The Nashville globe. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1906-193?, 1907-05-10

and fast. So fast that the modern
printing plant is an institution that
contains machines of almost human
intelligence And, from the England
of the restoration, in which by legal
statutes only twenty printers were al
lowed to practice the art, we have
advanced so far that in America in
1900, a socalled backward race, ac-
cording to the census reports, 1850
men and women following the profes-
sion. This, might add, understates
rather than eXaggerates the facts as to
the number of Negroes engaged In
printing.
But why dwell on the past? need
not recount in detail the history of the
art for the questions which confront
you, which should demand your atten-
ton are of the present. The questions
which most vitality concern you and
me as printers are What has the
Negro done in this field Of LAHORE"
What is he doing?" "Whst are his
prospects?"
The Negro, comparatively speaking,
is a new factor in the great art of
printing. His achievements, when COM
pared with those of the great eau
casian race, have been nfnitesimal.
But, when we take into consideration
that the white man has had the bene-
fits Of civilization for thousands of
years, while the Negro-the American
Negro-has been a student of the craft
for less than half century, that his
clientele is-as the histories of ma
tons are reckoned-just but yesterday
emerged from slavery, the poorest of
the poor, stepped in an ignorance that
his masters had assiduously cultivated
by means Of legal statutes and the I'M
written law of the plantation-the
whip say, when we take into eonsid
1ration the many disadvantages under
which we have labored, the American
Negroes advancement in the practice of
"the art preservative of all arts" has
been simply phenomenal. He has made
10 great invention to add lustre to
his own name nor glory and honor
to the race; but with faith in himself,
love for the race and firm belief in
the brightness of the future, he has
established in almost every city and
hamlet an Office or newspaper of some
kind from which is promulgated the
gospel of hope.
The Negro is so recently from
slavery that his past and present stat
is in printing are so closely inter-
woven that in picturing the present
we give the history of our race so far
rs regards the craft. Most of us are
Old enough to have first hand informa-
ton Of those men of the race, some of
whom are still living, who first ven
tured into the printing or publishing
business. AS to the present, the out
ook is, indeed, encouraging Here in
Nashville, we have much to be proud
Of. We see establishments that will
'ompare favorably with those of any
1ther race. In Jackson, Richmond,
Va; Charlotte, N. c.; Philadelphia,
Pa; Dallas, Tex, and many other
places a like success can be noted. In
Philadelphia, and Hopkinsville, KY,
We have our daily newspapers; in Bos-
ton. New York, Chicago, Washington,
Philadelphia, our magazines, and in
Nashville one publishing house, owned,
controlled and operated exclusively
y Negroes, il we take into considera-
ion the number OF blacks compared
to the number Of whites south Of the
Mason and Dixon line, sends out more
Second-class matter annually than any
white institution of its kind In the
'ity. In this city and elsewhere books
also are being published by Negroes.
Weekly newspapers are being pub
lished in almost every hamlet, and
ONE Of these possess great merit.
AS | mention these enterprises
wish to call your attention especially
20 the fact that those who are sue
oeeding in majority Of the instances
@ited are practical printers. AS bright
rs the present is for those of our race
Engaged in the allied trades of print
ing, it is as nothing compared to fu-
ture prospects. We have made won
1erful strides, but what we have done
is as insignificant in magnitude as was
the opening session of what is now
Walden University compared to the
great session which is just coming to a
close.
The present is bright, but the future
has brightness which shines more
and more unto the perfect day. l have
mentioned briefly the varied publish
ing interests of the race Curious as it
may seem, though most of these enter
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