The daily morning journal and courier., 1903-08-24
YALE'S COLORED ORATOR
ADDRESSES SUMMER CLASS AT
 DAVENPORT CHURCH

George ". Crawford, Winner ofPoSyn-
 send Prize at Yale Law School. Ad-
 vanees some Very significant suggss-
 tions-suBjsc,, "rhs souI of ihs Black
 Folk"
 The summer class at the Davenport Congregational church, which has been
 formed for the discussion of current
 events Of state and national interest,
 was yesterday morning highly enter
 tained by the talk of George W. craw-
 ford, the young colored man who re-
 gently graduated from the Yale Law
 school with honors, and who is also a
 graduate of the Tuskegee institute in
 Alabama. The topic for the discussion
 was '"The Soul of the Black Folk" MT.
 Crawford made a strong plea for more
 liberal consideration of the conditions of
 the negro in this country. He based his ] talk principally on the recent book writ ten by Professor Dubois, of Atlanta un-
 iversity, on the topic which was consid- cred. He stated that Professor Dubois, being a negro and one who had had the
 benefit of the higher education, was
 certainly very well and perhaps the best qualified of any one in the country | to write understandingly on the subject. | MT. Crawford called especial attention
 to the chapter in the book which deals | with Booker. T. Washington, whom the speaker said was certainly the greatest colored man and leader of that race in the country to-day. He explained MT. Washington's views with regard to the higher education of the negro, stating \ that his plan for accomplishing this I purpose was perfect and would doubt | less work out the desired end within a few years. He expressed the hope that all of the colored people in the country \ would accept the suggestions and plan presented by MT. Washington, remark | ing that if such was done all difficulties ! would be at an end and the great race problem solved. But this could not be | so and hence there was a necessity for l further argument in the matter and the further endeavor to have the people ac- | cept the suggestions. The speaker said l that there was no desire on the part of all the negroes to become leaders, but | that certain few who had the ability l and were given the opportunity would I become their leaders and thus shape their careers In the future. It Is not possible for all to be leaders and men of I all walks of life cannot be senators or
 hold administrative offices no more than all farmers could be college professors. MT. Crawford said that colored boys and girls had ambitions as well as their | white brother and tsister, and there must be an opening whereby these an- bitions can be realized and thus the con- l ditions of the race Improved.
 l Tn conclusion he said that the great est matter which troubled him was what assurance the colored people had that they would be given the oppoftuni- | ty of assisting in the administration of
 affairs or of being leaders after they
 had had the benefit of the higher edu- cation and had become leaders among their own people. He wondered if they
 would be looked upon any more favora- l bly, one hundred years from now than
 they are to-day. --, l..... ...- < At the close of the talk MT. Crawford answered 8 number of questions with
 relation to the subject discussed, and i Mir. Pickens, another colored Yale man.
 who has recently won fame, made some Interesting remarks. +' ": g.