The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1903-09-24
AN UNTIMELY CRITICISM.

The Presbytery of Philadelphia has
taken upon itself to criticize Booker
T. Washington, and his educational
methods as employed at Tuskegee In
stitute This spirit came to light at
O meeting of the Presbytery few
days ago, when a report of the Freed
men committee was being discussed,
aud on the surface it looks as though
the Presbyterian brethren were be-
coming little jealous of the great
negro teacher and his success. The
committee finds that public sentiment
is becoming more interested in the
race problem and the report in ques-
tion states that while this has in
creased interest. it has also in some
cases decreased sympathy for the
negro and that every effort is needed
to convert public interest into practi
cal sympathy" This is what Booker
t Washington believes also, but the
difficulty with Washington, as seen
through the eyes of the Presbyterian
brethren is that he lays more stress
on the industrial education of the
colored man rather than ON his reli-
gious training One of the members
OF this Philadelphia presbytery in an
address on the subject said:
We have plunged into this field of
barbarism and ineend to make the
negroes Christians. | seriously ques-
tion the methods Of Booker T. Wash
ington in educating the negro. He is
giving an exaggerated Importance to
industrial education and subordinat-
ing the education of spiritual and
religious influences. Booker Wash.
ington was in pulpit in this city
recently and throughout the sermon
spoke on horseshoeing and carpenter
ing, not on preaching Christ be-
lieve that the Presbytery should choose
their own leaders for the higher ed
ucation of the negro. 1 question
whether the popularity of Booker 7.
Washington helps the freedmen, but
it does help him and Tuskegee Insti-
tute. -
Another member said: THE re-
ports shows that the expenses OF edu-
eating the negro in the South by COM
bining religious and industrial train
ing is less per capita than at Booker
Washington's institute, where educa-
ton is industrial only. There is no
need of advertising Mr.. Washington.
He is able to do that himself Sew
eral other speakers agreed with these
and in all the presbyte only one
man was found who commended and
defended Booker T. Washington. Of
course these men were churchmen and
it is only natural that they should up
hold the missionary methods of the
church, and that spirit OF loyalty
would naturally lead to little jeal-
ousy in the matter of negro missions
for, while the church has worked
among the freedmen ever since they
were free without advancing any the
DRY or evolving any plant that has
been seriously considered as means
of settling the negro question, Booker
L. Washington has come to the front
with less money and practically no
moral support and in few years has
come to be hailed as the saviour of
his race by those who have studied
the negro question.
The complaint that Washington
preached horseshoeing and carpenter
ing in a Philadelphia pulpit will
have little weight with people gener-
ally and the hints that the negro
teacher is mainly advertising himself
and Tuskegee, without particular aid
to the negro is unworthy of the Phil
adelphia presbytery or any other
church organization, for few men
have ever devoted themselves to a
cause so heartily as has Booker T,
Washington, and through his aims
and ends may not be all that the
church believes they should be, it is
safe to assume that the great mass of
Americans believe in the colored
teacher and will support him in his
work.