The Montgomery advertiser., 1903-07-02
ASKS NATION TO
 EDUCATE NEGRO
PLEA MADE AT UNIVERSITY
 CoNVoCATIoN IN ALBANY,
Legal Right is shown-Charles A. Gardiner Says It is the Only Possible Solution of the
 Negro Problem.


 Albany. N. Y. Special.
 The forty-first university convocation of the State of New York began in the Senate chamber of the Capitol here to- day.
 The chief feature of the days gather ing was a plea for government control of the education of the negro. This ad- dress. which was of some length. was delivered by Regent Charles A, Gardi- ner of New York City.
 MT. Gardiner took for his topic "A Constitutional and Educational Solution of the Negro Problem" He argued that the federal government should assume the education of the negro.
 Mir Gardiner began by definition of the constitutional powers of the govern ment and of the separate rights of the States as to franchise and other restric- tions and limitations. Then he reviewed at some length what had been done in the way of laws for the civil, social and political rights of the negro in various parts of the country. All of these, he said, had failed to solve the problem. The reason for this failure. MT Gardiner said. was the lack of education and manliness in the blacks.
 To-day he is a Frankenstein," said the speaker, "the terror of fifteen com monwealths. and if you do not recreate him, mark my words, your Frankenstein will some day turn and rend not fifteen States but the nation!
 With blacks exceeding whites three to one in many Atlantic and gulf coun- ties, two to one in many more. and out numbering the whites in the six States as a whole, why must not those States speedily face the inquiry. What will the blacks do with them?
 E You say no colored race has faced the Anglo-Saxon and lived. and the south ern whites are the purest Anglo Saxons In the republic; but. remember this never before has any colored race faced Anglo-Saxons not only equal in numbers, but equal in rights and under a sover- eign government that has guaranteed, and is able and bound to enforce such rights. What, ask will the illiterate black do with the Atlantic and gulf States?
 There, I repeat is your negro prob lem, and there Is only one relief from the appalling situation. The negro is a citizen. Elevate him to the full stand ard of American citizenship. And there Is only one possible means-educatfon. Educated citizens, these constitute a State educated in intelligence, indus try, morals. and religion. And how thus to educate the negro-that, in It's last
 
 MT. Gardiner then demonstrates by figures how it Is impossible for the South to bear the cost of this enormous task of education; how in fact, there is not the money in the negro States to do it. Continuing. he said:
 ''The problem is to educate ,0O0 me- gro citizens in the South. Private philan- thropy is doing a noble work, but af- fects directly only 410O0!
 'fEIOw few aVan n fbIS oudtanoo oe scholars realize the supreme gravity of this situation! How few know there are more Illiterates in the South today than ever before. A tidal wave submerged Galveston and thrill of horror ran throughout the land. Do you not behof0 huge tidal wave of negro illiteracy gathering force along the whole South Atlantic and gulf coast, slowly pushing its way inland. and submerging not one city. nor one county only. but six sover- eign States, and threatening as many more?
 T advance the broad proposition that the nation has both the power and the duty to educate every negro to perform every obligation of American citizenship To prove this is the supreme function of my address. What I propose has never been demonstrated. There are no emil nent authorities in its support. It has --0'NA NSNA JNNASA0Ay NCiCA OJ In0 Supreme Court.
 Government Has Legal Power.
 Mir Gardiner then by a series of argu- ments undertook to set up the legal req sons why the government has the au- thority to undertake the work of edu- eating the blacks and making that edu- cation in a large measure compulsory and as a closing argument said:
 And that the supreme blessings of education may be ours. I plead tonight for immediate and ample appropriations by the nation. Was 1t right that the last congress should appropriate $2, 1884 56O for the bureau of animal industry, $1,2S7 900 for the bureau of plants. $500, 900 to cure the mouths and feet of your cattle. and only $56, 190 for the bureau of education? Was Congress Justified in appropriating $91l,OOO for the bayous of Louisiana, S1,- 464.OOO for the harbors of Alabama, $1- 1S5.OOO for the rivers of Mississippi. s1,- 524,Sd for the bays of Florida, $l,5l5, 900 for the inlets of Georgia-$39,5 ,5S5 .S22 to im- prove the rivers and harbors of the coun- try. and not dollar to improve the minds and souls of its people?
 We opened schools and expended thousands of dollars for the Porto Ricans; we sent a regiment of teachers and hundreds of thousands of money to educate the Filipinos; we spent millions upOh nllllohs to clVlllze the indians; why should We not make ample appropria- tions to educate our own iIliterate citi- zens, white and blacks out of the boun- teous resources and overfiowing treas ury of the nation?"
 The speaker closed with plea that all unite in upholding President Roose- welt in the work he is trying to do, and likewise unite Tn urging Congress to take up the task that lies before 1t.