The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1906-04-12
Secretary Of War Makes an
Address at !uskegee.
HIS VIEW IS OPTIMISTIC
Was Principal Speech Delivered at
Twenty,Fifth Anniversary OF the
Founding of Booker Washing
toms Negro School.

"A
= says: Owing to the delay III tne ar
rival of the ogden special trains, the
beginning of the exercises in connec'
sion with the celebration OF the
twenty-fifth anniversary Of the Tus'
keeee Normal and Industrial lnstl-
tute. which was slated for Wednes-
day morning, was delayed until niGht'
Among those who came on the Os-
den train were Secretary OF War VIII
liam H. Taft, Robert c. Ogden pres
ideat of the board of trustees; Charles
". Eliot, president OF Harvard
University; DR.. Lyman H Abbott
and Oswald Garrison Willard, editor
of the New York Evening Post.
The party was greeted by 1900 stu
dents and alumni and members OF
the faculty and board of trustees.
Booker T. Washington, principal OF
the Tuskegee Institute, in his address,
said:
"And Jesus said, I will make you
fishers of men,
.In the spirit of these words the
fo,1nt alton of this Institution was ia'o
in 1881, through gift from the state
of Alabama.
"Fcr twenty-five years, then, tno
Tuskegee Normal and Industrial IN
stitute has been fishing for men. "naS
,f + and with what results? In our
Quest we have ::sed land, houses
harms, henneries, shops, laundrles'
Sitcb ems, class rooms, the Bible, arith-
meti., the saw, the trowel, the plo"'
and money-all these and more-we
have used in our effort to hsh LOT
1nen.
primarily, believe that my race
has found itself so far as It's per-
manent location is concerned.
Mr.. Ogden delivered an address On
the significance of the celebration.
He spoke of the fact that Tuskegee
Institute stood cut as "the unma1ch-
ed example of the possibilities OF an
institution entirely controlled in Ns
diversified academic and industrial
curriculum, productive INDUSTRIES eA-
ecutive organization and business al
fairs by a faculty and corps CT mau-
ayers composed entirely of men ana
women cf African descent
In his address Secretary TAFT dWei1
mainly upon present conditions IN 1ne
south as they affect the negro race
end the efforts which various soutnerh
states have made to restrict negro
suffrage. He declared that institutions
like Booker Washington's were dong
much to insure the negro race against
the loss Of his ballot on account Oh
educational" qualifications to SUI
frase. He declared that where such
laws existed the educated negro couia
vote and his vote must be counted
and with the gradual increase OF the
.aducated negro vote under such re-
strictions, they would come TO hoio
the balance of power He declareo
such measures would secure the negro
greater power than it. there were 10
restrictions on account of educatlon.
In the course of his remarks he said:
ssIf then, with the independence ot
Thought and action which economic
independence will surely give tnenl'
they divide their votes between con-
tending parties, their votes will De
sought instead of suppressed ana inc
votes of ignorant whites will be more
vigorously excluded. Such d gradual
acquisition Of political power Will Sc
cure more real political power ana
ability to help the negroes IN tneir
right if suffrage was unrestricted.
rannct put myself among those pessi-
mists who regard the settlement OF
the political question in the south as
bevond hope"
President Eliot spoFe on what up
lifts a Race and What aolos ~
Down"