Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-05-31
ABOVE ALL, CHARACTER
President Roosevelt Addresses
Hampton Institute.
THE MAKING OF CITIZENS
Interest of Whites in the Progress of
the Negro.
CONCERN OF BOTH THE RACES
Urges the colored Men to War
Against criminality In Their Own
Race With Particular Zeal.
CONCERN OF BOTH THE RACES

A notable address was delivered to tho
students OF Hampton Institute at Hampton
Va, last evening by President Roosevelt
He dwelt particularly on the necessity for
the DEVELOPMENT of character, not only In
the negro but in the white man as well.
maintaining that education would fit
neither for citizenship unless accompanying
1t there was the right type Of family life in
the home.
The President and Mrs. Roosevelt and
their party arrived on Old Point Comfort
In the Mayhower shortly before 4.so o'clock,
and were taken ashore in launches. The
hundreds Of negro and Indian students Of
both sexes were assembled in front of the
administration building OF the institute. and
received them with cordial welcome of
song. The buildings were handsomely
draped with flags. The President was es-
corted to the veranda OF the administration
building. from which he made his address.
Before the address the students sang with
remarkable effect some characteristic songs.
At the conclusion OF the hymn, THE Great
Camp Meeting in the Promised Land" the
President appiauded heartily and shouted
More. more"
+ The students. In response sang I'VE Are
Climbing Jacobs Ladder
DR.. Frissel. the principal of the institute,
introduced the President saying in closing:
We believe In you; we honor you: we
Aot0 toQ- we DoileF6 you are coming 10
bring peace on earth and good will to all
men,"
President Roosevelt spoke extemporane-
ousiy and with deep earnestness.
Training to Be Good Citizens.
He began by saying after the students
had given him cordial welcome, that they
were no more anxious for him to visit them
than he was to visit the institute. Speaking
directly to the negro students, he said
Now. the first thing upon which wish
to lay emphasis L. that school such as
this, which strives to raise the colored man
and colored woman. to make them better
men and better women. better citizens, Is
re-eniinentiy 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 up to be good citizen,
The good man, who Is q white man. by his
presence Is a benefit to every colored man
in the community and the safety of the
white man Is In having the colored man
grow to be a good and decent man. From
the standpoint of the white man the safest
and best thing that can happen Is to have
the colored people around him become
thrifty, Industrious. home makers and home
keepers, for you never yet had any for
midable quantity of criminals from peo-
pie or locality where the average type was
the home maker and the home keeper. So
from the standpoint of the, white man moth
ing better can be done than to give to the
colored man that real education, that real
training which he gets here at Hampton
and in similar institutions
You have sent out from Hampton In
stftute IN all something like 1000 graduates,
and IL / have remembered rightly there
are but two of whom you have record as
criminals, and that fact is an alI-sufficient
answer to the blind people who say that no
good will come from educating the negro
So far is that from the truth that It may
be said that the real hope for the negro
as well as for the white man. Is in educa-
ton. II only we understand the meaning Of
education in Its proper sense
The Place for the Average Man.
1T is often said that the true place for
the negro is in Industrial work. 1t is. That
Is the place for the average negro That Is
the true place for the average negro, and it
Is the true place for the average man, and
we will not get our civilization upon
proper basis until we root out Of the mind
of the average man. and the average girl
of whatever color the belief that to become
a poor clerk Is a better thing than being
frst-elass handworker, a first-class me-
chanic or hrst-class agricultural laborer
The wrong twist that has been given to
our education in the past has been largely
responsible for the very healthy develop
ment of the city at the expense of the
country.
Part Played by Manuel Warker
"Orr whola civi1izaffop 10 unip0 tapd