The times., 1899-12-24
The Race Problem.

THE Future OF the American Negro by
BCaker. T. Washington, is attracting, per
haps. as much attention as any sociological
work Of the season. The position Of author
ity which Mr.. Washington occupies lends
peculiar interest to all that he says on the
subject, and the cause with which he is
Identified is likely to have so great an in
auence on the relations Of the races in
this country that the book can hardly fail
to arouse a widespread interest,
Upon opening the volume, which Is not
a large one. the attention is at once arrest
ed by q fine portrait Of the author, which
is one of the best likenesses ever put into
a book and has nothing OF the set photo
graph about it. The first chapter deals
with the history OF the negro race IN
America and then comes the discussion
Of the problem as il exists at present
the problem Of fitting ten millions OF peo-
PIE. who. thirty years ago had nothing
which they could call their own, not even
a rudimentary education, for all the duties
Of American citizenship. II goes without
saving that there are other millions OF
people in this country who are poor ignor-
ant. degraded. and more or less vicious, as
ignorant and superstiLiOus people are apt 10
BE-: they are not all in the black belt; but
the peculiar conditions under which the
negro lives have brought him into par
tfcular notice. and he is under the search
light Of public opinion 10 such an extent
that many people think the race problem
4 considerably more serious than it is simply
. because every feature Of ii is magnifed
and defined, and sometimes distorted. This
fac, Nj Washington recognizes, and he
points out q few fundamental facts which
VIII have to be generally admitted before
this or any other problem affecting citi-
+ zcuship Is likely 10 De solved. One Of these
IS that the whole community suffers when
a class Is kept in ignorance and degrade
4 tiou: sectional and party feeling ought rot
TO interfere with the Tighting Of his mis-
adjustment Another is that negro can
not be expected 90 DO what a white man
could not do In his place. IN one chapter
Mr. Washington points cut the fact that
the white man with all his advantages,
found il hard TO adapt himself 10 the
/ changed conditions which followed the war
4 and then he very seusibly asks II the negro
should be expected 20 spend these thirty
years OF experiment In making successes
without any bIunders at ALL
The tone Of the book throughout is calm,
temperate, and hopeful. Mr.. Washington
does not blink any facts; he does not
ualiiate crime: be does not advocate any
thing but conservatism Nevertheless in
the last few chapters Of the book he says
some things which viii strike any justice
loving reader as being forcible arguments
for one OF two radical changes III the
present condition Of things.
In ole Of these chapters he tells Of az
incideut-and It is not at al an uncommon
occurrence which shows what the negro IL
this country has TO contend against I'm his
efforts 10 make a good citizen OF himself
A negro mother determined that her scr
should be trained as q mechanic O
course she could have had him taught %
De a barber or Wbitewasher blt she hs
. levld that d. could earn more money "a
E uach.Lisf. so. at considerable seit-a"
r6.r She bad him tlu-aT ElIF Taught H.
found rnrfHFH when tr entered th
sErH l L-s other men H fHe
fr h -