The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1909-11-26
BIG CROWD HEARS
BOOKER WASHINGTON
At OPERA HOUSE
NOTED NEGRO EDUCATOR ENTER.
TAINs AND PLEAsEs HIS
AUDIENCE.
HAD A fine SENSE OF HUMOR
Pleaded For a Better Understanding
Between the White And Black
Races-Declared Social Equality
Was Not Wanted.

Booker T. Washington, the note
negro educator, was heard Saturda,
night at the Grand Opera House b.
an audience that taxed the capacit!
of the building. Every available sea
was occupied, both upstairs and down
The balcony had been reserved fol
negroes, and the downstairs fol
whites, and both races turned out BY
the hundreds.
DR.. Washington's train was late an6
it was nearly o'clock before the cur
tain went up. Seated upon the stage
were Mayor Biddle and members OF
the City Board of Education, as well
as the colored choral society, promi-
nent negroes of the city, and the party
that had accompanied the speaker
here from Nashville. After the rem
dition of song by the choral society,
DR.. Stephens introduced Prof Kelley,
superintendent of the colored schools,
who delivered the address of welcome,
in few and appropriate words.
For one hour and half DR.. Wash
ington spoke, his address being a mas
terly appeal to the white and colored
races to live together in harmony and
peace. The speaker pleaded, not for
social equality, but for more tolerance
and a better understanding.
DR.. Washington was humorous, log
ical, eloquent, and from the moment
he began to speak until the last word
had been said, held his audience with
that ease that becomes the real orator
Extracts from the speech follow:
within recent months on the invi-
tation of leading colored people, L
hive mde trips through the states of
Arkansas, Mississippi and South Caro-
lima. The negroes of Tennessee have
very kindly invited me to spend some
days in this state In coming here |
have put one object in view-that of
seeing for myself what the real condi- |
ton of the masses of the negroes is, |
who progress they are making, and ii |
possible to say a word wherever | can |
that will result in making them more
and more helpful to them
selves and to their white neighbors.
Wherever 1 get an opportunity, as in
this case, like to see for myself what
the actual relations between the black
and white people are.
I'VE of both races in the South have
suffered much by reason of the fact
that the worst that occurs in the South
is spread speedily in all part of the
world while the best things which are
occurring in each commune
.y are seldom known outside of that
Il was born in the South, have al
ways lived in the South, and intend for
Ill time to make this my home. There
s no spot on earth that love so II
much as | do this Southland.
Here in the South my race has an ,
opportunity that it does not have in :
N equal degree in any other part of :
he world. 1t has been my privilege 4
o travel in nearly every portion of t
america, and l have inspected the
ondition of the working class of peo- n
lie in the old countries of Europe, but n
owhere have found conditions more II
opeful and encouraging for working n
lass of people than find for my race a
Ight here in the heart of the South. s
Il want to urge every colored man k
, get to the point where he will settle W
own and become definite, perma- Il
ent and useful party of some COM Ii
unity. A shiftless, rowing, unem- IL
Ioyed negro is of no value to himself W
nd is a disgrace to our race. lw
''In the matter of labor, our race has BIZ
4 advantage in the South which line
,metimes fear it does not rightfully q,
1preciate. In the old countries of NJ
urope and in many of the large cities he
the North, people for a large part w
the year are without work; they WI
ak the streets day by day seeking tn
nployment and cannot find 1t. In to
II case, no negro who wants to find re
,rk need go without it. On the 9th wi
hand in most cases, instead of the lal
ack man having to seek labor, labor
eks him. And then here in the frc
nth the negro is not shut out, as In de
her parts of the country from pic
filed labor. In many countries of tin
, world people who have the same go,
gree Of civilization work when they sht
a only get from Is to 20 cents day sht
their labor In every part of the COZ
uthland we get many times that the
ch money per day for our labor. are
But we must not be content as a as
e of people to merely occupy field of