The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1903-05-26
TUESDAY. MAY 26, 1903.
INDUSTRIAL EDUCATION OF Ne
GROES

AT The dinner of the North Carolina
Society of New York a few nights ago
Senators Simmons and DepeW were
among the speakers. The formers sub
ject was the race problem at the south
He divided the subject into three parts
the social, the political and the indus
trial standing of the negro. Senator
Depew took issue with him on his re-
marks regarding the political and in
dustrIal viewpoints of the negrO's pres
ent and future conditions. We know
that this senator has for years been the
butt of the newspaper photographers for
his old chestnut stories n stale post
prandial speeches; but We did not think
that, with all his reputation IN this line,
even if fully merited, he could be guilty
of such nonsensical talk as he treated
those diners to on that occasion. The
idea of a man whose ability and public
standing had won for him a seat in the
United States senate telling a body of
southern men that he thought the man
with q dark skin who rose from slavery
and founded Tuskegee institute one of
the greatest men the south had ever
produced" In the first place it was a
great breach of manners and showed
want of respect for the white men of
the south. whose guest Mr.. Depew on
that occasion was. for him to make
such a statement to them. In the sec
ond place it showed that Mr.. Depew
has as little conception of the value to
4ho oocrr ra1o an1 70 tho cnr1th on
erallv &c the Tuskegee institute as have
the many other northerners who a
been fooled into thinking that Booker
Washington has not only solved theo-
retically the race question at the
south. but is fast working out that
problem practically to a successful con-
clusion.
The TuSkegee institute is not doing
one-tenth tn. good for the negroes of
the south generally that Book Wash
ington has succeeded in making the
people of the north believe 1t is doing.
We faIl to see where lei education as
this institution gives the negro will
benefit him a II more than n Sc
cured at Harvard or Yale. Suppose
you give all the negro youths Of the
south an industrial education hat are
you going to do with them? There is
not enough of that class of work at the
south tC give them employment and if
they so to the north they are not al
lowed to follow their ayOcatiOns in
competition with the white skilled me-
chanics. What then are you going to
do with the graduates of this and SIM
liar Institutions? If you turn them out
in numbers sufficient to make n show
ing among the mass of the negro pOpu-
lation you flood the south with a horde
OF men who will not stOOp to unskilled
labor Ut who find no opening in either
section of the country for the class of
labor for which they are supposed to
be qualified by their education-at the
south because there is not sufficient de-
nand for them and at the north be-
cause they are barred by the white Ia
borers, and for every n of his race
whom YOU uca in this name You
lessen the supply of unskilled labor in
q section where 1t is already scarce.
You are destroying the labor most
needed and building up a class useless
10 themselves anu 10 the COUNTRY.
We do not wish to be understood as
opposing education of the negro. Nor
is the south opposed to it. The mil
lions of dollars the white people of this
section have taxed themselves for the
education of the negro is proof of this.
The negro is a citizen of our country
and he should be educated; if not able
to secure it for himself he should have
it to = certain limit from the public
funds. For our own Sakes as we'll as an
act of justice We can do no less. He
should not be allowed to grow up in
perfect ignorance. But this higher edu-
cation. whether literary or industrial.
at the public expense, is taking the
matter too far and is going to be of no
good TO any one. The truth is this move
at the north for industrial education of
the negro is a sentamentalism akin TO
that which existed before the war be-
tween the states in favor of his liberia
ton. Booker Washington and some
others have recognized its existence and
are working it fer all it is worth. The
time will come when those at the north
so enthusiastic on this subject will as
fully realize their mistake as they do
now the error they committed in fore
ing the illiterate negro on US of the
south as a voter and full-fedged Cit
lien.