The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1903-04-17
ABLE LICENSE
OF The SOUTH.
Ex.President Cleveland Speaks on
the Negro Question.
SOUTH WILL SETTLE IT.
Expresses His Faith In the Honor
and Sincerity of the Southern
White People Dealing With the
Question.

New York, April ID ofmeT TIeSi
dent Grover Cleveland was the principal
speaker last night at meeting held In
the concert hall o. Madison Square Car
den in the interests of the Tuskegee
Normal and Industrial Institute.
Among those on the platform with
Mr.. Cleveland were Mayor Low, who
presided: Booker T Washington, Edgar
=. Murphy, DIR. Lyman Abbott ana
George F. Peabody. Mrs. Cleveland sat
in the gallery with Mr.. Cleveland g hosts
while ne is in the city. -.
Mr.. Cleveland, who was greeted with
prolonged applause as he was introduced
by Mayor Low, said:
Mr.. CLEVELAND'S SPEECH.
az have come here tonight as a sin
cere friend of the negro and should be
very sorry to suppose that my gooo ana
regular standing 10 such company need
ed support at this late day either from
certificate or confession of faith.
II believe that the days of Uncle
Toms Cabin are past | do not believe
that either the decree that made the
slaves free or the enactment that sud
denly invested them with the rights OF
citizenship, any more purged them OF
Ulelf 1dcldl anu oidFOiy ~ W ~ fSi'S~
tions ana deficiencies than that 1t chang
ed the color of their skin.
Il believe that among the nearly -
O00,0 900 negroes who have been Inter.
mixed with our citizenship there is still
grievous amount OF ignorance, ire
mendous amount of laziness and thrift
lessness. [ believe that these conditions
inexorably present to the white people OF
the United States, to each in his envlr-
onment apd under the mandate OF GOOD
citizenship, q problem which neither
enlightened selfinterest nor the higher
motive of human sympathy will permit
them to put aside.
SYMPATHETIC FELLOWSHIP.
81 believe our low-countrymen in
the Southern and late slave holding
States, surrounded by about nine-t enths
or nearly 8,000,OCo, of this entire negro
population, and who regard their mate
rial prosperity, their peace and even the
safety of their civilization, inter woven
with the negro problem, are entitled to
our utmost consideration and sympa-
thetic fellowship
81 am thoroughly convinced that the
efforts of Booker Washington and the
methods of Tuskegee Institute point the
way to safe and benifcent solution Of
the vexatious negro problem at the
South; and know that the good people
at the North, v no have aided these eff
forts and methods, have illustrated the
highest and best citizenship and the
most Christian and enlightened philan-
thropy.
II cannot, however, keep out of my
.~h th0t,nhf Of
we of the North may do, the realization
of our hopes for the negro must after
all, depend-except 80 far as it rests
with the negroes themselves-upon the
sentiment and conduct of leading and
responsible white men of the South, and
upon the maintenance of d kindly and
helpful feeling on their part towards
those in their midst who so much need
| their aid and encouragement
LITERALLY ASSISTED.
81 need waste no time in detailing the
evidence that this aid and encourage
ment has thus far been generously forth
coming. Schools for the education OF
| negro children and institutions for their
| industrial training are scattered all over
the South, and are literally assisted by
the Southern public and private funds.
So far as | am informed, the sentiment
| in favor of the largest extension and
broadcast influence of Tuskagee Inst
! tute and kindred agencies is universal;
and | believe that without exception the
negroes who fit themselves for useful
occupations and service find willing and
cheerful patronage and employment
amoLg their white neighbors.
| sT 10 MT Lnou how If NAV hp with
other Northern friends of the negro, but