Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1909-02-27
TAFT PLEADS FOR HAMPTON
With Booker Washington on Cor,ne.
gie Hall Stage.


William II Taft lent his aid to an
effort made last night at Carnegie
Hall TO raise money for the benefit
or Hampton and Tuskegee institutes.
the negro industrial schools. Mr.
TART appeared on the platform with
hooker T. Washington and several
oi his most active supporters and
joined with them in appealing 10 the
wealthy men OF the country TO be
generous. Mr.. Taft declared that in
such schools rs Hampton and Tus-
keEee lay the salvation OF the negro.
incidentally Mr.. Taft attacked the
congressman of the South who have
said that Il is impossible for the
niack and white races to live to-
gether.
II was chiefly 60 deliver this nlea
M the interest OF the black man thar
Nr Taft dropped the preparations
TOT ms lnauCuratiCn and made hfr
lii.f 70 New York The great audi
en'e that turned ont showed chat his
sacrihce was appreciated The hall
vas hiied. In the boxes were many
prominent New Workers. esneciallv
lhe women who have been actively
Interested in the education OF the
negro in the South.
Among others were Mrs seth Low
MRS. Robert q. Ogden. Mrs. WU1iar,
SIF Schiehelin. Mrs. Levi p. Morton
trs. Archer NJ. Huntington. Mr.
"iillam n. Baldwin. Jr., Mrs Nor
us r. Jesup. Mrs. Isaac ". Selir-
man ond Mrs. James Roosevelt. The
meeting was held under the ausrlces
on the Armstrong Association.
Mr. Tart and the audience vvero
treated 10 practical demonstration
ol what these schools are DOING
just before Mr.. Taft spoke a curtain
vas httec 20 disclose about ffty
Hnnng NEGROES. all OF them In work.
ing clothes and busy az the occuo,-
uons which the Hampton school is
seaching them 90 follow. Three or
louf We're pounding away on the
iFaineWork OF good sized house
While on the other side OF the stage
tWo We're laying n brick wall. with
mortar. trowels and real bricks In
the centre OF the stage SHARKS were
hNlnS from an anvil where two other
young negroes We're welding n pfcce
or steel
On table near by three colored
tallors TO be were stitching awav ~
great rate. and there were besides
painters. unsmiths. steamftters.
piumneFs, cabinet-makers. uphoIster-
ers' shoemakers, harness makers and
prnters-all Of them going at y
Inc President-elect was interested
100 IN the plantation melodies which
these same workers rendered They
simply dropped their tools. stepped
10 the front OF the stage and the
transformation from the Industrial
student TO the real sure thing melody
singer was complete.
Al the conclusion Of the SINGING
an incident occurred that raised a
iaugh from the audience. Mr.. Taft
anu The others on the platform. in
Guiding Robert g. Ogden, had stepn-
ed 10 one side OF the platform. When
Ihe singers retired Mr.. Taft started
20 plck up his big armchair and
carry II back TO the centre. Mr.
ogden insisted that he be allowed 10
take II. Finally both laid heavy
hands on the chair and lugge,i n
IL over between them.
Mr.. Taft began by referring IN tha
congressional Record in this way.
Now If you read the Congressional
Record"
He was interrupted by laughter
and so he told of some of the merits
or that periodical. He went on
Now If you study the Conrresaior-
al Record you will see that there are
some statesmen that say that il ie
impossible for the negro and the
white races to live together. THAT
the solution is beyond the hone of
human effort. Well, the ten millions
are mere. and what are Won going
TO DO about it? There are some who
propose that we should move them
bodily out of the country. they do
not say where. they do not say how
ana they do not say when, bu. ont
OF the country they are to go. And
when there is an attempt to move
500 OF them out of the state in
which II Is said their relations 10 the
whites are most inbarmonious you
have a riot.
The solemn. scientific abatement
OF a man that the races cannot live
.oseIner' even though IL appear in
the congressional Record. ought not
70 occupy our minds for a minute,
because they are living together and
they nave lived together for over a
hundred years. Now, the question
is whether We or they or all OF US
together can make that living to-
sether better for both races. (Ap-
piause.) Il is a problem that Is set
before us, and il does not helm us
% say that you cannot work IL out.
because We have got TO work IL out
The negro is absolutely essential
. the development Of the South. His
aoor The South needs. and the more
'oe instruct that labor the more val
laDie he becomes to the South
fence IL is that the work of the
hampton Institute has it's Intense
Importance. it is the solution OF
he race question.
l do not believe and I do not think
most men believed too many crutch-
. Tor people that are trying to learn