The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1907-02-06
WASHINGTON At COLUMBIA.

The Tuskagee Leader Discusses 'ie
Race Caest:on-Ee SAYS no Matter
What Theories May be Advanced
the Two Races in the South are 70
Live Together Henceforti.
Columbia, Jan. 24.-Bo okeI /.
Washington, president of the Tuska-
gee institute, today addressed the flr>'
neero race conference ever held N
South Carolina.
Washington spoke in the afternoon
at Allen university, a negro institution
of this city, and tonight addressed a
large audience at the Columbia The
atre Seated on the stage were sew
oral prominent white citizens, to-
.eether with q large number OF negro
leaders from this and other States.
washington, after praising the
work of the Rev. Richard Carroll, the
moving spirit of the conference, said
that the holding Of this conference in
South Carolina, was, in his opinion,
evidence that the friendly feeling be-
tween the races were steadily grow
ing. Washington said in part:
"I was born here in the south, my
early boyhood was spent in slavery
here in the South, and there is no spot
on earth so dear to me as the soil Of
our Southern States, where we Of both
races for so many years have lived
and toiled.
eve of both races are to live here
in the South side by side for all tiiae,
no matter what theories may be ad-
yanced and emphasized. This, to any
sensible man, it seems to me, is the
fact which we must face. Since we
are to remain together, the question
which we should constantly conslc7r
is. how can we do it in peace, in
harmony and in way that each race
will serve the best Interests OF the
other. in way that each race will be
made more happy, more prosperous
because Of the presence Of the other?
It is tne extreme Of folly, and almost
J. crime, for any individual, or group
of individuals, to pursue course
which VIII encourage racial strife
when two peoples are to remain
together for al! time.
.I was s'ad . see that a brave
strong wn::..e ran from 2lississippi,
few days ago at the Southern Cotton
convention held IN Birmingham, stood
up and said that re had gotten to the
point where he was tired Of hearing
the negro continually abused. That
opinion represents the attitude of
thousands of our best southern white
people.
..The negro race is given free
opportunity to enter the educational
and professional field, and can sue
ceed, as many are doing in the city
of Columbia.
SBut we must not rest satisfied
ith what we have achieved in the
past. I want to emphasize with you
tonight a few matters that directly
concern our future in this communl-
ty and throughout the State. In the
first place we must face the fact that
considerable criticism is constantly
brought against us as a people, be-
cause it is said the negro is not re-
liable as a laborer.' The leaders and
teachers of our people must see to it
that there is changs in this re-
spect.
stNo section Of the south is more
interested from financial point OF
view in the success Of the negro than
is true of this State. In the first place,
it is tremendously important that the
negro be happy, that peace exist be-
tween the races, because there can
be no satisfactory labor when the
white man and the black man are al
daggers' points. The more the Ia
borer is satisfied, the better service
will he render.
.I have referred to the subject OF
making negro labor reliable. One way
to do it (and that is what the Tuska-
gee institute has been driving al
among other things) in the first
place is to teach the negro laborel
the dignity Of labor.
"I am glad to see that in South Car
olina these lessons are being instillec
into our people. There is not a white
family in South Carolina that should
not be vitally interested in the i'm
of