The Saint Paul globe., 1905-02-28
DUBOIS DECLARES
FOR NEGRO RIGHTS
CoIored Educator Delivers Flo.
quent Address at Plymouth
Church

w. F. B. Dubois, professor of history
and sociology in the Atlanta university
and one of the leading colored edu-
Gators and authors of the country, de-
hvered an eloquent address on the ne
gro problem before the Minnesota
Congregational club at the Plymouth
Congregational church last night.
Without passion. but in a clear and
logical manner, the speaker reviewed
the history of the negro race in the
United States. A difference of opinion
exists among the people as to the best
manner of solving the negro question,
but the best interest of every Ameri-
can demands that every negro make
the most of himself.
Commenting upon the prejudices of
the white population of the South
against the negro, and that the ordi-
nary public conveniences and public
schools have a line drawn between the
negro and the white man, the speaker
said that in every Southern town they
have an eleventh commandment, which
reads Thou shalt not cross the line"
and when that commandment Is
broken ''the world heaves."
Growth of the Negro
In a graphic manner Mr.. Dubois il
lustrated the growth, numerically,
spiritually and mentally, of the negroes
by the use of comparative charts drawn
by his class in sociology. He humor-
cusly mentioned the fact that when the
negro population in 1870 indicated that
the negroes were dying faster than
births were recorded people clapped
their hands and shouted that the negro
problem would be solved the same
Ind
when the census in 1880 showed such a
phenomenal growth these same per-
sons hoarsely shouted that it would be
but question of time before the whole
population would be colored.
The negroes are struggling TO re-
cover from the debauchery of slavery,
and the number of enlightened leaders
must be necessarily small: the sur
rounding and white majority is cut off
from its natural influence by the color
line"
In speaking of the great strides made
by the negro race, as indicated by sta
tistics which he quoted, the speaker
said:
What the figures of negro advancement
mean is that the development has been
distinctly and markedly in the right di-
rection, and that given justice and help
no honest man can doubt the outcome.
The giving OF justice means the recog
milton of desert wherever it appears; the
right to vote on exactly the same terms
as other people; the right to the use of
public convenienceS and the educating of
youth in the public schools.
How Negro May Be Helped
But in the list of ways in which the
negro may be helped to help himself,
will name two that are more important
than any others. / mean the moral uplift
of the people. l have spoken of the ne
gro deficiency in these lines. Here. then,
Is a chance to help. But how? Not by
direct teaching, because that is often in
effective. and it is precluded in the South
by the color line. 1t can be done to my
mind only by group leadership; by plant
ing in every community of negroes black
men with ideals of life and thrift and
civilization, such as must in time filter
through the masses of negroes who spend
but little of their lives in schools.
II the meaning of modern life cannot be
taught at negro hearthsides because the
parents themselves are untaught, then its
ideals can be forced into the centers of
negro life only by teaching of
higher institutions of learning and the
agency of thoroughly educated men.
Prof Dubois was entertained at a
dinner given by the club in the parlors
of the Plymouth Congregational church
at o'clock yesterday afternoon at
which 200 covers were laid. The meet
ing in the evening was presided over
by Prof. Henry Holmes. of Minneap-
oils. Tonight Prof. Dubois will ad-
dress the Colored Mems Sunday club
at the House of Hope church.