Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1903-04-15
RECOGNIZE RACE PREJUDICE
Cleveland Declares Southern Whites Must
BE Allowed Freedom Of Thought,
BLACKS SHORTCOMINGS ARE FORGOTTEN
Former Masters Forgive RecOnstruc-
tiOn Period and show Every Day
Genuine Desire to UpIit
Emancipated slaves.

NEW YORK, April 14.-Former President
Grover Clevelrud was the principal speaker
tonight at a meeting held in the concert
hall Of Madison Square Garden in the in
terest OF the Tuskegee institute. Among
those on the platform we're Mayor Low.
who presided; Booker T. Washington, Ed
gar @. Murphy, DR.. Lyman Abbott, DR..
Murray Butler and Dean j. Van Amringe
Of Columbia; w II. Baldwin, Chancellor
McCracken of New York university; John
Dewitt Warner and George +. Peabody.
Mrs. Cleveland sat In the gallery with Mr..
and Mrs. Andrew Carnegie, who are Mr..
Cleveland's hosts while he Is in the city.
Negroes Provide National Problem.
Mr.. Cleveland who was greeted with pro-
longed applause as he was introduced by
Mayor Low. said:
l believe that neither the decree that
made the slaves free, nor the enactment
that suddenly invested them with the
rights of citizenship, any more purged
them Of their racial and slavery-bred i'm
perfectness than that IL changed the color
Of their skins l believe that among the
nearly 9OO0,0OO negroes who have been In
tCrmixed with our citizenship there is still
grievous amount of Ignorance, sad
amount of laEiness and thriftlessness.
believe that these conditions inexorsbly
present to the white people of the United
States a problem, which neither enlight-
ened self-interest nor the higher motive Of
human sympathy will permit them to put
aside believe our fellow countrymen in
surrounded by about 100000 negroes, and
who regard their material prosperity, their
peace and even the safety of their civiliza-
ton interviewer with the negro probe m, are
entitled to our utmost consideration and
sympathetic fellowship
At the same time l am thoroughly con-
nf "A Qll-
ington and the methods of the Tuskegee
institute point the way to a safe and bene-
hcent solution Of this vexatious problem.
cannot, however, keep out of my mind
tonight the thought that, with all we of the
north may do, the realization of our hopes
Tor the negro must after all, mainly de-
pend, except so far as II rests with the
negroes themselves, upon the sentiment and
conduct of the leading and responsible
white men of the south.
l need waste no time in detailing the evi-
dence that this aid and announcement has
schools for the Education of negro chi.
dren 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 broadest influence OF
cies is universal; and 1 believe that with
out exception the negroes who ft them
snG selyes iII h9T userHI oScupatlons and service
employment among their white neighbors
Whites Have Honest Prejudice.
do not know how it may be with other
northern friends of the negro but 1 have
faith in the honor and sincerity of respect
believe in the social equality OF the race.
and they make no false pretense in regard
to 1, but 1t seems 20 me there is abondant
ern whites to make us doubt the justice of
charging this denial to prejudice, as we
usually u ny understand the word; Perhaps 1T
is born OF something so much deeper and
more imperious as to amount to a racial
instinct. Whatever II is, let us remember
that 1t has condoned the negroes share in
the humiliation and spollation Of the whit
men of the south during the saturnalia of
reconstruction days and has allowed a
kindly feeling to survive the time when tn
south was deluged by perilous flood of
lndiscrimlnate and unintelligent negro suf-
rage. Whatever Il is, let us try to be
toIerant and considerate of the feelings
and even the prejudice or racial instinct of
our white fellow countrymen in the south,
. VINO In me solution OF the negro problem
the heat of the day and stagger under the
weight of the white mans burden.
Inere are, however, consideration re
lated to this feature of the Question which
may be regarded as more In keeping with
the objects and purposes of this occasion.
the possibility of his advancement and sim
cerely iaboring to that end, 1t is folly for
us to Ignore the Importance of the un-
grudging cooperation of the white people
Of the south. Labor as we will those who
lift the weight must be those who stand
forced; neither can It be gained by ggstuI7
tously running counter to firmly fixed and
tenaciously held southern ideas, or even
In summing up the whole matter, there is
one thing OF which we can be absolutely
and unreservedly certain! When we aid
Iuskegee institute and agencies like il,
striving for the mental and manual educa-
tion of the negro in the south, we are rem.
dering him the best possible service. What
IA
thus helping to At him TO fiji his place and
bear Its responsibilities. We are sowing
seeds of the black mans deveIopment and
usefulness, These seeds will not die. bur
VIII sProut and grow; and. II It be within
face of no outward sentiment or prejudIcl
can prevent the plant of the negro's p n
pointed Opportunity bursting forth into tn
orght sunlight OF cloUdless day.
Murphy Lauds Washington,
At the conclusion of his address Mr.
Cleveland introduced Edgar G. Murphy.
who said:
think wise men everywhere are recoR.
nizing In the principal OF Tuskegee one az
| the greatest moral assets In the country
today. The south has not applauded him
with undiscriminating agreement. Indeed ii
has sometimes blamed him. But the scutI
Is too fair to him and his race 10 allow
these occasions of disagreement to dIstori
the broad perspective in which II has
viewed and appreciated that arduous publlc
service through which, for twenty Years
ne has labored for the upbuiding Of his
| humble and untutored fellows.
DR.. Lyman Abbott, who followed said
the south deserved great credit for takine
up as 1t had an untried problem in helpjnq
the negro to help himself.
/ Quoting remark made by Henry Ward
| Beecher to the effect that we should make
/ the negro worthy first and then give him
suffrage" DR.. Abbott said:
We made the Yrror Of giving him sunrag