New-York tribune., 1903-02-23
CALL NEGRO n NAN.
So Booker Z. Washington 4shs ;
Not O. Problem

Liberty" was the theme on which Booker l.
Washington the negro president of Tuskegee
Institute. spoke last night at one of the largest
audiences ever seen in the Brooklyn Academy OF
Music The address given under the
auspices of the Brooklyn Institute OF Arts ana
Sciences and A Augustus Healy, president OF
that organization, presided. 1t being Washing
toms Birthday the speaker referred to the pc
ginnings of liberty in this country ana tne
struggles that have been made since to preserve
it. He made this plea:
want to request and suggest that you WTnte
men of the North, and the white men OF 'he
South. approach the solution OF the negro quss e
ton with GOODNESS. with that calmness. that DE
liberation and that sense OF justice anu lotS
sight with which you approach any otner proD
lem in business or national analrs oh LIolt
other subjects white men use their reason, not
their feelings: but in considering the SUBJECT VI
the coored man in most cases there are eSi-
dences of passion-a tendency to exaggerate
and to make IL sensation out OF the most ihiio
cent and most meaningless events Ihis Is noI
the way to settle great national questions
While the North and South argue in heated pas
sion the negro suffers. :.
believe the time has come-and believe II
is a perfectly practical thing-when group Oh
CONSERVATIVES Southern white and North
ern white men and negroes should meet anu
consider with the greatest camness anu 3or,
ness sagacity the whole subject as viewed from
every point The age for settling great ques-
tions either social or national. with the snoST
gun, the torch and by lyncnlnSS mas poSSeu
Ignorance and race hatred are no soIuIlon IoI
any problem earth No one can ever liIC up
a race by continually calling attention to its
weak points.
1t is hard to find those who can so far controi
themselves as to discuss the subject Win coih-
plete absence of prejudice. In most cases tnere
is an effort to prove the negro devil or an
angel. He is neither. but just an ORDINARY hu-
man being. When measured by the standaru
of the eternal present justice, that race
is greatest that has learned TO exhibit the great
est patience the greatest sef-ccntrol, the great
est forbearance, the greatest interest IN the
poor in the unfortunate, that has been able 10
live I'D in a high and pure atmosphere ana
dwell above hatred and acts of cruelty he
who would be the greatest must become the
least.
Regarding the Philippine problem. Mr.. Wash
ington said:
Our most recent experiment In the way OF race
accessions-the Filipino shall not on this oc-
casion discuss for the reason that we seem as
vet to De quite undecided as to how and where
he shall be classei-that is, whether we shall
rate him as black man or white man. just
now the Filipino seems to be going through
the interesting process of being carefully exam
ined. II he can produce hair that is long enough
and nose and feet that are small enough, think
the Filipino will be designated and treated as
q white man; otherwise he VIII be assigned 10
my race If / were to consider the question
merely from selfish standpoint. l should urge
that our new subjects be classed as negroes;
but If were to consider unselfishly the peace
of mind of the Filipino himself, should hope
that he be so classified that in addition to all
his other trials. he will not struggle through all
future generations considered and looked upon
a problem and not as man.