Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1898-10-01

everywhere. His remedy for these and
every other condition which initiate
against the Negro-everv Neero-being
q second. though smaller, edition OF
( the Angel Gabriel himself. is industri-
al educstion. he proceeds on the as
sumption that this Negro is essentially
! the laboring class and he would give
him such training as viii forever unfit
him for anything higher He declares
that his idea Of Industrial Education
is TO give the mind the mastery over
matter, but the application of his idea.
however. is limited only to the making
OF brlckla7ers. carpenters, shoemakers
I etc. And to that end he would have
al OF our Colleges turned into huge
workshops"
And again:
The Negro can rest in no greater err
ror than to believe that iudu trial edu-
cation is the great need of the race.
1t Is Just that, ard nothing but that,
the Negroes had when they were
slaves. Manual labor they had then
They did the ploughing and the plant
ing. the carpentry and the shoe MAX
ing, the house-painting and the wagon
making for the whole South when thew
were in bondage, and when mental Gull
ture and the professions, and the high
4
They are doing those things, working
with their hands now. In lthe name OF
common serse, is it the wisest and
best thing that can be done for the Ne
gro TO expend enormous sums to found
and maintain colleges merely to teach
him to do no better than what he has
done all OF his life aud what his fathers
did before him7"
I Th5 above concludes with a pointed
question. 1t continues the comment:
"What the Negro needs is not a
more skillful hand but a more Guilt
VISITED brain mot to be taught end
trained TO be the equal OF white black
smiths and horse shoers, but 70 be- the
equal OF white ministers, and teachers
and physi clans ard lawyers and mer-
chants and manufacturers. The in
dustrial school makes farmers and me-
chsnics, which the Negroes already
are. But it does not open to the Ne
gro tbs spheres from which slavery ex-
clude him, and which he is now striv-
ing to reach. and which he must reach
In order to light the battle of life sue
cessfully by the side of his white neigh
bor."
This is far-reaching and convincing
argument. 1t is plainly evident that
the writer had carefully considered
his subject before he ventured TO make
comment upon it. The statements are
modified in the following language:
agricultural and mechanical en-
Payments are important and honora
be, and must be pursued. We would
not be und erstood as opposing them.
But It is the mind that makes the
man."
And again:
1--WE ask for the Negro only a fair
chance and an equal start: But he
will never have a fair chance and an
Iequal start until he has an intellect
} developed, disciplined and trained by
an education equal in all respects to
that given to the white man. The col
! lege that trains the mind is the col
lege for the colored man. And any
man who breaches any other doctrine
than the giving OF the Negro those
things which have proven to be the
cause of the white mans supremacy is
, an enemy to the race. In so far as he.
il guilty OF such things-and he is guilty
'I-Professor Booker T. Washington is
an enemy of the Negro race"
We agree with the Standard in its
statements concerning the mind and
the man.
But does Prof. WASHINGTON denounce
higher education Does he disparace
it? Is not his argument directed
towards the ninety per cent of the COL
ored people who have no inclin alton or
desire to secure more than g common
school education
II we thought that the distinguished
instructor for one moment harbored
the idea that the citizsns of color as
such should be only wage earners, la
borers. and not lawyers. professors,
surgeons, editors, scientists. astronom
ers, theologIsns. etc, we should arrive
at the same conclusion SO plainly stat
ed by our race-loving contemI orAry.
In his address delivered in this city
Prof. WASHINGTON pleaded for the in
dustrial education of the ninety per
cent of the race whoiwere unable to Sc
,cure higher education, rather than
against the ten per cent Of the race
who were able.
For our part, we wish to see the race
represented by the most learned citi-
zens of color in the land and by the
most skilled mechanics and artisans
any nation has ever produced.
In this wish there is no need of con.
fiict, or acrimonious debate.
Our motto is the highest degree OF
attainment in every field of legitimate
endeavor whether that be as farm
hand at Tuskegee Institute orias sem
Tor at Harvard University.
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