The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1898-07-29
OF NEEDS OF MEN
Strong Words in Behalf
of the Practical.
An Address by st. Clair McKeiway
Booker T. Washlneton-Les-
sons From Hampton

On the recent dedication of the Do
nestle Science and Agricultural build
ing of the Hampton Normal and Agri-
cultural school, st. Clair McKelway,
LID, said, speaking of Brooker I.
Washington, the foremost colored man
of America:
THE last time l saw him was at
Saratoga at the convention OF Social
Scientists. He was among friends
then, but he was likewise confronted
by severe critics, when he pleaded for
practical education of the people, when
he protested against impractical edu-
cation, against over-education for any
whose work or place of duty in life
was so plainly laid out by Providence,
that over education would rather hind
er than help them. He was confronted
by men of both races, with the state
ment that what the Negro, the In
dian, and the poor white man, for that
matter, needed, was not knowledge
of carpentry, not the science Of plow-
making or of wagon-me king, was not
practical knowledge, but that they
should be able to become theological
experts and so on, and stand up like
stone walls for the old or new theol-
ogy. as the case might be; what the
people wanted was the leadership of
the favored few who were TO pose in
the front as leaders, while the masses
of the people remained degraded and
dependent. remember the vigor
with which he, and his colleague, Mr..
Fortune, as well, responded, and the
courage displayed, as he showed them
that this stand was not only wrong in
itself In separating them from the
masses of the people who were depend
ing upon them for real help, but that
1t would soon ALLEVIATE from them the
sort OF people represented by the So
cial Science Congress of America
whose guest he was and for whom he
spoke.
THE pupils of Hampton, the alumni
and alumnae of Hampton, are pecul-
iarly fortunate in the fact that their
founder, benefactor and friend was
neither the cause nor occasion of divi-
sion among men. General Armstrong
Hampton's great founder, came from
the Sandwich Islands, where he had
seen a simple, credulous affectionate
race entering lHtO SHTlstldulty tuiuuit-
uously, but only temporarily, because
only their emotional natures were adj
dressed. while their physical natures
were not provided for at all: not fitted
by education and training. not
strengthened by work and qualification
for high industrial pursuits. They
were, by some suasion of soul, convert
ed and were then let go. Then, II they
did not relapse into their original pig-
anism, they fell into the vices of the
white man, from which even paganism
might have saved them-vices that mad
been brought to them In the name OF
commerce and the like. Armstrong
came here and saw race to be lifted
out Of slavery into freedom from lib
erty into citizenship, and from clti-
zenship, perhaps, into politics, and
thereby to be exposed to competitions
and temptations which they had not
been trained to meet. His solution of
that problem was practical education
that education which means not only
knowledge but efficiency, not only etii-
cheney but common sense, gumption,
provision that finds opportunities, and,
most important of all, that which
makes the character in men and
women that will last"