Evening star., 1909-05-27
OWES DEBT TO NEGRO.
Taft Tells Howard Graduates
of White Mans Duty.
BELIEVES IN EDUCATION
But Cautions His Hearers Against
Too Much of Higher Kind.
CONFERS DEGREES IN PERSON
President Also Lays Corner Stone of
New Carnegie Library as Climax
to Day Of Unusual Interest.
CoNFERS DEGREES IN PERSON

he could to help Howard University Whlie
he was President, stating his belief that
education was necessary for the develop
ment of the negro race. but cautioning
his hearers against the idea of overedu-
cation, William Howard Taft yesterday
told the graduates of Howard University
that he recognized that the white Ameri-
can owes debt to the negro which ne
is bound to repay. He also said that no
time had been so full OF opportunity Tor
the race as the present.
The occasion was the fortieth COM
mencement exercises of the university,
and, at the conclusion Of his address,
President Taft conferred personally upon
the $50 graduates of the institution the
diplomas which they had won. and later
delivered q brief address at the site Of
the new Carnegie Library. whose corner
stone he laid.
Yesterdays ceremonies were to have
been held in the open air, but the rain
prevented this and they were held in
the chapel. Assembling in the office OF
President Thirkield of Howard University,
those who participated in the graduating
exercises marched to the chapel. The
President, who walked with President
Thirkield. and Rev. Charles Wood. pas
tor Of the Church of the Covenant, was
preceded to the platform by his military
aid, Capt. Butt. AS the President walk
ed up the aisle the Engineer Band played
Hail to the Chief" Behind the Presi-
dent came Commissioner Macfarland.
Rev. Joseph ]. Himmel. president OF
Georgetown University; H. Pauleus San
non. the minister from Haiti, and several
other distinguished guests.
After the invocation. which was delv-
cred by DIR. Wood, President Taft was In
troduced by President Thirkield, who
thanked the chief executive for his pres
ence. 1t was several minutes before the
President could proceed with his speech,
so hearty and sustained was the applause.
President Taft's Address.
The President said: j
Mr. President and young ladies and
gentlemen of the graduating class: /
have good many engagements. and !
am tempted into them sometimes-before
the engagements are to be met and the
work Is to be done-by such a mellif1uous
and forceful gentleman as your presi-
dent, and then / am not reminded of the
obligation thus assumed until pick up
the morning paper and find myself adj
vanced as one of the chief attractions at
some meeting where l don't feel myself
at all entitled to figure in that capacity.
When your president came to me and
asked me to come to Howard University
he said that he expected to celebrate the
laying of the corner stone of new build.
ing here. given by Mr.. Carnegie, and
that. incidentally, there would be COM
mencement exercises: / am fairly good
hand at trowel, and l thought possibly
j might engage in the exercises OF laying
the corner stone without being involved
in a speech. But find 1t to be other
wise. Nevertheless I am glad to seize
the opportunity of looking into your faces
you young men aand women who are
about to go out into the world and meet
the obstacles which are before you and
to overcome them successfully, as l sin
cerely hope you may. am glad to be
able to be here to testify to you my pro-
found sympathy in you careers and my
hope that they all may be successful.
Partial Repayment Of a Debt.
This university is the partial repay
ment Of the debt-only partialAto race
to which government and the people of
the United States are eternally indebted.
They brought that race into this country
against its WILL They planted it here ir-
retrievably They first put it in bondage
and then kept it in the Ignorance that
that bondage seemed to make necessary,
under the system then in vogue. Then
they freed 1t and put upon 1t the respon-
sibilities of citizenship. Now some sort
OF obligation follows that chain of facts
with reference to the people who are re-
sponsible for what that government did
The obligation would be clearer. or,
rather the method Of its discharge would
be easier, were it not for our constitu-
tional system which throws generally
upon the states the burden of education
and leaves to the general government only
certain limited jurisdiction with respect
to the people.
Il am far from saying-and 1 wish to
put in this caveat in advance, in order
not TO be met by an argument which
has weight. but has not weight when i'm
properly uSed-that the colored race to-
day. all Of them. would be better off If
they all had university education. l
think they would be in very bad way If
they had, because they would not know
how to use it and they would not find
means of using 1t. No race would be bet
ter off If all were educated as university
men. The great body of the colored race.
as the great body of the white race, must
depend for their livelihood upon their
manual labor, skilled or unskilled. or upon
some occupation which requires less edu-
university, and II that education is too
widely extended the effect of 1t is to put
lot Of men into life who do not find oc-
cupations which are suited to their tastes
and to make them unhappy and really
not fit for the life which is before them.
Opportunity for Leaders.
"On the other hand. that admission is
Ear from a concession that it is not
necessary for the success of the colored
race that there be among them leaders
of that race fitted by university educa-
ton for that leadership. The opportunity
that there is for educated colored men
to aid their race in the struggle before
tHeW iOT cCOHONliC SUCCESS ana the main
tenance Of themselves as worthy and
valuable members Of the communicable
opportunity that there Is for university
men among colored men to assist in that
movement. ! say, is very great indeed
Through the south one OF the things
that is essential is the cultivation of
greater sanitation and greater attention
TO the laws Of hygiene among the colored
race. What they need in the south is
a great many more physicians of their
own color and race to tell them how
10 live.
The benefit that teachers educated
here can do to their race goes without
saying. OF course the basis Of the edu-
cation of the colored people is in the
primary schools and in the industrial
schools-in schools framed after Hamp
ton and Tuskegee. In those schools mus,
be introduced teachers from such uni.
versity institutions as this. and 1t is ir
furnishing the material for the facultie:
of those smaller-not smaller. but less
tion as this shall have its chief function
Inadequate Endowments.
II say these things with a good deal o,
emphasis because / know there are man,
who dispute the wisdom Of large contri
buttons to universities of the colored rae.
like this, and at one time ! was yer,
much perplexed with the argument t.
know whether or not 1t was proper. Blu
versties In this country, beside Howart
Those are Lincoln, Fisk. Atlanta ans
hay tok 20