The Birmingham age-herald., 1906-04-05
E|iOt Taft and Ogden Among
 Yesterdays Speakers
WELCOMED BY N '''NGTON
President Eliot, In Scholarly Address, Discusses tNhat Uplifts a Race
 What Holds 1t
 Down."

Tuskegee April flowing to the delay fin the Ogden special train the begin ming of the exercises in connection with the celebration of the twenty-ffth anni- versary of the Tuskegee Normal and In- dustrial Institute was delayed until to- night.
 Among the prominent men who came in on the ogden train were Secretary of War William H. Taft, Robert c. og- den, president of the board of trustees Charles w. Eliot, president of Harvard University; Dr. Lyman Abbott, and Os- wald Garrison Willard, editor of the New York Evening Post.
 The party was greeted by 1500 students and alumni and members or the faculty and board of trustees.
 Among the prominent institutions of learning that are represented here are Harvard, Yale Johns Hopkins Univer- slty University of Minnesota, Oberlin College, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, University of Alabama, Ala bama Polytechnic Institute, Howard University. Fisk University, Barnard Col lege, and the Armstrong Manual Train ing School of Washington D. c.
 President Booker T. Washington deliv- cred an address of welcome. He said in part:
 And Jesus said. will make you fishers of men,
 Tn the spirit of these words the foun- dation of this institution was laid in 1881 through gift from the state of Ala bama. For twenty-five years then, the Tuskegee Normal and Industrial institute has been fishing for men. What of it., and with what results? In our quest we have used land, horses, barns. henneries, shops. laundries, kitchens. class rooms, the Bible, arithmetic the saw, the trowel, the blow, and money--all these and more we have used in our efforts to fish for men.
 Race Has Found Itself.
 Primarily, I believe that my race has found itself, so far as it's permanent loca- ton is concerned. When this institution began It's mission there was uncertainty, lack of faith, halting and speculation as to our permanent abiding place. As to what degree the influence of the Tuske- gee institute has contributed to this and I will venture no assertion except to state that so far can interpret the present ambitions and the activities of my people, the main body of the race, has decided to remain permanently in the heart of the south in or near what is known as the Black Belt"
 Washington referred to the growth of the school from its humble beginning, in one small building with thirty pupils, to its present enrolment of 1400 students, and said that the school had sent out into the world 5000 men and women who are now largely engaged as workers in agriculture and mechanics housekeepers and teachers of both industrial and acad- emic branches throughout the south as well as in Africa and one or two foreign countries.
 After alluding to the various ''momen- tous transitions" through which the Amer ican negro has passed, beginning with the primative civilization which he had crea- ted in Africa, his introduction into the wholly new condition of American slave ry, and his new life of freedom and citi- zenship. Washington said
 Enters on Wholly New Era.
 .The negro race in this country has entered on wholly new period-a period in which emphasis is being placed on a side of life not covered in any of the previous experiences of my people. l mean the era of free, independent and intelligent economic and industrial devel- or.sentZ accompanied with growing sense of the worth and value of their own qualities and desire to make the most of them under God, for their own good and the welfare of the world. Hav- ing to some extent become conscious of the great task imposed on them as a people, they are seeking to lay the foun- dation deep in the essentials of life. But fin this task they often meet many and sometimes needless obstacles.
 "If this country is to continue to be a repubiic it's task will never be com plete as long as seven or eight million of its people are in a large degree regarded as aliens and are without voice and in terest in the welfare of the government. Such A course will not merely infiict great injustice on these millions of people but the nation will pay the price of fipSr the genius and form of it's govc' :, changed, not perhaps in nan' cer- tainly in reality, and beca'- this the world will say that free government is q failure.
 Make Themselves Worthy.
 "As I conceive it a part of the mission of this school is expressed in the purpose and determination to assist the race in laying such a gradual and permanent foundation in right living, through the accumulation of property, industry, thrift. skill. education of all character, moral and religious habits and all that which means our usefulness to the community in which we abide. that naturally. logic ally. sympathetically we shall make our selves grow into the full and rightful endowment and intelligent use of the priv ileges and rewards of citizenship.
 Any less ambition would be unworthy of us, unworthy of you. Any less am- bitfon would make us perpetual drags, instead of potential forces for good
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