The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1901-12-23

re eminent here When compare the good that he mas
lone 10 his own with that achieved by any man who had
oe out Of preceding him the scale turns in his favor IN
v,av that does not admit OF question any hand man
,ne;pated from, slavery only to coal mine as
aborcr making journey of miles without money ana
hardly with suitable clothing i'll order to reach place where
ne could obtain education, and graduating IRON IT, TO
establish out of practically nothing school that has come to
number 100 pupils wonder OF achievement that IS not
only unequaled hut is phenomenal
The predominant quality in Booker Washnstons char
,c,er is his clear common sense. There is something
rtuitive in the here He does the right thing and he
avoids the wrong by instinct it lie sees not
alone that the negro needs education but his for
this comprehends the right kind Of education as no other
has easy say educate the that his condition
NAV he improved but possible provide him kind Of
education that shall improve him We arc indebted to
MIR Washington for approaching acting uron this lie
saw that needed in order to form the basis OF i'm
proverent be OF substantial advantage 10 HIM
to cultivate industrious habits He not acquire an
education him above the need of working by manual
labor he was feel that his mission in life to engage
in manual labor From the necessity OF his mental consti
tuition and his previous history essential that his first
effort TO provide himself in the world should he in this
direction Mir Washington refused hacr him away from
he tell him the truth in this respect
while dcluduG him with false hopes He SCI tho
example Of manual work by educating his children TO it
he would have engaged in himself had different duty
mauiicsty called him.
In this connection is he remembered also that Booker
Washington discouraged all enterprise the part Of the
negro engage politics He had ample temptation OF his
own here The cvinced that peculiarly
fitted him for public life His public speaker
signasuficicnt the head Of who less
wise and less conferred life object that absorbed the
energies OF his being. We hardly look upon him
resisting temptation this respect however SO much
he heart and soul devoted the educating OF the
OF his that is probable that anything could tempt
him away from it, ct debt OF gratitude is due to him for
the which he instructed others put side such
ambitions and devote themselves what practical
and aanabe The banc of the coorcd in the South
was its early introduction into politics 1t failed lamenaby
there but is less blame for the mistake thus made than
arc the who misled into attempting what it
prepared 10 accomplish Mr. Washngon prcccpt and cN
ample setting right after the mistake thus made and
he could hardly confer greater upon it than in so
doing
But shall he asked the negro never 10 engage in
politics al all aud he always be deprived his rights
citizen under the government We answer in the ne.a-
tive to both questions The difficulty with the negro in The
South has been that he melted use his voting prv
ego rather than himself to use it iuclliseutly and
tempted become politician himself before he fitted for
IT, The difference between the carpet bapGers who first
brought the Southern into the public eye and Booker
Washington is that the sought exploit the negro in
politics while the other instruct him in citizenship
The first attempt has proved failure tho worst
quences attending it have betaen the negro himself The
other presents the dawn of better day him tho light of
which is already breaking When he aains citizenship in
conformity with it, will be citizenship that is rcspeccd
and is useful