The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1903-04-22
UPLIFTING The NEGROES.
Important Meeting Held in New
York Last Night.
GROVER CLEVELAND SPEAKS.
The Object was TO aid Booker 4
washington and the Tuskegee
Institute in the Industrial
and Moral Education
of the G0lored
People.

VI SesG OOaOS OQ
People.
New York, April 14.-Former P,esi-
.dens Grover Cleveland was the princi-
bal speaker tonight at a meeting held
IN the Concert Hall Of Madison Square
Garden, in the interests. Of the Tuske-
gee Normal and Industrial Institute.
Among those on the platform with
Mr.. Cleveland we're Mayor Low, who
presided, Booker 7. Washington,
Edgar 6. Murphy, DR.. Lyman Alb
bott, President Nicholas Murray Butler
and Dean j. Van Amringe, of Colum-
bia; NJ. 81. Baldwin. Chancellor Nc
Cracken, Of New York University !;
John De Witt Warner and George F.
Peabody. Mrs. Cleveland sat in the
gallery with Mr.. and Mrs. Andrew
Carnegie, who are Mr.. Cleveland's
hosts while he is IN the city.
Mr.. Cleveland, VINO was greeted
with prolonged applause as he was in
trod1ced by Mayor Low, said:
have come here tonight as sincere
friend Of the negro, and should be
very sorry TO suppose that my good and
regular standing IN such company
needed support at this late day, either
from certificate or confession Of faith.
Inasmuch, however, as there may be
differences of thought and, sentiment
among those who profess to be friends
Of the negro, I desire to declare myself
as belonging to the Booker Washing
on-Tussegee section of the orgaliza-
tioa. z believe that the days of Uncle.
Toms Cabin are past. I believe that
neither the decree that made the
slaves free, nor the enactment that
suedenly invested them with the rights
Of citizenship, any more purged them
Of their racial and slavery i'm
perfections and Deficiencies than it
changed the color Of their skin. / BE-
leve that among the nearly nine mil
lions Of negroes who have been inter
mixed with our citizenship there is
still a grieyous amount Of ignorance,
sad amount Of Yiciousness and a
# tremendous amount Of laziness and
thriftlessness, I believe that these
conditions inexorably present to the
white people of the United States, to
each in his environment and under
the mandate of good citizenship, a
problem, which neither enlightened
self-interest nor the higher motive Of
human sympathy will permit them to
put aside. believe our fellow country
men in the Southern and late slave
holding States, surrounded by about
nine-tenths. or nearly eight millions,
of this entire negro population, and
who regard their material prosperity,
their peace and even the safety OF
their civilization, inter-woven with the
negro problem, are entitled to our ut
most consideration and sympathy and
fellowship. | am thoroughly convinced
: that the Efforts Of Booker Washington
aud the methods of Tuskegee Institute
point the way to safe and beneicent
solution Of the Vexatious negro problem
at the South, and I know that the good
people at the North, who have aided
these efforts and methods, have IL
lustrased the highest and best citizen
ship and the most Christian and en-
ightened philanthropy
l cannot however, keep out of my
mind tonight, the thought that all we
of the North may do, the realization
Of our hopes for the negro must, after
all, mainly depend, except 50 far as 1t
rests with the negroes themselves,
apon the sentiment and conduct of the
leading and responsible white men OF
the South, and upon the maintenance
of a kindly and helpful feeling on
sheir part towards those in their midst,
who so much need their aid and en-
conragem ment.
need waste no time in detailing
the evidence that this aid and encou-
r4gement has thus far been generously
forthcoming. Schools for the educa-
tion Of negro children and institutions
for their Industrial training are scat
tered all over the South and are liber-
ally assisted by the Southern public
and prirate funds. So far as | am in
formed the sentiment in favor of the
largest extension and broadest infiu-
ence of Tuskegee Institute and kindred
agencies is universal, and | believe
tiat without exception the negroes
who fit themselves for useful occupa-
tions and service find willing and
cheerful patronage and employment
among their white neighbors.
II do not know how it may be with
other Northern friends OF the negro,
but I have faith in the bonor and
sincerity of the respectable white peo-
pie of the South in their relations With
the negro and his improvement and
well-being. They do not believe in
the social equality of the race, and
thay make no false pPeGence in regard