Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1909-05-27
TAFT SEES
HOPE FOR NEGROES
Addresses Colored Graduates at
Howard University on Race
Questions.
GOVERNMENT OWES A DEBT
Must Edurntr Leaders among the Nr-
groes-In All Growing Commuui-
ties Of III" south thr J'rogres-
siNc Whites Arc U.ginning
to Appreciate Negroes.

Washington. May &c Speaking +,
the colorod graduates Of Toward G'ni
V"rsity In this city to-day. prrsiden
I Tart declared tina. never at any tim,
has the future of the negro as race
appeared moro hopcfu and brigh
than at the present day
The President impressed upon hi.
hearers the fact that II is for the nc.
own future.
The task of educating tho negro
and especially of oducatiug leaders
among the race. the President assert
I'd was a debt owed 10y the govern
nent: a debt only too difficult Of re-
payment hccausc Of the ,onstitntiona'
limits Of the government in dealing
with the iudividual.
President Tnft personally handed "a
IT," more than 100 candidates for dc
gr"es their parchment rolls. When
the commencement exercises were
Hndad ne was escorted to tho foluda-
tt"n of th" new Carnegie library of
th" university where ne oficialed at
the laying "f tho ooru"r Stone
More than thousand culored neo,
pie stood IN tn" rain outside the uni-
Yersity chapel while the President was
speaking at the commencement .X-
ercises
'' '"'N ", '''N' N"' ''' S'neh''
'''' P'''' '''i ''P'H '"'''' co. '''e "'o' 10
WIZ 3"f''''"''i' ana the
''' VI .n' "i'~" H'''> "'" "'"iha! !iN
'"eH "'""S'' ''"' rae" Iht"
,'"''N "S'ilS' l'' WILL lheN
l'""'e' mere 'rretll"NanlN. ThoN irst
i."' " IT '"'""NN """ '"eh N"p' IN 'he
u" ''"' we po"p'1e S"'ine" TO
Il "N' necessary Nn"er the system then
" vogue '"en t"eN freed IT ana pnt
'''' '' ''' '''''""H.''i'N "' ''tHensnlp.
''"''' S'"' S"'' "' "''icail"n follows
'''' '''aI'' o. 'ac'S WIN re1"renc" TO the
'' WIN "I' 'f'I'"NIo'' I"r W"a' 'hat
'"N c'n'h'"' o'H' Inc ""'Gat on world
~ "'''' "' 'a'"''' 'N' ne'h"H o. IT'S
'''0 ""'f" """'' ne eas"'' were u not
'"V our constitutional system which
"""9 tf'.'f"'F upon IN" states the
""'"e' OF eh'oft'n ana leaves to the
s'fefaI government only certain limited
JV'lS"'cUoh WIN reSlo0t I" the people.
am lar from SAYING that the colored
i"te '"-d"N' "ohio he better off II they
al had university education. think
u1eN Would he IN very mad way n they
han because they would not find means
O. using II. The great body of the col
orfd race as the great body of the white
race must depend for ivlihood upon
'hFlr manual labor skilled or Nnskillcd."
ON the other hand Mr.. Taft SAID there
is very great opportunity for educated
coIored men 70 aid their race in the
struggle before them for economic
success.
He said that tho colored race needed in
m" south great many more physicians
TO teach them how to obey more strictly
he laws OF hygiene.
~ know tner" are many who dispute q
the wisdom Of large contributions 10 uni
v"rs''tes Of tho colored race. Rut what is
The fact There are -four uniVersiii ies
n ms country. beside Howard University.
IeNoted TO the Colored race and they have
not. taken together. an endowment that
exceeds S2l" "f. Now when You consider
hat there are ten millions ~ negroes in
his country you see how utterly
inadequate. even for the education of the
eaders. these universities are. And There
s orpor' 'unity for tho foundation Of more
pr certainly for the enlargement of this
II am delighted to think that conditions
ire getting better and better for the
negro race. In all the growing com
nunities Of the South the white men Of
progress are beginning to appreciate the |
advantage of having class like the /