The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1909-05-27
CONDITIONS IN SOUTH
BETTER AND BETTER
Notable Address TO Graduates
OfGOIIege Institution for
COIOTed Youth 'ap
8bs8

Washington. May 27.-speaklng to
the colored graduates Of Howard uni
Yersity near this city. President
Taft declared that never at any time
las the future OF the negro. as q
race, appeared more hopeful and
bright than at the present day
The President impressed upon his
hearers 4he fact that Il IL FOR the
negroes themselves 10 work out their
own future and 20 make themselves
valuable citizens In the communities
In which they live. Conditions for
the negro In the South. the President
said he believed. are growing better
and better. Southern people OF the
better class are coming TO look more
and more upon the negro race as one
Of their most valuable assets. the
President declared. and he again
urged upon the negro the importance
Of gaining the respect and the friend
ship OF the white people among whom
he IS to live.
The task OF educating the negro,
and especially Of educating leaders
siiitsiigg HE HE race race ne President assert.
ed WAS a debt owed by the Govern.
ment, a debt only too difllcull Of re-
payment because Of the constitution.
al limits Of the Governments IN deal
Ing with the Individual.
President Taft personally handed
to the more than 100 candidates for
legrees their parchment rolls. When
The commencement exercises we're
nded bic President officiated at the
laying of the cornerstone OF the new
Carnegie library Of the university
There was a ereat crush 10 hear
The President. more than Thousand
'olofed Eeople standing IN the rain
outside the university chapel while
"a was speaking
aThla university" said The presl-
tent IN hts speech, II the partial
sayment Of the debt IA race 10
which q government and the people
lf the United states are eternally
indebted They brought hat race
into lhla country against us viii
They first put Il IN bondage and
hen kept It in ignorance that that
bondage seemed to make necessary
nder the system then In vogue, Then
hes freed Il and put upon It the re-.
sponsbllltIes OF citizenship Now
come sort Of obligation follows. The
/ method Of hh discharge would be
.asier were II not for our c0nstltu-
sOnal system. which throws generally
mon the states the burden OF educa.
Ion and leaves to the general govern.
nent only certain limited jurisdiction
With rpeupci f0 the neoule
81 am far from saying thai the
eolored race today would be better
If II they all had university educa-
fiuna. | think they would be In
ferY bad way II they had. because
hey would not know how to use It
md they would not find means Of
lslng it.
There is great opportunity Taft
Aald for educated colored men to aid
heir race IN the struggle before
hem for economic success.
tThe benefit that teachers edu.
afed here can do to their race goes
without eavlng." he continued "Ot
-ourse the basis OF the education of
he col0red people is In the primary
schools and In the industrial schools.
n those schools must be introduced
nachars from such university inssl-
utlons M
Il am dellelhsed to think conditions
Ire getting better and better for the
negro race. N ell the growing com
tnnlties Of the s0nth the white men
II progress are beginning to appre
late the advantage Of having a class
ike the coi0red men here They are
anxious that they have an industrial
elneailon. Thee are anxious that
they should make their way IN the
world and show their usefulness IN
lhe community The truth ls that
he greatest hope that the negro has,
because he lives chiefly in the South,
8 the friendship and the sympathetic
interest of the white men with whom
he lives
1T seems to me that the future {
N the hauds Of the race itself I said
he president in conclusion. Every
thing that can do in the executive
way Of helping along this matter
expect to DO. EXPECT 90 do Il be
cause believe Il Is a.dehl Of the
ea0ula Of the United States: II is an
abligaliun of ahe Government of the
United States. and It Is money con-
slllutlonallT applied TO that which
shall work ont IN the end the solution
of one Of the greatest problems that
Cod he's nul upon the people of me
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