Evening star., 1904-03-19
high and useful service to the cause of his
race and country.
Usefulness and Strength.


race and country.
Usefulness and Strength.
Whether we strive to lift the race into
usefulness and strength, through organiza-
tions or institutions, or as individuals, 1t is
well for us to understand and agree, as far
as we may. upon certain fundamental
truths that should always be kept promi-
nent and held as vital essentials. Among
them l would lay stress upon frankness,
whether employed in the world of business.
rclig1on or education, or in the affairs of
an element of strength. We must face the
fact. then. that ours is a child race. a par
tiaiiy developed race, when compared with
some other races. This statement carries
with 1t nothing discreditable to the race. A
child Is not to be despised because of his
age or size, nor youth because of his lack
OF experience. Each has as much right to
ask chance In the world and Is as much
entitled to respect as the full-grown man.
Inc main question then is is the child or
youth growing, and does 1t possess the ele-
ments that assure development into COM
plete manhood?
For myself I have the most profound
Deher that no race in ancient or modern
history has ever equaled the American
negro In development in all directions. 1
Delleve further that in the fullness of time
we snail demonstrate to the world that we
can become potential and helpful part
OF the highest and best civilization.
because OF his progress in the present
and my faith in his future, / was never
prouder than am today of being a negro.
ana OF being identified in some slight degree
with the struggles and triumphs of a race
In which have such confidence
Usefulness to Community.
one OF the most important sources of
protection that any race of people can have
is their usefulness to the community in
winch they dwell. Service is the secret of
sovereignty The man, black or white
who has learned to do something better
than his fellows, has learned to do a com
mon thing in an uncommon manner, will
~ .iine solve all the problems that con-
front him at least
While We need as. race the training
IN all directions that any other race needs
we snould be careful to see to it that in
our natural haste to get ahead we do not
overlook or neglect any of the f,1nda mental
elements of success that are right about
succeed. feoPAe S"i
We should strive to make labor so at
49,, aaS'e & ana idieness so disagreeable that
every lole man Shall be driven from the
street corners of our large cities
" nateVer faults the south may be guilty
VI. when IL comes to affording an oppor-
tunlty TOT people to earn living, by COM
mon or skilled labor or in the field of busi-
ness or education, it is not to be despised.
Inc mere earning of living is not all but
IL counts for much in the striyines of life
Ihere are bad white men in the south:
there are good white men in the south. All
OF them are not our enemies We should
90 all In our power to encourage these
friendly and well-disposed ones to stand by
us and support u.s.
Work of Tuskegee Institute.
Mr.. Washington then gave a resume of
the work at Tuskegee Institute.
Education is not injuring the race. The
records of the southern states show that
W per cent of the colored people in prisons
are without trades and 81 per cent are
wholly fiterate. If the statistics show
tnat the negro in MaSsa chusetts is five
times as criminal as the negro in Missis-
sippl the same statistics prove that the
white man in Massachusetts is at best ten
times more criminal than the white man in
mississippi: Mr.. Clarence Poe, editor of
the Raleigh Progressive Farmer, saws: In
the two years which it (the North Carolina
state prison in Raleigh has kept a record
the proportion of negro prisoners from the
1lilterate class has been 40 per cent larger
than from the class which has had school
training
Il may be in doubt about many phases
OF What Is known as the race problem but
of one thing I feel absolutely sure, that
ignorance and race hatred are no solution
for any problem on earth.
Let us resolve with renewed yigor to
go steadily forward living cleaner lives.
putting forth more intelligent, skillfuI and
CONSCIENTIOUS effort in the performance of
every duty, ever encouraging the white
man to feel and see that in proportion as
ne helps us up to higher life he himself will
be lifted into higher atmosphere"
benediction.