The evening times., 1899-11-05
EDUCATING fHE NEGROES
An Interesting Report by Booker
7. Washington.
What Has Been Accomplished During
the Year at the Normal and Indus
The Wcaknesses and Benefits Of
the Present Systcm-SOme Dangers.

at Tuskegee, Ala, has submitted his
eighteenth annual report as principal. to
the trustees of the institute. The report
says in part:
"one of the main problems as regards
the education of the negro, Is how to have
him use, his education to the best advan-
tage after he has secured it. In his pres
ent condition. 1t is important that in seek
ing after what he terms the ideal he
does not neglect to prepare himself to take
! advantage of the opportunities that are
right about his door. II he lets these op-
portunities slip. l fear they will never be
his again In saying this, mean always
that the negro should have the most thor
ough mental and religious training, ior
without it no race can succeed.
Because of his past history and enVi-
ronment. and present condition, it is I'M
portaut that he be carefully guided Tor
years to come in the proper use OIL MS
education. Much valuable time has been
lost and money spent in vain, because TOO
many have not been educated WIN the
idea of fitting them to do well things tnat
they could get to do. Because OF the lack OF
| proper direction of the negros education'
some good friends of his. North and Soltn,
have not taken INIT iutStcSe III ~ eA@-- S>~'
otherwise would tcTe taken
ain too many cases where mere literary
education alone has been given the negro
youth. il has resulted in an exaggerated
estimate of his importance in the worid
and an increase OF wants which his edu-
cation has not fitted him to supply.
But in discussing this subject one is
often met with the question, Snouiu not
the negro be encouraged TO prepare MN
in
race fills? / would say. yes, but the surest
way for the negro to reach the highest po-
sitions is to fill well at the present
time what is termed by the world the more
humble positions. This will give him
foundation upon which to stand while Sc
curing what is called the more exalted
positions.
THE negro has the right to study law.
but in the end we shall succeed soonest
in producing a number Of successful law
yers by preparing first large number OF
intelligent. thrifty farmers. mechanics, ana
housekeepers TO support the lawyers
Il repeat that in the present condition
of the negro mere book educatlon
alone tends to place the negro, in tco
many cases, in a weak position FOR eA-
ample. | have seen negro girl taught by
her mother to assist her in doing Laundry
work al home. The same girl has later
been graduated from the public schools or
some high school. where she was not only
| not taught how TO perfect herseH In iauh-
dry work but was educated out OF SYM
pathy with it, so that when she had nnlsn-
ed her education she was not prepared TO
do laundry work, and could find nothing
else to do that was within keeping with
the cost and character of her education,
and We must not be surprised that she
did not fulfill expectations.
almost from the beginning this institu-
ton has kept in mind the giving OF thor-
ough mental and religious training, and at
the same time along with it. such indus
trial training as would enable the student
to appreciate the dignity Of labor and be-
come self-supporting and valuable as pro-
ducing factor, keeping in mind the occupa-
tions open in the South for employment
"'At present the institution gives training
in the following twenty-six industries:
Agriculture, blacksmithing. brickmakirg.
carpentry carriage trimming, cooking, dai-
rying, Observation-Disclosures freehaDd, and
mechanical; plain sewing, piasterins,
plumbing, printing. sawmiilirs. founding,
housekeeping harness making, horticult-
ure. laundering. machinery, mattress max
ing, millinery, nurse training. painting
shoemaking, stocktrairing, tailoring, tin
ming, aud wheelwrighting.
II cannot but believe, and my daily OBJ
servation and experiences conrtim me IN II.
that as we continue placing men and wo-
men Of intelligence religion, modesty, con-
science, and skill in every community in the
South, who will prove by actual results
their value to the community. this will
constitute the solution for many of our
present political and sociological difficulties.
1t is with this larger and more comprehen-
sive view of helping present conditions and
laying the foundation wisely. that the Tus-
kegee Normal and Industrial Institute is
training men and women as teachers and
industrial leaders.
Notwithstanding the fact that this IN
stitution was organized in little shanty
in 1881 with but one teacher and thirty
students. the average attendance the past
year has been 1.164 students from twenty
three States ard Territories, and from ia
maica, Cuba. Porto Rico. Africa, and Eng
land. In all the departments, religious,
academic, and industrial, eighty-eight Off
GERS and teachers have been employed. No
students are admitted until they are four
teen years of age and have some prepara-
ton before coming. Each year the students
who enter are of a more promising class.
1.-THE property owned by the institution
(aside from the endowment fund.-. is valued
at about s3e0,000, with no mortgage, and
consists mainly of 2,267 acres of land, for
ty-two buildings, counting large and small,
live stock. apparatus, etc. The school still
pursues its original plan of having its
buildings put up by the students them
selves
Three hundred and fifty-three students
have finished the course of training at this
institution and are now scattered through
out the South, doing good work. A recent
investigation shows that about 5000 stu
dents, who have only taken partial course
here, are doing commendable work.
Wherever our graduates and ex-students
go they teach, by precept and example, the
wider lesson of thrift, economy, and prop
erty getting, and friendship between tho
races.
During the past year we have have
made a considerable improvement in the
matter of giving professional or normal
training to those who expect to conf1ne
themselves to teaching in the classroom.
"A professional auditor has been en-
ployed by the trustees to come to the in
stitution periodically to see that its ac-
counts are kept in proper shape. and to see
that a proper accounting is given for all
moneys received and expended.
"a committee of New York business mm,
consisting of Mr.. William H. Baldwin, r.,
and Mr.. J. G. Phelps Stokes, has been ap-
pointed by the trustees to invest our En-
dowment Fund.
81 am glad to report that q bill passed
the United States Congress at its last ses-
sion. donating to this institution Is, 900
acres of public lands. At the present time
these lands are being selected and we hope
soon to begin realizing something from