Franklin's paper the statesman., 1910-03-05
Young Negroes
Making Good
Most Progressive Era In the History of the
Race SirGe Freedom-large Number of
Capable Men Holding Positions of
Trust and Responsibility Views of
". S. Buchanan Presented.

This is the day and age OF young
men. More young men Of the Negro
race are in responsible positions today
than has been true of any other periot
Of our history since freedom, and il
most cases they are making good
Professor Walter S. Buchanan, the
newly elected president of the Agri
cultural and Mechanical College Fol
Negroes, located at Normal, Ala, i.
one of those young men who by sheer
merit and perseverance has made his
way to the front.
Mr.. Buchanan is graduate of Har
ward college, and he is not yet thirty
He succeeded the late Professor vii
liam H. Council as president Of the
Agricultural and Mechanical college
when there were dozen applicants In
the field, all of them strong and ex
perienced school men.
His work in the few short months
that he has been at Normal proves
the choice to have been a happy one
and shows him to be possessed OF
more than ordinary executive ability
The school in all of its work equals its
record in its most prosperous days
and there is a complete absence OF
any friction.
II possible more stress is being plac
ed upon the requirement of technica
knowledge. and the institution is be
coming In truth an agricultural and
mechanical college A recent address
delivered by President Buchanan al
Birmingham shows him to be broad
thinker, with a comprehensive GRASP
Of the real racial situation in the south
He carefully reviewed the social and
economic relations between the races
from slavery until the present day
and gave some wholesome advice t.
his people. In the course of his re
marks he said:
As grave as have been the errors OF
both sides and as irritating as is the ef
feet of them upon our social fabric, the!
have not been sufficient to break the bont
of mutual friendship and helpfulnes
which makes the Negro and the southern
white man the best Of business partners
And this is the sum total OF all the saw
ing grace in the race problem-that tn
south is loud In its praise of the Negr,
as laborer and gives him abundant op
portunity TO earn livelihood. This fac
above all others Is to be the keystone II
the arch Of race readjustment. The lar
ger relation between the races is the re
lation between capital and labor, and |
is in this relationship that we must max
good as efficient and responsible produc
ers or yield our places to the invadin
hordes Of Europe. Despite the variou
acts Of legislative injustice and individ
ual cruelty. the whites and blacks of tn
south love and understand each other a
foreigners can never hope to be loved an
understood by them. But In the long ru
efficiency and reliability win.
Perhaps you think | oyeEestimate tn
importance Of our servant class as mah
ers of sentiment, but ! am reminded G
Nehemiah. who escaped into Persia
where he later became cup bearer to tn
king. This servant was q member OF q
oppressed and despised race, but as
servant he was 80 loyal and spotless tha
through him the king he served deve
oped kindly spirit Of sympathy for hi
downtrodden race, so much so that whe
Nehemiah requested Of the king that
be allowed 10 return to Jerusalem to re
build the walls of the city the king nc
only granted him permission. but ser
along whole army to protect and assis