Iowa state bystander. [volume] (Des Moines, Iowa) 1894-1916, 1897-12-24
Booker I.
Washington,
On the Negroes Meekness
and Strength.

Mr.. Booker T. Washington
contributed to the Church Union
for August, a candid and discrim-
mating study Of "The Weakness
and Strength of the Negro Race.
As Mr.; Washington says at the
outset it is a good thing for a race
as we'll as for an individual to be
able to study itself: Faults should
neither be overlooked nor exclu-
sively dwelt upon. Virtues should
not be rnagniHed. ''What is need
ed is downright, straightforward
honesty in both directions"
Mr.. Washington admits that
the Negro has suffered physical
deteriration, especially in the
large cities north and south. This
is due partly to ignorant violation
of the laws of health, and partly
to Visions habits.
1.-The Negro who, during sla-
very, lived on large plantations in
the south, surrounded by re>
straints. AT the close Of war came
to the city and in many cases found
the freedom and temptations were
too groat for him in many cases.
When we consider what it meant
to have four millions of people,
slaves today and freemen tomor
row, the wonder is that the race
has not suffered physically more
than it has. I do not believe
that statistics can be so marshall
ed as to prove that the Negro as a
race is on the decline in numbers;
on tho other hand, the Negro is
increasing in numbers by larger
percentage than is true Of the
French nation. While the death
rate is large in the cities, the birth
rate is also large; and it is to be
brrne in mind that eighty.fve per
cent of our people in the Cult
States are in the country districts
and smaller towns, and there the
increase is long, healthy and
normal line. Then, too, it is to
BE borne in mind that just in pro-
portion as the Negro is being
educated, just in the same proper
ton is the high death rate in the
cities disappearing. For proof of
this I have only to mention that
few years ago no colored man
could get insured in the large first
class insurance companies. Now
there are few of these companies
that do not seek the insurance of
educated colored men; then all
along the line north and south the
physical intoxicatioD that was the
result Of sudden freedom is giving
away to an encouraging, SOLDERING
process, and as this continues the
high death rate will disappear
Even in the large cities, and their
element of Weakness in the
race is the lack of ability to adhere
inflexibly to a definite purpose,
there are, Of course, exceptions to
this rule, and Mr.. Washington's
own work at Tuskegee is surely a
brilliant instance of persistence in
pursuit of a worthy object under
circumstances of a most discour-
aging nature; but the Negro does
not usually succeed in such enter
prises. MIR. Washington thinks
that he is meak as an organizer.
Morality and Religion:
t'But the weakness of the Negro
which is most frequently held mp
to public gaze is that of morals,
and any one who wants to be hon.
est and at the same time benefit
the rece will deny that here is
where the strengthening is to be
done. In discussing this point it
must be borne in mind that the
family is the foundation, is the
bulwork of any race. Since this
is true, it must but be kept in
mind that it was constant tendancy
of slavery to destroy the faulty
life, all through three hundred
years Of slavery one Of the objects
was to increase the number of
slaves, and to this end almost all
thought of morality was lost sight
of, so that the Negro has only
about thirty years in which to set.
tie down into family life, while
a. $1,000 ~,.o ,,,:,l> ~, - ~,