The Florida star., 1901-03-29
EOUADER Or TUsEEgEE lHs1TuTE.


Special Correspondence Of The Florida Star.
TusKzoEE. Ala. March z5.-It is gen
orally acknowledged that Booker T.
Washington has brains. courage and
conscience. combination All too rare
In white men and lamentably wanting
IN the American negro race. He knows
the good and bad points OF his people
and Is as relentless In stamping out
error as ne is jealous In developing
what is right. Between those who have
no faith In the negro and those holding
radically sentimental notions OF his
wrongs and his deserts the freed slave
has been the football OF fate. kicked
when he pleaded for guidance and let
loose on a tangent when he should
have been held In restraint.
Booker T. Washington knows the
race limitations. but. unlike some 9th
ers OF his color. does not excuse them
nor throw up bis hands at the forbid
ding prospect. He viii not pat the ne
gro on the back. telling him he is abus-
ed and misunderstood, nor will he give
him just what he cries for, like a silly
nurse with a spoiled child.
The primary idea OF this American
Moses Is TO open the eyes OF his people
TO their exact status among the whites.
20 teach them what TO expect and what
not TO expect. what they may achieve
and what fer them is impossible. 1t Is
a hard doctrine. but simply another
case OF must be cruel only to be kind"
In a practical way Booker t. Wash
ington tells the blacks TO enter upon
Industrial competition with the whites
to learn mechanics. to make steam and
electricity the agents or their labors.
He tells them TO find out what profita-
BILE Industries belong TO their province.
naming the laundry business as one.
and 10 make those their own. When
laundry work was done with crude
methods. the blacks had the monopoly
and have lost IL through failure TO keep
pace with the times In the use OF power
machines.
After all the blood and treasure de.
voted to the redemption OF the Ameri.
can negro the net result seems to be
failure except where now and then a
black prophet lifts his hand as a signal
that the promised land is still in sight
In the south a natural and inevitable
white domination as complete as that
OF antebellum days and slavery; in the
north distrust. not to say disgust, over
the results OF a too hasty enfranchise-
ment OF a maudlin. sentimental policy
with the freedman which excited and
dazzled him. but put no solid ground
under his feet. In an elaborate study
OF the race which he claims as his own
William Hannibal Thomas has recently
laid bare the weaknesses OF the Amer
ican negro. His point OF view is the
exact opposite OF that or Booker T.
Washington. Nothing but the reign of
physical force. he says. can keep the
black man under moral control Here
is the doctrine OF the lash. pure and
simple. Washington would accomplish
the end by the stimulus OF Industrial
competition and material elevation.
Show the negro. he reasons. a place
and a prospect worth striving for. and
all his mental. moral and physical pow.
ers will be directed upon that one goal.
Once the negro Is lndustrially ambi
tious, he will begin TO reflect. and with
reflection comes the dawn OF that NOR
al conscience which has ever been
wanting In the negre as a balance
wheel for his restless and versatile en-
ergles.'
In detail the plan which Booker T
Washington has been working out the
past 20 years at the Tuskegee institute
is this: The industrial training which
the negro got under the old slave plan
tatlOn system died out with the last
generation which graduated under
white masters. The philanthrOplsts
encouraged mental training to the neg.
lect OF manual Thus the negro fell
behind as an Industrial factor and a
self supporting member OF the cOmmu-
nifty. Washington makes the school
training a manual one. Says he: '"rhe
millions OF colored people cannot be
reached directly by any missionary
agency. but they can be reached by
sending out among them strong. Sc
lected young men and women. with the
proper training OF head. hand and
heart. who will live among the masses
and show them how to lift themselves
up. The problem OF Tuskegee institute
constantly keeps before itself how TO