Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-06-27
SUGGESTION OFFERED
FOR SOLVING HACE PROBLEM IN
THIS COUNTRY.
immigration Of lColored People to
Philippines Mentioned as Means
Of Settling sthe Question.

A banquet was given at Gray & Cost
ley's cafe last night by prominent colored
men of this city in honor of T. Thomas
Fortune. the well-known colored writer and
economist. who has recently returned from
the Philippines and Hawaii. where he made
a special investigation for the United States
government. The guest of honor made q
brilliant speech. in which he limited at i'm
migration to the Philippines as the true
solution of the race problem in this coun-
try. Mr.. Fortune has devoted considerable
time to the study of the condition of the
negro in the United States, and has written
many articles for magazines and newspa-
pers with this subject as his inspiration.
He is the editor of a newspaper for colored
people In New York. and was especially
selected for the mission to the Philippines
because of his familiarity with the question
at ISSUE
After being introduced, following the
serving of an excellent menu last night, Mr..
Fortune devoted a few moments to gen.
eral discussion of the race question in this
country and reverted to the Philippines as
follows:
What of the Philippine Islands and the
Filipino people? And here is another and
mighty problem of race squarely under the
American flag and clean out from under the
American Constitution. And in this aspect
of 1t, at least, we are companions of theirs,
for it is construed that we stand largely
where they stand-outside of the American
constitution, but under the American flag.
The hazards of war make strange bedfel-
lows, but none stranger than this of the
A1ro-American and Filipino peoples.
Resources of the Islands.
The islands are rich beyond the dreams
OF avarice In agricultural and mineral re-
sources. and they are capable of sustaining
5G,OO0,OoO instead of the 100000 people
they now sustain. They need new life They
need much increase of population of men
and women who have large strong physi-
cal development, who love eternal summer
and who are not afraid of honest toll And
nature has ordained 1t so that the white
man cannot live in the Philippines except
as parasite; he may suck blood there, but
ne can create none that has not in it the
elements of hasty decay. But the negro
ne was born In the sun. and honest toll has
Deen MS portion through the dull ages since
the Spnynx hfted her head out Of the sand
or Egypt and dared the wise men of all
times to solve the riddle of him. And do
these 1acts suggest solution of two race
problems to you? Perhaps"
Short addresses were made by hudson w
Ly ons, register of the treasury: ex-Goy p
T. s. Pinchback. John c. Dancey recorder
OF deeds. Judge Robert H. Terrell, Hiram
Watty. councilman of Baltimore city; Judge
y. NJ Hewlett. Editor Edward F.. Cooper of
the Colored American; Robert Pelham, Dr.
Edward D. Scott Thomas L. Jones' Lieut.
I. II. r. Clarke. William L. Howston, H.
r. Slaughter, William II. Montague as
sistant assessor for the District of Colun-
bia; Prof. John c. Male, Prof George
William Cook and Lieut.. r. E. Loomey.
These were present in addition to those
already named: Major'iC. A: Fleetwood,
A. M. Curtis. DR.. Edward Williston, Will
lam T. Ferguson. Willis T. Menard, w. A.
Baltimore, H. e. Bakers7L. G. Fletcher, jr.,
Robert L. Pendieton. Robert T. Douglas.
Charles Hall, j. C. Campbell, DIR. C. Sum
ner Wormley. Zeph p. Moore, J.oW.z Pat
terson. DR.. Phil B. Brooks, Edward F. Ar
mold; Eugene Brooks. John Paynter, T. M.
Dent. William L. Polar, W1lliam Jenifer
and DIR. H. L. Harris s-5 81.