Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1905-06-29
NOTED MICRO EDUCATOR DELlv.
ERs ADDRESS TO A LARGE
AUDIENCE. 4
TELLS OF PROGRESS
OF COLORED RACE
Points Out the Fact That His People
Have Made Wonderful Strides in
Education and Citizenship During
Generation-second Day of Assem-.
bIy-concert Tonight.


From Wednesdays Daily.
Before an audience of thousands OF
people that filed the immense Cf.au-
tauqua pavilion Booker Washington,
the noted leader of the negro race
N America, this afternoon toll Of the
wonderful progress made by his peo-
pie in the past few years and their
problems and hopes for thu future.
Early in the afternoon the crowds be.
gan to arrive and before the hour set
for the speech nearly every seat was
taken.
Notwithstanding the threatening
weather the attendance at all of the
sessions of the second day of the
Chautauqua was considerably larger
than yesterday At the Seton Indian
cclncil this morning nearly 100 boys
and girls participated in the games
and the Bible study class conducted
by Dr. G. A. Vincent was largely at
tended.
Tribute to Lacey
The address of Prof. Washington
this afternoon was frequently inter-
rupted with hearty applause and at Its
close he was besieged by hundreds OF
people. white and colored, alike
anxious to shake his hand. 1t was the
gospel of labor on which Prof. Wash
ington dwelt, the nobility Of industry
and the honor of manual work, and
through 1t all he emphasized the adj
vance of the negroes during the past
| few years, calling attention to the
work Of the great Industrial schools Of
| the south and begging that the people
of the country study his race by judg-
| ing them from the standard OF their
better men. rather than by Judging
them from the class Of dr,lnkards
and loafers.. In his opening remarks,
he paid splendid tribute to Hon. j.
| r. Lacey, congressman from the sixth
| district.
Booker Washinuton's Address.
Prof. Washington spoke in part as
follows
1T is a pleasure and privilege to
be present In this part of the state ii
for no other reason than to testify In
this public manner, how deeply our
4 institution, as well as our race, Is ir-
debted to one of your public men;
refer to the services of Major ]. r.
4 Lacey, who was instrumental In be-
slowing upon our institution and our
race one of the most substantial bene-
| fits in the form of an endowment
which it has ever received.
j "Men of his type are too broad and
great to restrict their service and gem
erosity to any one race or to any one
section.
'In the midst of the uncertainties
and perplexities concerning the negro
a few strong, definite and unbeatable
facts stand out clear and convincing;i
and these should strengthen our faith
in our activities for the future. Cen.
turies ago, the negro began life In
America in paganism; today, there are
nearly ten millions of Christians; he
began life without language. today
he speaks the English tongue; from
a slave he has grown into citizenship
and the ownership Of property; into
hands formerly bound by the fetters
of bondage, he receives today the Bi-
BILE, the spelling book the hatchet, the
plow, the trowel, the college diploma.
These constitute the distinct and po-
tential signs of progress and high cit.
j, izenship. Nor need we stop at this
). period to inquire whether this pro.
!, gress represents the influence OF slav.
: cry, or freedom or both 1t Is enough
!, . for us to know that 1t is an accom-.
: plished fact and that our common
: : country should have the credit.
: : II have been referring to unsettled
? and debated questions concerning the
, growth of my people, and ask to be
, permitted right here to dwell little
: upon one other such question, one
that seems to be given considerable
prominence just now In the minds OF
important people. From several quar-
ters the statement has recently come
that education does not only not bene
: fit the negro race, but actually hinders
his progress.
e The Tuskegee Institute.
e Reasoning from the known to the
n unknown, begin with the Tuskegee
r Institute At the close of our school
e year In 1904, about 525 young men left
e the school for vacation. l find by care
/ full investigation that the services oi
> practically all of these men had beer
e engaged many days before they left
r school In several cases, tickets were
!. sent to defray their passage on the
n railroad. One firm in Mississippi EN-
t. ployed rs students for the summer, and
n sent tickets to cover their railway
s fare In other cases. agents represent
S ing various industrial plants came II