Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1898-01-21
NEEDS OF THE NEGRO RACE
The Importance Of Manual Training Should
Never Be Overlooked.
Caustfc Criticism From q Colored
Wrfter-A DeplOrable Condi-
tiOn of Affairs.

Last month an association called t"The
American Negro Academy composed. I
think. of fifty members, college graduates
held several meetings in this city; and as
the men who compose this association
claim to have had the advantages Of higher
education and culture, and, consequently,
are better able to think and advise than
those whose training has been more limit
ed. number Of persons sorely in need of
advice were attracted to the meetings.
These men had, 1t was supposed. viewed
the situation from every point and had
studied existing facts, disregarding the
causes that had produced them, SO thor
oughly as to be able to point out present
defects and faults, and. above ALL to sug-
gest the means by which such evils may
be remedied.
When one looks carefully over the field,
what does he see? A heterogeneous mass
or humanity representing almost every
known race, consequently swayed by vari-
Gus conflicting tendencies, mingled with
others of distinct, unmfxed negro type;
out of this vast horde Of barbarism and
ignorance have arisen a few, very few,
men and women who have succeeded in
getting a good collegiate education, and
who have shown their ability to take rank
with the average students of other races
OF what possible use to the colored people
are these highly developed personages If
OF the race. and, far worse, if they give
unwise advice?
PerniciOus Doctrines.
When the colored people in their present
condition are told that those persons who
advocate Industrial education for the negro
are the ones who believe in his inferiority-
that is, his inability to comprehend any
other education-thus arousing antagonism
nhrac
purely intellectual training. it is time for
the thinking men of the race to come forth
in their might to tell the rank and file Of
the colored people plainly just where such
pernicious doctrines will lead them. For a
people that can produce-rather, have pro-
duced-nothins that any other people need !;
who could be dropped the whole 1O,0OO, 600
into the Atlantic ocean tomorrow and the
actual progress of the civilized world re-
main unaffected by the accident; who have
contributed nothing to art, science, Htera-
ture, industry, labor, that could not be
spared; who have no commerce, no material
interest in large concerns; who represent
nothing in the great world of business;
say that for the most advanced representa-
tives of such people to get together and
disparaSe Industrial education and to re-
pudiate with the greatest vehemence the
idea that they the race must be 'hewerS
of wood and drawers of water is sad
commentary upon the wisdom of the faith
ers of the race. l say further. and facts
will bear me out, that if the leaders of the
colored people do not develop larger COM
prehensiOn of the situation and give better
advice the masses will, in the future, not
be allowed either to hew the wood or to
draw the water
There must be a foundation of bone,
sinew, muscie and hard cash upon which
the purely Intellectual class of a race may
rest, to which it may turn for support; In
all other races this foundation is furnished
by the laboring, Industrial and wealthy
classes.
An AstOnishing Spectacle.
At one meeting 1t was said that If there
were one thousand colored mechanics, first
class workmen, in this city today, they
would be unable to obtain work because of
the prejudice existing against them. It
seems to me that the whole country would
be startled out of nearly all of Its preju-
dice if such an astonishing spectacle could
be presented to them. The term "colored
mechanic is synonymous with slipshod, in
exact, poor work: and, further. observant
men state that in every line OF ordinary
work the colored servant, laborer, work.
man, Is considered careless, inexact, wholly
irresponsible and totally unfit either to do
acceptable work or to think out his own
life. This unenviable reputation was OBJ
tanned by comparison Of the work accom-
pIished by intelligent servants and work.
men with that done by ignorant ones; the
amount and kind of work furnished by
those who have brains trained to think
about the work to be performed is so SUI
perior to the kind and amount furnished by
ignorant unskilled laborers that white men
and women are gradually superseding the
poor, untaught colored servants. And
while great, deep, learned discussions upon
the superior mental development afforded
by studying metaphysics, Sanscrit and
Egyptian hieroglyphics are being held by
the advanced thinkers of the race to
hot hn iS of FIJI
struction, self-support and self-government.
the lines are being drawn more and more
tightly against the millions of colOred
workmen (who must eventually support
efficiency in the kind of labor performed by
them.
The Duty of Real Men.
If the real men of our race would only
ocme forth from their hiding places and
confer as to how the masses of the colored
people may obtain the rudiments of COM
mon education; how to get the legislatures
of the different states to pass compulsory
education laws, how to induce the different
states to appropriate money enough to
train our boys and girls in Industrial and
business work; how to get the instructors
of colored youth to instill into their
charges the fundamental principles of real
character-how to make them do well the
work they find to do; then will be laid tho
foundation of what will eventually become
real worth; then will the mere takers, the
agitators. the aspirants for notoriety Of
some kind whose knowledge prevents
them from thinking, do little or no harm
by their volubility.
Let the thinking men get together and
tell what they consider remedies for
the present deplorable condition of affairs.
Let them insist that we make real progress;
there is enough of the sham to disgust
everybody. Let them earnestly consider
what Is best for the great majority by
whose average Of intelligence our actual
progress IS measured. Let the few be ad-
vised to go on, on, In the realm of knowl-
edge. never forgetting that we, as people,
are not wealthy enough to support mere
rovers In the field of learning, and that we
must have men among us who can teach
US how to think and act The dominant
race cannot help respecting honest, exact,
reliable. responsible people, however hum
BILE may be their station In life. And we
may educate and educate, but until we
strike upon the kind of education most
reeded just now, the kind that develops
all-around common sense and ability, we
shall continue to represent a most stupen-
dous failure In the midst of the most ad-
vanced civilization.
A COLORED NEWER OF WOOD.
January IA, 1SDS.
Ffjian Fire Walkers.
From the London Daily News.
Fijian feet can endure more terrible con-