Evening star., 1909-02-24
TAFT TALKS OF NEGR0| 0|SPtRRy IN RICHMOND
Development of South Depend Toy Cannons Fire Sates for
ent on Race, He Declares Fleet Officers r.;
EDUCATION IS SOLUTION WELCOME BY GOVERNOR
Bad Rich Phanthopts Do Militia Escort Through Streets
Aid This Plan. Luncheon at Jefferson Hotel
FOUR MILLIONS Is NEEDED SPEECHMAKING AT THE TABLE
Booker T. Washington Pleads for Rear Admiral Not
Endowment Garry Secretary
Hampton Tuskegee the Navy
Development of South Depend
ent on Race, He Declares.
EDUCATION IS SOLUTION
Too Bad Rich Philanthropists Do Not
Aid This Plan.
FOUR MILLIONS Is NEEDED
Booker T. Washington Pleads for
Endowment to Garry on Work Of
Hampton and Tuskegee.

adMPIou anu VuSKe&ee.
NEW YORK, February o4.-Speaking
at a meeting held in the interest of
Hampton Institute, the negro industrial
school. last night at Carnegie Hall, Pres
ident-elect Taft told representative au-
dience that the negro in this country had
come to stay; that negro labor was es-
sential to the development Of the south,
and that the best and practically the
only thing to do with the colored man
was to educate him: to gite him his op-
portunity. incidentally he told the au-
dience 1t was nonsense for United States
senators to assert that whites and blacks
could not live together.
III you read the Congressional Record
you Will learn that some great states
men say 1t is impossible for the two
races to live together; that the situation
Is beyond the hope Of human effort
Wei. there are 100000 negroes living
IN this country now. and what are you
going to do about it," asked Mr.. Taft
negro.
Race Feeling Does Exist.
Race feeling is fact" he continued
Denial Of tits illogical You can't dis
pose of 1t by saying 1t doesn't exist
What we must do is to make 1t to the
advantage OF both races to see that the
bad results OF race feeling do not con-
tinue.
The negro Is absolutely essential to
tne oevelopment OF the south. and the
valuable his labor is. Hampton Institute
IS doing work OF immense Importance
II you furnish enough education to en-
aole negroes to use their minds and
tnelr hands you give them the opportu-
nifty to help themselves
NO one can read the statistics with
out marveling at the progress the negro
race has made In the last fifty years
under great burdens and despite obsta-
cles. The race that produced q Booker
Washington in a century can do miracles
in time
Taft told Of his visit to the south and
sail that one of the things that impressed
MIN most was the spirit of initiation
Of the work Of Gen. Armstrong, who
founded Hampton Institute. and said
also the trouble was that negroes are
not the only ones In the south who need
education.
Benefits Of Education.
The influence of Hampton and Tus-
kegee Is doing great good for the igno-
rant white children" he said.
Emigration, Taft said. would do good
In the south. He favored "competi-
ton in labor. as we'll as in everything
else" He had found that the introduc-
ton OF Spanish. Italian and Greek la
borers In Panama resulted in better
work by the natives. The negroes, too,
were Americans: they knew no nag but
the American flag and were willing to
f,tt, No
fore the race II the colored people were
given chance to improve their abilities
and their character.
In conclusion he said: There is moth
the wealthy men OF this country who
have money and do not know what to
do with 1t as the cause of negro indus
trial education in the south. / agree that
1t does not speak well for the intelli-
gence of those who have money to dis
tribute that Hampton is now seeking
$2.OUOOOO as an endowment, and that
Tuskegee needs as much more. when both
institutions have demonstrated their USE
fulness and have shown that they offered
OF the greatest questions that has ever
presented itself to the American people"
Asks for Only $4,000, 900.
On the stage besides Taft were Robert
c. Ogden. Bishop Greer, Booker T. Wash
ington. DR.. H. B. Frissell and William
Jay Schieffelin. the latter as president Of
the Armstrong Association.
After the chorus Of students from
Hampton Institute had sung a number
of plantation songs. Schieffelin called at
tention to the need Of funds for the in
stitute saying:
I've only ask for $1,000. 900. much less
than the cost Of a warship."
Schieffelin then introduced Bishop Greer
4l of~w W. -.
THE solution of the negro problem, 1
believe. is to be found In one word. 'Op-
Give the negro opportunity
to become all God meant him to be and
he will solve his own problem"
education. he said. Then he introduced
Booker T. Washington. who told story
about Taft before beginning his set
speech.
Taft, he said. had dinner at a planta-
Taft's host told the cook what the dis
tinguished guest had said The cook had
never heard Of Taft and after the master
had endeavored In many ways to explain
who the President-elect was she said:
well, anyway. boss. he certainly do
look like he'd been regular at his meals"
True Friend Of Both Races.
Washington, after thanking Taft for
the interest he has shown in the negro
question. said, In part:
Judging from what he has said. and
by what he has done, throughout his
career, I feel safe In stating that the
negro race and the white race In the south
will have no truer and wiser friend than
President Taft. feel sure. further. that
he will inspire us with the same conf
dence. and will exhibit the same infiexible
to deal justly with all Sec
tions and with all races as his great
has done"
The speaker told Of having been shown
an inventory on the old plantation where
he was q slave, putting the value on
Booker as $4OO.
If, during the years that have passed.
have succeeded in making my mind and
body worth more than $4O0 to the cause
Of civilization. ii Is all due to the infiu-
ence and the work of Hampton Institute
where I was educated. and where I re-
ceived the inspiration that led me to de-
vote my life to the cause OF education in
the southern states" he said