The sun., 1909-05-27
TAFT LAYS A CORNERSTONE
USES THE TROWEL AT HOWARD
UNIVERSITY LIBRARY.
He Also Addresses tho Graduating Glass
and Disputes the Argument That the
Negroes Would He Better on n They
All Had q University Education.

and Disputes the Argument That the
Negroes Would He Better on n They
All Had q University Education.
WASHINGTON. May 2o.--President Taft
delivered two addresses at the Howard
University to-day. one to the gradual
ing class and the other at the laying Of
the cornerstone Of the university library
building, which Ii to be constructed
with money given by Andrew Carnegie.
A crowd Of prominent people was pres
ent at both ceremonies. including mem-
bers OF the Cabinet. negro educators and
citizens of Washington. The President
at the cornerstone laying insisted on
spreading mortar all over the top OF
the massive piece of granite. A silver
trowel was handed him to perform this
service. Much to the amusement OF
the crowd he dipped the trowel into
bucket at, least twenty times. leaving
little for the masons who were assigned
to the task.
.Come up here, Ballinger," he said,
addressing the Secretary Of the INTERIOR
sand help me out with this job.
Secretary Ballinger smiled, shook his
head and let his chief finish the work.
The Presidents speech at the corner
stone laying was very brief. He merely
congratulated the university upon Sc
curing through private generosity
library that would do credit to 1t. The
President was the orator Of the day and
presented diplomas to each member
of the GLASS. His audience was composed
largely of negroes. for whose benent
Howard University was established.
In his address President Taft disputed
an argument that has been advanced
NV some educators that the negroes would
he better off il they all had university
education. Il think they would be in
n bad way II they had.' said the Presi-
dent. abecause they would not know how
10 use IL and they would not find means
OF using it, Continuing the President
said. i.
we're all educated as university men,
the great body Of the white race, must
depend for their livelihood upon their
manual labor, skilled or .unskilled, or
unon some occupation which requires
less education than that which is con-
ferred by q university, and II It Ia too
widely extended the eheot OF IL Is 70
put lot OF men into life who do not
Ind ocon pa tons which are suited to their
task and to make them unhappy and
really not fit for. the life which Is before
them. On the other hand then admis-
sion in far 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
education for that leadership.
Iii 20 fhinE hanat,aa \
have been In the South a good deal Of
late and have studied some Of the oondi-
tions there, that they are getting better
and better for the negro race in certain
respects that are not published to the
world but that really affect very much
the conditions OF those who live there.
In all the growing communities OF the
South-I mean where there Is a touch
of the modern and a. touch Of progress
and a touch Of civilixation-the white
men Of progress are beginning to appre-
oiRts the advantage Of having class