The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1901-02-11
PLEA FOR THE NEGRO
SUBSTITUTE FOR THE ARMSTRONG
ASSOCIATIONS ANNUAL. MEETING.

NEW YORK, Feb. W.-The Armstrong
association of New York, which has for
its purpose the fostering of education in
the South and the advancement of Ed
mund institute, Hampton, Va, in par
ticular usually holds its annual meeting
just before Lincoln's birthday to arouse
interest in its work.
This year instead of an annual meeting
this evenings session in the Central Pres
byterian church was utilized. The pleas
for the whites ana blacks of the South
were made by Rev. John Culver. presi-
dent of North Carolina state normal
school; Booker T. Washington. president
Tuskesee institute; Rev. Lyman T. Ward.
president Of the industrial School for
whites at Camp Hill, Ala, and H. B.
Frissell, the principal of Hampton insti.
tute.
Daniel c. Gilman, president of Johns
Hopkins university, of Baltimore, pre-
sided A feature of the service was tbs,
singing by forty students; including
whites blacks and Indians of both sex,
es Of the Hampton institute.
The Rev. DIR. Lyman Ward, the first
speaker, referring to Lincoln remarked
that he was sure that there was no one
in the South~but feels%t4at he had hts
best friend slain by misguided and IA
natical man. He said it would be difficult
to find in the South today any one who
believed there was any real profit in the
slave traffic. DR.. Ward paid a high COM
pliment to the Southern men, SAYING that
the more he saw of them, the more he
was convinced of their rectitude, integ-
% rity and manhood. While he admitted
the great need of education for negroes
he said his purpose was to speak of
the needs of the people, both blacks ami
whites. He said:
IF an industrial training be profitable
for poor, ignorant blacks, what must it
be for Whites?''
He pleaded for more schools for girls
and boys in the South.
Rev. DR.. McIver the next speaker, said
the difficulty of education was greater
III the South than in the North. In the
North the population was largely collect
ed in the large cities, while in the South
they Were scattered over the rural dis
tricts.
But we are getting out of the woods"
said DR.. McIVer. why recently We had
a strike In my town. The reason we had
no strikes before was because there was
no capital to strike against. I am glad
to see the strike, as it is an indication
that we are having Industrial develop
ment"
He believed in helping the negroes and
approved their being educated, but said
their women were being better cared for
than the white women N the way of ed
ucation. He spoke Of the difficulty his
sister had in obtaining the education she
wanted and the ease with which negro
servants gained theirs. A school or col
lege for negro women was established,
he said, ten years before one for white
women. For this state of affairs, he
said, the preachers, politicians and state
and federal governments were to blame.
DIR. Frissell spoke very briefly, bestow-
ing great praise upon Booker T. Wash
ington, who followed him.
Mr.. Washington said he would not re-
fer to Lincoln as "tiicS elnancipator of
my race" for, he added, 'I believe that
he was the emancipater OF both the
white and black races. RE the discus
sion of the negro problem, he asked that
racial prejudices be set aside. lie de-
clared that Southern slavery wrought
almost as much injury to the white man
as to the black man. AS long as the
Southern negro was kept in ignorance on
dozen preteXts, the white man would
be dragged down Also
He urged that the colored race be not
judged by its worst examples, but by
its best.
What opinion would the world have
of New York. he asked, "if it were
judged by its worst men?"
He quoted figures to show the extent
to which negroes are acquiring property
in the South, and added: And yet some
people say the negro is going back to
heathenism.''
He insisted that as a negro acquires
property, character and possessions he
will be respected by the whites.
A wave of applause swept over the
house as Mr.. Washington closed.