The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1899-12-10
by BOOKER I. WASHINGTON.

DI OUVkEK Il. WAOIlIlNUIVNs
~rhe Future Of the American Negro" BY
Booker T. Washington, has Just been pub
lished by Small, Maynard Co., Boston. This
work will command the attention OF thought
| full readers In both sections because OF the
happy conjunction which Il presents OF author
| and subject. Booker T. Washington is the
acknowledged spokesman Of the negro race
| In the South Besides possessing the we'll
rounded equipment which leadership requires.
he occupies the office of president OF the
Normal and Industrial school at Tuskegee,
Ain., where he II engaged In teacn,ng thu.
young scions of the negro race how they may
earn competent livclhoods and at the same
time contribute to the material upbuildins
of the South He is the champion of practical
education as opposed to theoretical educa-
tlon. and he believes that manual training
| is worth vastly more to the average negro at
this critical period in the history Of the South
than Greek and Latin culture or parrot-likc
familiarity with abstract philosophers which
feed the spirit OF discomfort without heing
able to auench Its thirst Every one who reads
the publication under review will be impressed
| with the brains which underlie the sober
| Judgment OF the writer In speaking OF the
| era OF reconstruction In the South. Prof.
Washington makes truthful comment as fol;
lows:
From 1865 10 1876 constituted what perhaps
may DO termed the days OF reconstruction
This was the period when the southern States
which had withdrawn from the Union were
making an effort to renstate themselves and
to establish permanent system of State
government. At the close OF the war both the
Southern white man and the negro found
themselves In the midst OF poverty The ex-
master returned from the war 10 md his slave
property gone. his farms and other industries
In a state of collapse, and the whole industrial
or economic system upon which he had de-
pended for years entirely disorganised AS We
review calmly and dispassionatcly the period
of reconstruction, we must use great deal OF
sympathy and generosity The weak point, to
my mind, in the reconstruction era was that
no strong force was brought TO bear in the
direction Of preparing thc negro to hocome an
intelligent, reliable citizen aud voter. The
main effort seems TO have been in the dirco.
tion OF controlling his vote for the time be-
ing, regardless of future interests hardly
believe that any race OF people with similar
preparation and similar surroundings would
have acted more wisely or very differently
from tho way tho negro acted during the
period Of reconstruction
uWitbou, ex,erlence vithnut nrenaration
and Z, mos, cases oithont ordinary intellt.
conoo ~ ,,,s onconr.rea ia ,enye the field
.,, ehon and ort.r no,t,,rs That under such
: n,ro,,,,s,aroos no e,o,ta have made mistakes
e ,ory n,,rr,, do No, believe the Negro
,. 90 r,uch q, fou,, ,or entering go Target,
49, n,,;,tc. ana ,,r tho mistakes that wort
-. - a.. $50, ,an.s as wcr, the nm
.,...,,,,. ,,,,,.o ,o.ao.. ,,ho go, tho negro,
,,a,o,,a ,,,a s,,,,od tha,r surport
1IA
.,o,s nioood uno,
.,a,,ss % ,otin, ana holding nol,t
To-, atoo. r,ther ,ban p,,on tho preparation
wi '"e "s"s'' . -, ~. t,,,ros
h"',' w nv It, =, .ooons,,uctio
t s'"" '''"' w -, -. v,,,t,a a, ;
was o''N' " ~ -, Il. 49,, h,s,or
s no' wy enVN" ~, ~. .,,,o, A,
r VI o"r N'"''''S' 49,. -, ,,.,,. a. -,
serve " Pv'Ht - 49,, ,,o, uo ar
8 e"''' ~ ~ ~ ,,s.aLas ,ha
a no" 'aN'"s ..,.,.,,..,o
d were i"''s ia M, ,t,
i se'Neu az ie"s. " ,,,oo,an, ,o,,r
o P''pei - .-s...- .,,. ,,.t,onts n,
$ uh'on .Ne N'e'' 49,, .,,ara,... an
y VI ""i'" '"'n "
v usefulness ''' NC Wv =, 81
v frot' "a'hlnk'on soun'9 't' nv ..