bis people. but,
strange 10 say his plea was made i'm be-
half Of larger missionary effort among
the ignorant and unlettered white people
He said IN part:
THE American church has never yet
comprehended its duty 10 tho millions of
poor whites I'm the South. who We're buzz
fcted for two hundred years between slaN-
cry and freedom. between civilization and
degradation, who were disregarded by
both the master and the slave. 10 needs
no prophet 10 tell the character of our fu-
turc civilization, when the poor white boy
I'm the country districts of the South is in
school three months. and your boy in
school ten months when the poor white
boy receives 81 worth Of education ani
your boy $50 worth when one never en-
ters a library or reading-room and the
other has libraries and readiug-r00ms I'm
every ward and town. when one hears
lectures or sermons once i'm two months
and the other can hear q lecture on ser-
mon every day. Ny friends. there is no
escape Nou must help us raise our civil
izaton. or yours viii Doe lowered. When
the Sou IA is poor, you are poor; when
the South lis ignorant. you are ignorant
when the South commits crime. you COM
nit crime. when you help the South,
YOU help yourselves Mere abuse will not
bring the remedy The time has come. it
seems TO M. when i'm this matter we
should rise above party, or race. or color
or sectionalism into the region of duty of
man 10 man, citizen 20 citizen. Christian
70 Christian. and IL the negro who has
been oppressed and denied rights In
Christian land can help you, North and
South, to rise. can be the medium OF your
rising into the atmosphere of generous
Christian brotherhood and self-forgetfui-
ness, he viii see I'm it a recompense for all
that he has suffered in che past When
YOU help the poor whites. YOU help the
negro. So long as the poor whites are
ignorant SO long there VIII Doe cilme
against the negro and civilization
Booker Washington. the negro. pleading
with great Christian audience in tine
chief city of the North for thc higher ami
better Christian education of the poor
white people of the South, presented
most novel and effective spectacle. his
speech was entirely sincere, and there is
no escaping the logic of his position.
trHr fr.. fIH q |IH I.|
the whites. it was. at the same time. the
most powerful argument that be could
have made for his own people. situated
as they are. When you help the poor
WHITES. you help the negro. so long as
the poor whites are ignorant so long
there will be crime against the negro and
civilization" What he meant 10y this
doubtless. was not that teaching the poor
whites how 10 read and write alone would
make them careful of tho rights and lio-
critics OF the c0lOred people, but that they
should also be trained I'm the principles ol
the Christian religion. in the truth which
will incline them not 10 Cypress or 90 lie
Jury 10 any OF Gods creatures.
Something more than the mere knoWi-
edge of how TO read and write is neces-
sary to the best citizenship. There was
not one of the men engaged in the recent
nOffluic lyncHihs at hlvAt'' A'-''-7' "''
could not read and write-at least one or
them has "A professional education, but
none OF them il is safe 10 say, had been
thoroughly grounded i'm the principles of
the Christian religion. II is not one of
the precepts of this religion that it is
lawful and right to take human life. to
engage i'm deeds of violence. 20 shed
blood. The Christian education of the
poor whites is necessary. not only 90
their own good citizenship, but TO the
safety and protection Of the colored peo-
Die. Make real Christians out OF The poor
whites of the South. and there viii Doe am
End of violence on the color line. While /
therefore. Mr. Washington's plea was on
It's face n plea for the poor whites. u
was indeed the most effective plea th-t |
could have been made for his own peo-
)le-Charleston IS. c. News and Courier |