The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1904-11-28
Eminent Negro Educator and
Reformer in This City.
WAS GREETED BY LARGE CROWDS
Dealt Earnestly and EluuusntIy With the
Many Phases Of the Situation Among
Negroes Struggling for Enlightenment

Booker T. Washington, eminent negro
reformer. thorough scholar notable
teacher and eloquent preacher. visited this
city yesterday making three typical ad-
dresses In as many of the local churches.
Mr. Washington. whose greatest fame
possibly has come through his splendid
work as head of the Tuskegee Normal
and Industrial Institute at Tuskcgee,
Ala, was awarded a most cordial recep-
ton, such a greeting as was Justly due
him, the foremost representative OF the
negro race In America.
During his stay in the city he lis the
guest OF F. w. Carpenter. He arrived
here yesterday forenoon and delivered
the morning address at the First Con-
gregational church on Benefit street. AT
o'clock IN the afternoon he was the
speaker at the Central Congregational
church and last evening Joined with
Bishop McVickar and Rev. A. z. Krom
at the Benehcent Congregational church.
FIRST CONGREGATIONAL
The First Congregational church was
well filled at the regular morning service
at which DR.. Washington occupied the
pulpit In part the eminent educator
and reformer said:
For a number OF years you have been
so constant and generous in your aid 10
the Tuskegee Institute that ] feel IL 10
be my duty, from time TO time. TO give
YOU an account OF our Stewardship. There
have been 1901 students enrolled In all
OF the departments Of this institution
during the past year. This number does
not include the %52 pupils wac attend the
practice school crhe Chdldrens Horle).
the town night school. the. Greenwood
night school, the afternoon cooking
school. conducted In the little town OF
Tuskeges and the night Bible class.
COMMUNITY LIFE.
ut may be OF interest 10 you To know
70 what extent a community is being
built UP in the vicinity OF the inst.tu-
ton There are 373 persons residing in
the school community in addition TO the
school grounds, S buildings homes of
teachers and employees OF the school,
owned by individuals. making a total OF
1853 buildings In our community.
The interest of the public centres just
now on the question OF the benefits and
results OF negro education. The charge
is made by some that the more educa-
ton the man and women OF my race re-
ceive the more useless. economically and
the more immoral do they become. IL
this charge has any color of truth the
public ought to be informed OF II. II the
charge is untrue its falsity should likewise
be made known.
COMMAND BETTTR WAGES.
investigation shows that our students
command an average wage that Is three
times as large as that which they earned
before receiving any training at the Tus-
kegee Institute. That is. expressed In
dollars and cents, the Southern white peo-
pie place three times az much value upon
the services of an educated negro as they
place upon the services of an uneducated
one.
The foregoing statement seems con-
elusive as 10 the effect OF education upon
~the economic worth OF the negro. II
evidence is needed TO prove that educa-
ton does not harm him morally. I would
submit the fact that no negro who holds
n diploma from any chartered institution
in Alabama can be discovered In any
prison In that state.
while we have a difficult and serious
question before US in the south. see no
reason for discouragement. Patience and
hard work will produce the result so
much 10 be desired"
CENTRAL CONGREGATIONAL.
In the afternoon DR. Washington spoke
at the Central Congregational church on
Angel street His address was In sub
stance as follows:
Several persons holding high official
positions have recently said that II does
sot pay from any point OF view 10 edu-
cate the negro and that all attempts at
his education have 50 far failed 10 ac-
complish any good results. Except that
these utterances come from official
sources they would have little claim to
a place In meeting OF this character
But the southern states, which out of
their poverty are contributing rather
literally for the education OF all the
people as we'll as individual and or
ganized philanthrophy throughout the
country, have a right 10 know whether
the negro Is responding 20 the efforts they
have made 20 place him upon a higher
plane OF civilization.
DECREE OF ILILTERACY
Does the American negro take ad-
vantage Of opportunities to secure edu-
cation? with all his disadvantages, the
negro. according 20 official records. has
blotted out H5 per cent OF his illiteracy
since ne became free man. while prac-
tically e5 per cent OF the native Africans
are illiterate. After years OF civilization
and opportunity In Spain 81 per cent OF
the population are illiterate: IN Italy, Is
per cent: IN the average South Ameri-
can country about IN per cent are H.
iiterate. while after 10 years the American
negro has only AS per cent OF illteracy
10 his debit.
From both a moral and religious point
OF view, what measure OF education the
negro has received has paid. and there
has been no step backward In any state.
Not a single graduate Of the Hampton
institute or OF the Tuskegee institute can
be found today In any jail or state
penitentiary. After making careful In
quiry I cannot find a half-dozen cases
OF a man or woman who has completed
n full course OF education In any OF our
reputable institutions like Hampton.
Tuskegee. Fisk or Atlanta, who are In
prisons.
CRIME AMONG NEGROES.
"If the negro at the north is more
criminal than his brother at the south
n IL because the north withhoIds from
him the opportunity for employment
which he south Qfyea A. ma a..