The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1903-02-23
THE RACE PROBL EN-
WASHINGT0N'S
THEME
Booker [. Makes It Text for
Address in Brooklyn on
Anniversary of Georges
Birthday-NegrO Asks No
Special Privileges.

NEW YORK, Feb. 22.-Washington's
birthday was observed here by special
services Of patriotic societies and many
clergymen made the anniversary the
subject Of their sermons. The Society
of the Sons Of the Revolution of the
State Of New York had it's thirtieth
annual service in the Brick Presby-
terian church.
At Carnegie hall a patriotic mask
meeting was conducted under the aus
pices of the West Side branch Of the
Y. M. G. A. Patriotic airs were rem,
dered by the Seventh regiment band
and the New York festival chorus of
300 voices, the audience joining in the
singing of the national anthem and the
Battle Hymn of the Republic"
Booker T. Washington was the ora
tor at memorial meeting held tonight
in the Academy Of Arts and Sciences.
The speaker devoted his address to the
consideration of the race problem and
said in part:
Unlike the Indian, the original Mex
lean, or the Hawaiian, the negro, so
far from dying out when in contact
with a stronger and different race, has
continued to increase in numbers to
such a neXtent that whereas the race
entered bondage twenty in number,
there are now more than nine millions.
whether we are Of Northern or of
Southern birth, whether we are black
or white, we must face frankly the
hard stubborn fact that in bondage
and in freedom the negro, in spite of
all predictions to the contrary, has
continued year by year to increase in
numbers until he now forms about one
seventh Of the entire population, and
that there are no signs that the same
ratio of increase will not hold good in
the future. Further than this, despite
all the changing, uncertain conditions
through which the race has passed and
is passing, you will find that every
year since the black man came into
this country, whether in bondage or
in freedom, he has made a steady gain
in acquiring property, Skill habits of
industry, education and Christian char
acter
Way of Progress.
ITO deal practically and directly
with the affairs Of my own race. 1
believe that both the teachings Of his
tory, as well as the results Of every
day observation, should convince US
that we shall make our most endurirAy
progress by laying the foundations
carefully, patiently, in the ownership
of the soil, the exercises of habits Of
economy, the saving of money, the
securing Of the most complete educa-
uOn OF mana ana mead, and the cultt-
walton Of Christian virtues.
Il cannot believe, 1 will not believe,
that a country that invites into it's
midst every type of European from the
highest to the very dregs of the earth,
and gives these comers shelter, pro-
lection and the highest encouragement,
will refuse to accord the same en-
couragement and protection to her
black citizens. The negro seeks no
special privileges. All that he asks
Is opportunity-that the same law
which is made by the white man and
applied to the one race be applied with
equal certainty and exactness to the
other
THE age for settling great questions,
either social or national, with the shot
gun, the torch, and by lynchings, has
passed. An appeal to such methods
is unworthy Of either race. I believe
the time has come-and believe it is
a perfectly practical thing-when a
group of representative Southern white
men and Northern white men and ne
groes should meet and consider with
the greatest calmness and business sa-
gacity the whole subject as viewed
from every standpoint"