Kansas City journal. [volume] (Kansas City, Mo.) 1897-1928, 1899-09-26
BOOKER r. WASHINGTON on THE
RACE PROBLEM.
TAXES a SHOT AT THE NORTH
SAYS SOUTH DOESN'T KILL MEN FOR
SEEKING WORK.
Mr.. Washington Ursrs Negroes to
Seek the Strength and Respect
That Accompany Ownership
Of Property and Con-
duet of Business

ATLANTA GA, Sept. Give hundred
negroes heard Booker T. Washington, pres
ident Of the Tuskegss normal college for
negroes al Tuskegee, Ala deliver an adj
dress here tonight or The race problem
IN the light Of European travel" PrOfeS-
sor Washington has recently returned from
i Trip to Europe. ana it was largely on his
lsobservations on this trip that he spoke
Among The other speakers was Governor
Gambler who welcomed Professor Wash
iDgtDn.
The. governor said he was astoaished
when hc contemplated the progress made
by the negroes during thirty years Of free
dom.
The cause Of the negroes plight. Coz
eTnor Gambler said, was the dirty politi-
clan.
He advised the negroes to listen to Pro-
fessor Washington. as ne could teach them
10 attain position no politician could ever
attain. Concluding. he said
Your work VIII aid in putting down the
mob In the South
W. 4. Piedger q local nagr0 politician
and editor Of a negro paper. welcomed the
guest on behalf OF the negro people He
believed that the parting Of the ways had
come. He spoke of equal rights for tin.
negroes ard said some Of them had as
good white blood in them as there was In
the South, but with this they could not
buy railroad ticket aad ride in a decent
coach.
Rev. Mr. H. II. Proctor, pastor of the
congregational church, introduced Profess
sOr ashingtun.
Mr.. Washington said In part:
Il heard Il lew days ago that IL had been
reported that came back from Europe
discouraged ard dishear.ened ag 10 the
c3nditions and prospects of my race in
afvF &. es.s- -. L.. -.
! nave never felt more hopeful about the
future Of the race than | feel at present
II other evidence were needed. the mere
presence of your chief executive and other
officials tonight is proof that the South
desires the elevation and not the degrade
ton OF the negro. that the South desires 10
encourage MIN and not oppresS l;.Ea.
Our problem is not TO be solved by look
ing TO congress or to the North alone. but
by the reputation that each individual
creates for himself in his own community
and county.
so long az the negro IS permitted un-
molested. TO secure education. property
employment. and Is given the protection Of
the law. ] shall have great faith in our
being able to work ont own destiny
The South has been guilty Of q great many
crimes. but believe that IL has rarely. if
ever. been guilty OF numbering men simply
because they sought honest employment.
There is little difference between the slav-
cry that cOmpels man to work without
pay and that which forces him to refrain
from working for pay.
Everywhere they tell me that in bust
ness In the South there is practically no
color line. and that in some cases one-half
their business Is with their white neigh
bors. The two races are TO live in this
country together. and he f. an enemy to
both VINO tries tn array one race against
the other. In. proportion as the negro
grows Intelligent. Industrious and good at
heart. in the same proportion will the
white man he helped. In proportion as the
white man permits himself to oDpress the
negro. in the same degree Is the white man
degraded and his progress retarded. In
proportion the white man becomes in
telligeEt and prosperous. in the same de-
gree does he learn To accord to the negro
the rights that belong to man.
II confess that my heart * greatly and
constantly troubled By the large number
OF negro boys and men who stand In idle
ness about the streets Of our cities and
towns. The negro Is too poor to be idle.
He il TOO far behind to let others get
ahead of him In learning and useful occT-
pati0ns. lie is too weak to fall TO secure
that strength and respect which come to
anyone through the ownership Of property
and the conduct Of business. do not find
too much fault: the negro in proportion 10
his opport uuities. has made unparalleled
progress. but ] want the progress in the
future to be far greater than in the past
I'm connection with the efforts Of the
negro himself TO improve and to obey the
law. II is most important At the present
time that those in authority see to 1t that
black man and white man alike. ANY de-
Walton from this corrse will bring ruin
TO both races and TO our country
Almost the whole problem Of the negro
in the South rests itself upon the fact a.
10 whether IN" negro can make Of himself
such Il valuable factor in the life Of the
South that he will rot in any large degree
GEEK privileges. but they will he conferred
upon him. To bring this about, the negro
must beg!r ut tn. bottom and lay sure
fuunda ion. and not be lured bv any temp
'atiOn into trying to rise on "A false fnunfla-
tIou. While III" negro il laying this found
alton. ne will need help. sympathy and ius-
tice from he law. Progress by any other
method will lie but temporary and super
fetal. and the latter end will be worse than
the beginning.
American slavery was great curse to
both races and I would BE- the last Ia
apologize for II. but in the providence Of
God. believe that slavery laid the f0unda-
tIon for the solution OF the problem that
is now before us I'm the South. During
slavery. the negro was taught every trade.
every industry that constitutes the founda-
tiDn for living. Now if. on this founda-
tion. laid in crude way, II Is true. but
n foundation nevertheless. we can gradu-
ally grow and improve. the future for us
is bright