The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1903-07-04
Booker Washington Refers IL
Lynchlngs North.
The PROBLEM NATIONAL
ihe Negro Moses Finds Lessons In Recent Acts
ofLawlessuess for Both Races---The
Gully Should be Punished
TauaI Justice for All
IquaI Justice for All.
(By the Associated Press.)


mense audience Booker T. Washington
head Of the Tuskegee Institute, deliver
ed an address, He said that recent re
grettable events in connection with the
race question, went to show that lynch
law is not confined to any one section OF
the country. These events, he said, tend
to simplify the race problem by making
It national. He appealed to the negro to
be calm and to exercise self-control.
Among the other speakers was w. H
Lewis, assistant District Attorney OF
Massachusetts, who was appointed several
months ago by President Roosevelt.
Principal Washington said in part:
In the present season of anxiety and
almost despair, which possesses an ele-
ment of the race there are two things i
wish TO say as strongly as | may:
First, let no man of the race become
discouraged or hopeless. There are in
this country, North and South, men who
mean to see that justice is meted out
to the races Such a man is Judge Jones
Of Alabama, to whom more credit should
be given for plotting out the infamous
system Of peonage than to any other
man.
Second, let US keep before us the
fact that. almost without exception every
race or nation that has ever gotten upon
its feet, has done so through struggle and
trial aud persecution.
No one should seek to close his eyes
to the fact that the race is passing
through very serious and trying period
Of its development. a period that calls
for the use of our ripest thought and sober
Judgment.
Let nothing lead us into extremes of
utterance OF action. 1t Is in the long run,
the race or individual that exercises the
most patience, forbearance and self-con-
troll in the midst of trying conditions that
wins it's cause. Let nothing induce us to
descend to the level of the mob. In
advocating this policy / am not asking
that the negro act the coward; we are
not towards. The part we have played
in defending the flag of our country is
sufficient evidence Of our courage.
The recent outbreaks of the mob
emphasizes two lessons, one for our race
and one for the other citizens of our
country, South and North: for it is to
be noted that the work of the lyncher is
not confined TO one section of the coun-
try. The lesson for us is that we should
see to it that. so far as the influence of
parent, school or pulpit is concerned, no
effort be spared to impress on our own
people that idleness and crime should
cease. We should let the world know
on all proper occasions that we consider
no legal punishment too severe for the
wretch of any race who attempts to out
rage a woman.
1.-The lesson for the other portion of
the nation to learn is that both in the max
ing and in the execution. the same law
should be made to apply to the negro
as to the white man.
There should be melted out equal JUS
tice to the black man and the white man
Whenever the nation forgets or is tempt
ed to forget It's basic principle, the whole
fabric of government for both the white
and the black man is threatened with
destruction. This is true whether its re-
lates to conditions in Texas, Indiana or
Delaware. It is with a nation as with
an individual: whatever we SOW, that shall
we also reap. IT we SOW crime we shall
reap lawlessness."
Bishop j. w. Hood. North Carolina, was
elected to-day a member of the executive
board of the Afro-American Council.
The election was not accomplished until
after a stormy debate for more than an
hour. There was lively objection also
to placing the picture of Booker T.
Washington, on the stage but the dele
gates were paciied by the bringing out
OF large painting of ]. c. Price, South
ern educator, now dead, and placing it
beside the Washington canvas. The diff
ferences arose over a factional fight be-
tween the industrial, the higher education
and the political divisions in the gathering
but the industrial element won.
The first sign of dissention came when
Fannie Williams. of Chicago, read the
report OF the literary bureau, in which
she trleated principally of Booker Wash
irgton and his work. emitting, however,
any reference to charge that Washing
ton Is creating sentiment against the
higher education Of the negro Just as
she finished reading and Mr.. Washington
himself Was seen to enter the hail. a
man stepped from the wings and placed
large oil painting of Booker Washing
ton on the stage. They aroused the New
EH6idHu ucicGdteS, Win w. II. FERRIS OF
Boston, asking permission to speak Presi-
dent Fortune declared, however. that the
hour for adjournment had arrived
At the afternoon session Delegate Ferris
wanted to know why the picture of Wash
ington was on the platform, with a PIC
ture of Tuskegee Institute, while there
were no pictures of colleges established by
other educators, and champions of polit-
IL
President Fortune explained that the
presence of the picture was merely an in
cident, it having been painted by negro
woman, of Louisville, and he character
lied the discussion as unseemly and I'm
fortunate. In few minutes one of J. c..
Price, the founder OF Livingstone Col
lege. N. c., was brought out and placed
beside the painting of Washington.