Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1896-12-05
DEMOCRACY AND EDUCATION

PRoF. BOOKER Il WASHINGTON lee
tured before. the Twentieth Century
Club. of Boston, Nov. 25th and during
his remarkable address on "Democra-
cy and Education" gave voice't to ex-
pressions, which will give him rank
among the foremc st economic thinkers
of his daY.
Among other things, he said:
The central idea which wish you
to help me consider this evening is
the reaching and lifting up of the low
est, most unfortunate, negative ele-
ment that occupies SO large a proper
lion of our territory and composes so
large a percentage of our population
1t seems TO me that there never was a
time in the history of our country
when those interested in education
should more earnestly consider TO
what extent the mere acquiring of the
ability TO read and write, OF know
ledge of literature and science, makes
men producers, lovers of labor, indie
pendent, honest, unselfish and, above
all, supreme good. Call education by
what name you please, and if it fails 10
bring about these results among the
masses, it falls short Gifts highest end.
The science, the art, the literature,
that fails to reach down and bring the
humbiest up TO the enjoyment OF the
fullest blessings of our government is
weak, no matter how costly the build
ings or apparatus used, or how modern
the methods of instruction employed
Who can truthfully gain-say or deny
those assertions7 And again:
Il know that wherever our life
touches yours, we help or we hinder:
that wherever your life touches ours,
you make US stronger or weaker |
know that with all the conflicting opin-
ions and with full knowledge oil all
our weaknesses, only few centuries
ago We went into slavery in this coun-
try pagans, we came out Christians.
we vent into slavery piece of proper
tY, we came out American citizens we
went into slavery with chains clanking
about our wrists, we came out with the
American ballot in our hands. NV
friends, submit it to your candid and
sober judgment If race that is capa-
BILE OF such a st, such a trausfOrma-
tiOu, IL not worth saving and making a
part in reality, as we'll as in name, of
our democratic government.
The above are truisms. He said:
Few, fear, realize what is to be
done before the Z 600, 900 ef my people
in the South can be made IA safe. help
full progressive part of our institutions.
The South, in proportion to its ability.
has done we'll, but this does not change
facts. In spite of all that has been
done, in one county in Alabama, that
| Oh ono nAID-oI
about 1000 whites, not a single public
school for Negroes has be- n opened thi,
year longer than three months. not :
single colored teacher has been paid
more than $l5 a month for teaching
In this county, the state or public su
thorities do not own a single dollar
worth of school property. Each color
ed child has had spent on him thi
year for his education about so cents
while each one or your children ha
had spent on him about 500 And vet
), each citizen of that county is expeete,
to share the burdens and privileges O
our democratic form of government
equally with the people of Boston. ID
you know that single schOolhous
built this year in a town near Bosto
to shelter 300 students has cost NOR
for building alone than will be spen
/ lllc YChI AOl Vic OF e " nOI
colored school population of Alabama
No stronger comparison could hav
been maze no greater contrast pre
, sented. But he makes a powerfu
plea for the poor whites OF the South
The following was bound to have
telling effect upon those who listene,
to his argument:
"The educators, the statesmen. tn
phiIanthropists, have never compre
hended their duty towards the million
of poor whites in the South who wer
buffeted for 200 years betw cen SLAYER,
and freedom, between civilization an.
degradation, who were disregarded b,
both master and slave. 1t needs n,
prophet to tell the character of on
future civilization when the poor whit,
boy in the country districts OF tn,
South receives 81 worth of education
and your boy $40 worth; when on,