New-York tribune., 1906-03-28
/ NATIONAL WORK.

Next weeks celebration of the quarter centen
NAL Of Tuskegee, which more than one hun
dred phIlanthrOpic New Workers will attend
going thither by a special train, concentrates
attention once more on the great work of that
Institution and lis pressing needs. 1t is not
the custom of The Tribune to make appeals
in behalf Of particular educational establish
ments. however worthy. II IS obvious that if
il took such course there could be no limit to
tie invocation of its aid. only under eXcep-
tional conditions and to serve large public ends
does It feel justified in commencing to its read
erS relief Of the needs of a particular institu-
ton Tuskegee is an exception and the pro
motion Of its work should be the care of pa
Ciolic craftsmanship.
At this day it can hardly be necessary TO
argue the wisdom Of educating the coored peo-
pie TO be intelligent law abiding and indus
uiOus. nor the efficiency Of industrial training
such as is given at Tuskegee for the solution of
the race question, which lies like an incubus
across the path Of our national progress. The
great work which has been done by Booker 7.
Washington not only for the negroes but for
the whites is everywhere recognized. No civ
zatOn can endure where a large part of the
population is brutalized and kept in ignorance
and poverty. For its own preservation Anglo
Saxon civilization must free itself from the
injecting presence of African barbarism by edu-
eating il out Of existence. There are many
schools in various parts Of the South which are
doing this work efficiently but no one of them.
with the possible exception Of Hampton has
quite the strategic value Of TuSkegee in the
solution II this problem. II is the great centre
Of the negrO's own training Of the negro. II
is the fertile parent of other industrial schools
Its success means the success of the whole
movement which believe offers the great
est hope Of the negros advancement Of his
good use, and OF the adjustment Of the race
problem for the permanent welfare Of both
races.
Tuskegee is in "a sense the victim of its own
prominence. and newspapers and phllanthropIsts
both owe il something on that account The in
terest excited by and the publicity given TO
the work going there and the national fame
OF Booker T. Washington have turned all eyes
upon Tuskegee, started a procession to its doors
| from all parts of the South, and laid upon il
a burden Of supplying an educational stimulus
out OF all proportion TO its resources. Tuskegee
! has nearly fifteen hundred students and an
| endowment fund of $1,225.6t4. less than many
/ q college with couple Of hundred students
/ doing work not half as important for cIvfliza-
/ tion. TuSkegee has also suffered from an erro-
neOus popular impression caused by published
/ reports Of large gifts by few wealthy men.
Smaller givers. thinking it was being abun-
| dainty cared for, have been inattentive TO its
/ needs As matter Of fact the large gifts do
| not nearly meet current expenses. Some Of
| them were 10 a considerable extent the capI-
talization Of previoSs regular annual contribu-
/ tons which ceased, that by them the yearly
| income not greatly increased. Other en-
/ dowments provided for new work and. as is
/ generally the case with such endowments, en-
/ tailed new instead Of providing for old expenses
| Tuskegee needs 10 increase its endowment fund
| TO 100000 Its income now is $4,000 1t
| should have 100000 TO do its work and at pres
| ent its large deficits IN current expenses are
made up, AZ the cost of great personal strain,
| by Mr. WashingtOn's continued efforts. Nobody
| who has and studied Tuskegee can
| fail to realize tie need Of his presence among
| his students. Nobody does or can take his place
| among them as an inspiring force. 1t is pub
| lie misfortune that much Of his time should