The Montgomery advertiser., 1906-06-16
NEGRO WAS BITTER
NORTHERN BLACK MAKES MANY
 FIERY UTTERANCEs.
Infammatory Speech Fly Professor of, Mathematics at Howard Univer- sity Before Col0red Literary C1ub-Attacks Southern ,.
 Viewpoint.

Kelly Miller, negro. professor of mathematics in Howard University. at washington, and author of the Reply
 10 Thomas Dixon. Jr." which created a
 sensation at the time of its appear ance, spoke at the Dexter Avenue Bap- list Church last evening as the guest of the Sotourner Truth Club. He spoke on the condition of the negro and the problems which confront him, inci- dentally causticaily arraigning Dixon, Thomas Nelson Page and Thomas Wat son whom he termed three doubtfnw Thomases on account of their views on the race problem.
 The speaker said that the solution
 or the race problem is one of the most
 important questions developing upon
 the twentieth century He referred to 1t as being worldwide in its signifi-
 canoe and as presenting itself in mora
 or less seriousness wherever the two | races touch.
 The American situation contains certain peculiar features, however"
 said he, Tn the United States the
 weaker race has been brought into the
 life of the stronger whereas the usual
 condition Is that the stronger race has l imposed Itself on the weaker. Under | democracy there can be only one
 class of citizens. Either this country
 must solve the question of equality | before the law. or all our free institu- tions must fail.
 | Tt is a curious condition when a
 white man can drive through the | streets or anywhere sitting beside his
 colored coachman and yet had almost l rather die than sit In the same passen-
 ger coach with him. It has finally been l admitted that the negro has a soul. and he has therefore been admitted
 into spiritual equality. When you ad-
 init spiritual equality you must admit
 1t everywhere else. Not long ago 1t
 was thought that the black mans skull was too thick to absorb the white
 mans learning, but either the learning | has grown less difficult or the negro's
 skull Is getting thinner" . | The speaker referred to the logic of Calhoun and his statement that if 6 negro could be found who could master the Greek syntax he would believe he was human. He said the negro had
 met the test and others much more diff l hcult. but that other logicians. who were unworthy to unloose the shoes of
 Calhoun had sprung up
 | He named Page, Watson and Dixon as examples. He said that what he called the abuse" used by the men he named required absolutely no ability. and later said that the greater coward | a man was the greater were his powers of abuse at long range. He went af- ! ter Thomas Dixon. Jr.. in the follow | ing terms:
 | ''He Is a shameless apostate priest | of God who takes a Satanic delight in | stirring up discord among American citizens If the beatitude which says, | Blessed are the peacemakers for they | shall see God were reversed, 1t would probably read. Cursed are those who stir up strife, for they shall have their
 part In the lake of brimstone." He said that civilization was the in | of yvh and that the Promethean fire of Amer. | ican citizenship was the right of the
 negro in spite of all the Dixons. the Vardamans and the Tillmans.
 This thing of saying certain kinds
 of education are better for the race
 than others, has always appeared to
 me to be very silly. The race is made
 up of many different elements and
 stands in need of as many kinds of ed-
 ucation as 1t can get. It makes no difference what kind of business you are init ia the amount of kill in jected into your service that counts. Nearly all of the physical needs nt
 the race are supplied by white men.
 The negro boy or girl must look to his or her opportunity in supplying the needs of the negro. The development of a rational racial self belief Is one thing We need Another need Is the development of character. The trouble with the weaker races is that most of them have absorbed the vices rather than the virtues of civilization. We are all too anxious to solve the race
 problem and we know absolutely
 nothing about It."
 After his lecture the speaker was presented with a gold-mounted pencil
 by the sojourner Club through its President.