The daily morning journal and courier., 1902-03-31
A SOLID PROPOSITION.

Tuskegee has attracted deeply inter- ested attention, especially since the de- livery of Booker Washington's famous
 address before the Industrial Congress
 in Atlanta. The theory of Tnskegee is
 intelligent industry. Hundreds, soon
 they will number thousands, of young
 men are trained there into mechanical
 knowledge and skill-and they go forth
 to train others. Young women are
 taught the domestic arts, and they go
 out to teach others. There is an ob-
 stacle, however and a very serious one,
 that Mir. Washington does not recog-
 nize. He assumes that a skilful and re-
 liable mechanic will be wanted and em-
 ployed. Already white men have taken
 the alarm. Tn slavery, and until lately
 since the war, the negroes were em-
 ployed in the rural trades, blacksmith
 ing, carpentering, mason work, house
 painting etc, but the sentiment is eX-
 tending in the south that these trades
 are white mems work, and white men
 will not submit to negro competition
 The white man does not want to toll
 in the cotton and cane-field, In agrl-
 culture alone. therefore, will the negro he allowed to work. MT Washington is mistaken in supposing that good me chanic will be given employment with out regard to the color of his skin A negro is not allowed to do high class work for which he is capable, here in Chicago We know a highly competent electrician who was thrown out and
 l.a ha is
 This locks like a pretty bad prospect for the race; but there is way out of it. There are eight millions of them in this country There are two men who are giving themselves to the solution of the problem in way that means finan- Cial solidity and good sense-Messrs. John J. and William k. Benson, father and son, of Kowaliga, Ala. MT. Ben son the elder was slave; is now wealthy planter, with 250 people on his plaI tations. He has worked away on his own lines. a pioneer, without prece- dents to guide him, no counsel. and no assistance. His plantations afford the spectacle of a negro community. With out intending it, he has made the dem onstration that a negro community may a attain intelligence, thrift, and property Two years ago the writer of this, desir- ing to investigate the Black Belt" and see what it was like, fortunately went into that neighborhood, not knowing of the existence of MT. Benson, and not ing his remarkable success, raised the question: Why cannot what you have accomplished individually upon your GOO acres be extended upon more scale? Why cannot your 250 people be increased to 2,500 or 5000, pr an indefinite number?" Nothing to hinder he replied but where is the force? 1 cannot do it alone" Then as- sembe the force-that is a simple pro- position" But MT. Benson had no faith in the possibility. Who knows me? I am merely successful negro Who is going to take hold with me-"
 A year passed. William E. Benson, l the son. received a thorough training at Howard and Fisk universities. He was 1 in the erection of a school | capable of accommodating 250 | pupils. and in fitting it with industrial | appliances; then the young man and his ! 'ather devised solid FTP sition"--or- sanized a company, obtained charter, |