Iowa state bystander., 1896-02-14
"ouR NEW CITIZEN"
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Booker I. Washington, principal of the
Tuskegee Normal Institute. Tuskegee, Al
ALBANIA, was given rousing welcome when
he arose to speak to the toast, ..Our New
Citizen"-on January 81, before the Ham
ilton club in Chicago. Chairman AIlerton
introduced the disting guished visitor as "a
man well-known for his mastery elo-
quence, his devotion to his own race and
to the welfare Of alI.' Mr.. Washington
said:
Gentlemen of the Club: From whence
came our new citizen? What is he? And
what is his mission? 1t is interesting to
note that the Negro is the only citizen Of
this country who came here by special in
vitation and by reason of special provision.
The Caucasian came here against the pro-
test Of the leading citizens Of this country
in 1892 We were SO important to the
prosperity of this country that special YES
sells were sent to convey us hither. Shall
we be less important IN the future than in
the pastP The Negroes are one-eighth of
your population. Our race is larger than
the population of the Argentine Republic,
larger than Chill, larger than Peru and
Venezuela combined nearly as large as
Mexico.
Whether the call has come to clear the
forests Of your country, to make your cot
~, ,.;o, ,nd o,nor oopo bp;ld houcar rr
railroads. or to shoulder arms IN defense
of our country, have not we answered that
calI9 When the call has come to educate
our children, to teach them thrift, habits
of industry, have we not filled SverY school
that has been opened for usp When with
others there have been labor wars, strikes,
and destruction of property, have we not
set the world an example in each one
quietly attending to his own buslnessp
When even here in the North the shop, the
factory, the trades have closed against US,
have we not patiently, faithfully gone on
taking advantage Of our disadvantages,
and through it all have we not continued
to rise, to increase in numbers and pros
perity? If in the past we have thus proven
our right to your respect and confidence,
shall it be less so in the future? If in pro-
portion as we contribute, by the exercise
of the higher virtues, by the product of
brain and skilled hand, to the common
prosperity of our country, shall we not re-
ceiye all the privileges of any other citizen,
whether born out of this country or under
the stars and stripes? Cloud applause,)
THE NoRTH's DUTY TO THE SOUTH.
You of the great and prosperous North
still owe a serious and uncompleted duty
( to your less fortunate brothere of the white
/ race of the South, who suffered and are
still suffering the consequences of ofAmerican
slavery. What was the task you asked
them to perform? Returning to their des-
titute homes after years Of war, to face
blasted hopes, devastation, shattered IN
dustrial system, you asked them to add to
their burdens-that of preparing IN educa-
| ton, politics, and economics, in q few
short years, for citizenship, four or five
millions of former slaves. That the South
staggering under the burden, made bun
ders; that in some measure there has beer
disappointment. no one need be surprised
I And yet. takeit all in all, we may,
think, safely challenge history to find {