The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1903-01-20

ticles. Notable among recent contribu-
lions is an article from Mrs. Kate Hutch
inson Morriesette, chairman of the edu-
cational committee. As 1t sets forth so
clearly the necessity for educating the
poor white children of the state and con-
veys Enthusiastically the position of Ala
bama women upon the educational ques-
ton, a request has been made that the
article be reproduced in these columns.
1t is in part as follows:
Permit me to summarize and to alter
into phraseology of my own, an article in
the current number of Review of Reviews
and to say few of the things the ar
ticle suggests.
William E. Benson, 1t tells, whose face
illumes Tor effulges) the page, an Ala
bama negro, the son of slave a gradu-
ate Of college, came home In 1896 to
convince seventy more negroes that edu-
cation was a good thing. that the noun
tain could come to Mahomet, that there
was a way to change yourself under your
skin, although the epidermis and its pecu-
llarities were unalterable. These dusky
likely fellows cut down trees given them
by southern gentleman, and while they
fashioned them into lumber for Patrons
Hail." young negro Glee club Sang
$500 into the school treasury" The Amer
lean Missionary society heard the news
a negro's smile and a negro's song are
transcontinental in Acknowledgements
Bill Benson went north and begged for
money with all that native talent, doubt
less, which was observed and narrated by
Baker. Livingstone's son-in-law, who
travelled SO extensively In Africa and
traced the people and the Nile to their
sources-for. Baker says. the negro, on
his native heath. has two dominant ra-
cial instincts begging and stealing; and
that he uses them Interchangeable one
for the other when "the other" fails. At
present this Alabama negro school has
land and property valued at $4,000.
Now, II Booker Washington and other
good darlSeys can, with their natural beg
ging talents, raised to highest and Ma
poleonic power, go north and get enough
money to educate the balance of their
race out of their stealing propensities
there will result not only regeneration
for the blacks, but advantage for the
whites whose hen roosts will thereafter
be safe, whose cows and calves will Craze
secure, whose hogs and pigs will Save
their bacon" for their real owners, whose
cornfields unrified by night providers will
yield autumn harvests to proper barns
whose peas, beans and cotton will in be-
ing picked not be pilfered and whose en-
tire farming and housekeeping will cease
to bleed as now they do, at every pore.
In the Kowaliga school, which this ne
gro has builded, agriculture is en-
phasized in the curriculum and no Jack
leg teacher is engaged but teachers
skilled in instruction of grammar grades.
versed in practical farming lessons, and
in knowledge of the care of live stock,
and in manual training for boys and girls.
The state gives $500 year, the American
Missionary association $500. the balance
Is tuition fees, and the fees Of black or
tan colored eloquence paid by northern
admirers. Furthermore these two colored
Bensons have founded land company,
whose object 1s BODYBUILDING and the de-
velopment of the negro farmer.
All honor to Benson, Junior and senior
they are fine darkeys sure! I'd make my
cook take them both to dinner in my
kitchen any day, and I'd go out myself
and stand on my back porch and ques-
ton them an hour or more. exactly as
l used to do when my good negro cook
let me know that her mothers preacher
had come to town and the big ebony
face smiled thanks while he took Off
his hat at the foot of the steps to say
"Thanky Marster" ere he stepped in to
discuss the dinner and old times with
my happy servant
But what are we thinking about when
we let these Ishmaels. these sons of the
bondwoman, grasp the opportunities of
the hour, build industrial schools. form
land companies beg money till the north
ern heart and pocket cape wide, while
we do 80 little for the Saxon children in
our midst q distinct race of whites, abb
solutely apart from ourselves. though
sharing OF our destiny. leaner and hun
grier and just as dirty as the negroes.
and in some instances almost as immoral,
though never as thievish, poor to pitiful-
ness, ignorant to shamefulness. idle to
the point of cruelty to their children.
What are we thinking about while Ha-
CARS sons are possessing themselves of
Dixie land and mortgaging Yankee Doo-
dies purse and mind.
ITO beg l am ashamed"-yes, I am
especially since every time I've begged
I've failed. First, 1 asked some Alabama
ans; they had nothing to spare to
school l told them Of whose roof was
leaking, whose walls were bare, whose
plentiful lack OF room was emphatic ana
whose teachers salaries were inadequate
and corruptly adjusted Next l took my
pen in hand, but wrote with less than
darby skill to one in Yankee land, saying
in effect; Send down and help u.s. A
part of the reply was a newspaper clip
ping about that magnificent negro Book
err Washington, describing an ovation to
him when he was the most remarkable
man at meeting In a great northern
town for raising funds for a colored In
dustrial school. when Robert Ogden was
on the platform and ex-President Cleve-
land was present and was vocal with
eulogium on this Ethiope whose father
changed the skin of the mothers son anc
who today is doing more for his mothers
race than any other man of whom l know,
northern or southern. far or near. Is doing
for his race.
Educate the negro by all means!-?
But!-!-i?-?
Before / suffocate, let me ask how long
shall the poor white children wait; how
long shall they remain untutored. naked