Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1897-12-10
TO HELP THE NEGRO.
a Popular Subject and Popular Speakers
at the Congregational Club.

a Popular Subject and Popular Speakers
at the Congregational Club.
When the committee of the Western
Vermont Congregational club selected
for the topic of its last meeting the
Negro, it insured an Interested audience;
but when it selected Booker II. Washing
ton and Gen. o. O. Howard as the chief
speakers to handle that topic, it paved
the way for one of the best meetings the
club has ever held. Gen. Howard was
selected to take charge of the practical
work of preparing the liberated slaves
for their new existence at the end of the
Civil War, and Howard University,
named for him, still ranks as the leading
educational institution for the colored
race in this country. The general be-
gan the work: its latest advocate Of
prominence, a member of the colored
race itself and living example of the
first results of the labor inaugurated by
Gen. Howard, was present in the person
of Booker Washington, president of the
flourishing industrial school for cOlored
youth at Tuskegee.
The Congregational church has rarely
held such gathering in point of num-
bers as that which crowded its every
seat on Wednesday last. Gen Howard's
subject gave him opportunity to tell of
his own experiences, and thus greatly
enhanced the interest in all he said. His
remarks were interspersed with personal
anecdotes of his long years of labor for
the coloTed race and of his war eXper-
fences.
Booker WashingtOn's fame as a speaker
had long preceded him and his hearers
were not disappointed in their anticipa-
ton. Mr.. Washington is master of
satire as well as an entertaining story
teller and an eloquent pleader for the
rights and needs of his race, and many
were the home. thrusts he gave in the
course of his talk. He called attention
to the fact that the Negro was in
America by special and urgent invitation,
the white hosts often going to great eX-
pense to secure his presence in this
country. The same could not be said of
the whites. Indeed it is doubtful if the
land-holders of 1892 particularly desired
the presence of the gentlemen who came
over at that time. Having -allen so
much trouble to bring the Negro here,
MIR. Washington thought that the white
race should do something to take care of
him. The speaker dwelt long upon the
needs of the race. He placed especial
emphasis upon the necessity of educat.
ing their hands as we'll as their brains
He related an amusing incident of Ii
IBERIA in this connection. A child was
found hard at work on a book of Latin,
the while its only bodily covering was a
single garment. This was a result OF
missionary education. The speaker
thought the Latin was all right, but
wouldn't 1t have been quite as well tC
teach him tailoring also? Mr.. Washing
ton thinks the salvation of his race in
this country depends upon their learning
to become expert artisans, and his owr
work in the establishment of the Tus
kegee school carries out his theories il
this regard. The colonization scheme
will never prove successful in solving th'
question. Already many colOred people
have gone to Liberia; but, as Mr.. Wash
ington says, every sun rises upon G0C
new born babes OF the race.
The other speakers were warmly re
ceived as well. The dinner at the Ad
olson house was everything that coulC
be desired. In truth the whole affai
was remarkably successful.