The age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1897-1902, 1899-04-01
WASHINGTON
SPEAKS TO NEGROES
-
The Negro from an Industrial
Standpoint.
HIS RELATION TO WHITES
The Negro Problem in the South is
Rapidly Passing from a Question
of Sentiment Into One
of Business.

Prof. Booker T. Washington, of Tuske-
gee spoke to tremendous audience of ne
groes at the Sixteenth Street Baptist
church last night, and he was given an en-
thusiastic reception by the members of his
race. There were also twenty-five or thirty
white people present. He was introduced
by DIR. S. S. H. Washington. of this city.
White People Aiding NeRioes
'Since I came into your city," Professor
Washington said, II have been very much
surprised and greatly gratifed to see the
manner in which your very best and
wealthiest white citizens are aiding the
colored people to lift themselves up. Es-
pecially is this true in the way they have
given to Mr.. Keller, your city missionary.
He has told me of the generous aid which
has been given him by your white citizens,
as well as the help which has been given by
the churches. 1 trust all citizens of Bir-
mingham will assist in the effort to estab-
lish an Old Folks and Orphans Home.
Under the leadership of such persons as
Mr.. Keller and Mrs. S. s. II. Washington,
l am sure 1t will be success. When the
time for the ending of life comes there are
some things for which indiv. duals wish to
ask forgiveness, but no one ever Graves for
giveness, for lifting the load from single
Individual, or the shadows from a single
beclouded intellect.
''Since the war no one object has been
more misunderstood than that of the object
and value of industrial education for the
negro. To begin with, 1t must be borne in
mind that the condition that existed in the
south Immediately after the war, and that
now exists, is peculiar one, without a
parallel In history. This being true it
seems to me that the wise and honest thing
is to make study of the actual condition
and environment of the negro and do that
thing which is best for him, regardless of
whether the same thing has been done for
another race in exactly the same way
1.-THE negro problem in the south is fast
| passing from question of sentiment into
one of business-into one of commercial and
| industrial values.
in working out the solution of this prob
| lem it is well to bear in mind that the mere
! nat of law could not make dependent man
| an independent man, could not make an
| ignorant voter an intelligen voter, and
| could not make one citizen respect another.
| These results come to the negro as to all
| races-by beginning at the bottom and
working gradually up toward the highest
| civilization and accomplishments.
| Under God, as bad as slavery was, it
| prepared the way for the solving of this
problem by this method: For $50 years sla-
| very taught the southern white man to dc
| business with the negro. If southern white
| man wanted house built he consulted a
| negro mechanic about the building of that
| house; if he wanted a suit or clothes made
| he consulted negro tailor; and thus in a
| limited sense, every large plantation in the
south during slavery was, in measure. an
| industrial school. On these plantations we