The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-09-26
WASHINGTON TO THE NEGRO.
RACE PROBLEM MUST BE sOLvEu
ny THE INDIVIDUAL.

AhFfN--NtkEO EhOutu wake HImH sci IL
IntelliRent-SIavery Laid "a Foun-
dntiOn for the SoIution-Impor-
tance of Industrial Training.
Atlanta, Sept 25'-Fve hundred negroes
heard Booker T. Washington, president of
the Tuskegee Normal and Industrial Coll
lege for negroes, at Tuskegee, deliver an
address here tonight on '"rhe Race Prob-
lem in the Light of European Travel"
Prof. Washington has recently returned
from trip TO Europe, and It was largely
upon his observations on this trip that ha
spoke.
Among the other speakers was Gov.
Gambler, who welcomed Washington on be-
half OF the state. The Governor said he
was astonished when he contemplated the
progress made by the negroes during thir.
" years of freedom
The case OF the negroes plight. Gov.
Gambler said, was the dirty" politician.
| He advised the negroes to listen to Prof.
| Washington as he could lead them to at
tain position no politician could ever at
tain.
Concluding, he said your work will
aid me in putting down the mob IN the
| south"
w a. Pledger, a local negro politician
and editor of negro paper, welcomed tbs
guest on behalf of the negro people. lie
| believed that the parting of the ways had
come. He spoke on equal rights for the
negroes and said some OF them had as good
white blood in them as was In the South,
bu, with this they could not buy railroad
ticket and ride IN decent coach.
State School Commissioner Glenn and J.
Nj. Henderson. prgaiIput of fbq Marris-
Brown College spoke.
Rev. II. II. Proctor. pastor-~< the Cons
gregational Church, introduced Prof.
Washington.
should BIOt Out Crime.
Prof. Washington took occasion TO thank
the Governor Of Georgia in the name OF
the negro race and an good people through
| out the country for the manly and coura-
geous manner IN which he is having the
law for the protection OF human life en-
forced la this state The speaker believed
the Governor had the aid and sympathy
of every man, white and black, In tho
state.
with the cleanest and strongest mems
| hcrs of both races standing shoulder to
shoulder Ia favor Of blotting out crime"
said Prof. Washington, there can be no
| doubt as 90 the future prosperity and hap-
| piness of each race"
Il heard Il few days ago." continued
! Prof. Washington, That 1t had been re-
ported that | came back from Europe dis
| couraged and disheartened as to the condi-
| ton and prospects of my race in this
| country So far from this being true, I
| have never felt more hopeful about the
| future of the race than / feel at present.
| II other evidence were needed the nero
presence of your chief executive and other
officials tonight Is proof that the South
| desires the elevation and not the degrada-
| tlon of the negro that the South desires
to encourage him and not oppress him.
81 have unwayering faith in the provi-
donce OF God Who knows but that
! events within the last year have been
Gods way of teaching the race that it
must make friends in every manly way
| with people among whom II lives and
| upon whom in a large measure 1t depends
for daily subsistence.
individuals Must Solve 1t.
"Our problem Is not to be solved by looks
| ing to Congress or to the North, alone.
but by the reputation that each individual
creates for himself in his own community
| and county.
80 long as the negro Is permitted un>
molested to secure education property,
| employment and is given the protection oG
| the law / shall have great faith In our be-
| ing able to work out our own destiny. The
| South has been guilty of great many
crimes. but | believe that It has rarely,
If ever. been guilty of numbering men
| simply because they sought honest em-
| ployment. There Is little difference be-
tween the slavery that compels man to
work without pay and that which forces
him to refrain from working for pay.
over and over again while in Europe I
had constantly impressed upon me the
advantage which the negro has In the
South In the opportunity to enter success
ful business as compared with poor peo-
pie in Europe. If you ask me for tho
dat <f
ment over the prospects of the race
would point you to the negro who is en-
gagged in business IT. the South. In all
parts of the South / have met the negro
carpenter truck gardener, the contractor,
the butcher the merchant, and they spoke
hopefully and encouragingly. Everywhere
they tell me that in business in the South
there is practically no color line and that
I'm some cases one-half their business Is
with their white nelghbors
The AgitatOr Is the Enemy.
"The two races are to live in this coun-
| try together and he is enemy TO both
who tries to 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
be, helped. In proportion as the white man
permits himself TO oppress the negro, In
the same degree is the white man degrad-
ed, and his progress retarded. In propor-
ton as the White man becomes Intelligent
and prosperous, In the same degree does
he learn 10 accord the negro the rights
that belong TO man.
"'rhe years that we are now passing
| through are serious and trying ones so far
as the question of the white and black
races are concerned. ! may not be abls
to advise that which viii bring a complete
remedy for all our ills, but 1 believe that
there never was a time when the negro
needed to give more attention TO the matter
of making himself intelligent Industrious,
law-abiding, and to the cultivation of high
moral habits. ] confess that my heart is
greatly and constantly troubled by the
large numbeJ of negro boys and men who
stand in idleness about the streets of our
cities and towns.
TOO Poor to BE Idle.
my friends / confess TO you that since
thirty years ago, / do not believe that I
have spent a single day In complete idle
ness. The negro IS too poor to be idle. He
is too far behind to let others get ahead of
D..