The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1906-05-31
President Talks Plainly TO Me-
grOes at Hampton
MANUAL LABOR EXAlT
Educational System Is Wrong VIM
Teaches That II Is Better to BE
Poor Clerk Than Good
Hand Worker.

Hampton. Va. May sO.-A notable ad
dress was delivered to the students of
Hampton institute this evening by Presi-
dent Roosevelt. lie dwet on the neces-
sity for the development OF the character,
maintaining that education will fit none
for citizenship unless accompanying 1t
there is the right type of family life in
the home.
President Roosevelt spoke extemporan-
eouslg and with 6eep earnestness. Speak
Ing directly to the negro students he
said
Now. the first thing upon which wish
ID lay emphasis is that a school such as
this. which strives to raise the colored
man and colored woman 10 make them
better citizens. is pre-emlnently in the
interests of the white man. There is
nothing that can be done better for the
white man. who is to live side by side
with the colored man, than to train that
colored man to be a good citizen. The
good man. who is a white man. by his
presence is a benefit to every colored man
In the community. and Nshe safety of the
white man is in having the colored man
Home Makers and Home Keepers.
From the standpoint of the white man,
the safest and best thing that can hap
pen is to have the colored people arolNad
him become thrifty. industrious home
makers and homekeepers, for You never
yet had any formidable quantity of crim-
inals from a people or locality where
| the average type was the homemaker
and the homekeeper. SO from the stand-
point of the white man, nothing better
can he done than to give to the colored
man that real education, that real train
ing, which be gets here at Hampton and-
in similar institutions.
"From the standpoint OF the colored
man. the only real way to help him IL
| to help him help himself. In the long
| run in this world no human being can be
! carried. The colored man who helps ms
race most is he who helps teach the mem-
/ bers of his race how to conduct them
/ selves with f-respect-hard- working, in
/ teligent law-abiding citizens. It's tho
/ honest virtues that count In the long run.
| No race. nationality ever raises itselt
! by the exhibition OF genius in a few men,
what counts is character. II we can de-
! velop In the average colored citizen those
qualities of character, of courage, OF
| truthfulness. of sense of obligation, OF
willingness to work. of desire to behave
deeently toward those round about you,
we have taken the longest and most ef-
fective step toward securing for the peo-
pie of your own race their own self-re-
! spect and the respect of others.
True Place for Average Man.
1T is often said that the true place for
! the negro is in industrial work. and 1t
| is the true place for the average man,
| riNf tiuat inn
a proper basis until we root oLt OF the
mind of the average man and the aver
! age girl OF whatever color the belief that
| to become a poor clerk Is a better thing
| than being a first-class hand worker.
! hrst-class mechanic. or a irst-class agrt-
| cultural laborer. The wrong twist that
has been given to our education In the
past has been largely responsible for the
| large development of the city at the ex-
| pense of the country. Never In the past
| hes any nation been permanently great
when the city population has been enor-
nous in size as compared with the coun-
! try population.
IF there Is one thing | would like es-
| pecially TO impress upon you, 1t is to ad-
! wise you to take up the work of the
| farms with the intention OF owning them-
In doing that you will be doing only
| what the best, the most intelligent and
most advanced white people are more and
more growing to do. The growth of ag-
riculture colleges and their development
| has been one Of the significant features
| for education for the white race, because
| more and more have people grown to
realize that the child of the farmer must
| be developed scientifically.
Big Part Played BY Manual Labor.
Our whole civilization Is going to
| tend more and more toward recognizing
the capital part played by the manual
worker, the vital part played by the
| man who actually works with his hands.
| y neither I'm the workshop or on the farni-
| 1. Is the work Of the man who works
| with his hands that counts In the end
| for the most. provided that hand work IL
directed by an intelligent brain. l want
! to see the colored man 10 share In the
| benefits of this movement. and he can
| share In 1t only by becoming the best
! kind of hand worker himself and above all
| by becoming that hand worker of tho
| farm for others first. but ultimately for
| himself.
THE next thing is TO remember that
| The greatness of the nation Is to depend
or, the analysis of the kind of home life.
family life that is to be found in the av-
craze family group. II we have got the
right type of average family, this nation
| Will be great Nothing else can take its
riaee Mos. important of all is character.
| Character is not a thing that depends on
| race characteristics any more than the
ability to perform manual labor We'll IL
| you are a good man you are a good man
| no matter what your color. And If you are
a worthless man. you are worthless cit
| izen and | draw this one distinction. re-
member, that while the good man of your
race may be help to other races, just as
| much as to yours, the bad man of your
race is infinitely worse for that than any
other The negro criminal. no matter at
v hose expense the particular crime may
be committed, is hundred fold more
dangerous to the negro race than to the
| white race, because he tends to arouse the
| bitter animosities, the bitter prejudces
| for which not he alone. but the whole
| race, will suffer. / ask that you colored
| people show the same virtues which white
| people must show If they are to become
| &c cd citizens.
At the conclusion Of the address. tho
| President and party were conducted to
| the institute church. where the students.
| at the Presidents request. sang several
| songs. The President then visited the va
| rious departments of the school, express-
1 - -. ~ xorlr