New-York tribune., 1910-08-20

The negroes need education. but they
need practical education. A literary
education won't help the negro to. plough
his field deeper. The loftiest emotion
will not help the negro woman who can't
cook TO make the family food taste bet
ter. You can't build up rich spiritual
and intellectual life without a broad
material foundation.
That's why ! believe in Tuskegee and
in Hampton Institute. An industrial
training is prime requisite. But don't
think 1 preach this only to the coIored
man. I constantly try to impress upon
white educators that they must educate
a boy toward and not away from the
artisans bench, and a girl toward house
keeping She had better learn it early
than late. when the learning is pain
full"
| Mr.. Roosevelt then spoke OF meeting
abroad Sir Harry Johnson. an English
! colonial administrator, and a man who
! has very decided views on every con-
ceivable subject" Sir Harry had writ
| ten a book. he said, on the American
negro in which he had some severe
things to say, but in which. in his sum-
ming up he declared that in no other
part of the globe had the negro made
the progress he had in America, and
that nowhere else had he the chance to
live as fully a developed life.
1T takes some time said the for
mer President Ito make a reformer
think that an outlook is not one of un-
alloyed gloom. You sometimes see
reformer who thinks if he says a good
word about anything he will be set down
as a hopeless reactionary. But We must
not let the fact that progress has been
made blind US to the fact that infinitely
greater progress must be made
Mr. Roosevelt told his hearers that he
had met in Mombasa an American negro
who was a physician and a jamaican
negro who was in charge of q govern
ment experiment station.
Wonderful Progress Shown.
! In comparing these two men with the
| savages round about. he said. he could
not believe that they were not removed
from them by tens of thousands of years
instead of by less than two centuries
The speaker then quoted statistics Illus
trating the industrial progress of the
race in this country.
In the South the negro receives the
greatest counsel and aid from the worthy
| white man. he went on. And il is the
white mans duty to give this aid. Our
only safe motto in this country is, All
|
any place the negro quarter is squaltd
and full of Criminaity. it is almost as
| had for the white as for the colored man.
You colored men and women, set
your faces like flint against those who
preach only the gospel of envy, hatred
and bitterness. When once you get the
| ordinary white man to realize that the
ordinary colored man is good citizen,
you have conferred on the white man
benefit so great that it is only surpassed
by the benefit conferred on the colored
man
Give ii to him. LaWd; give il to him"
quavered the voice of a very black old
woman in the gallery at each lull in the
demonstration that followed Mr.. Roose-
| velt's speech.
Bishop DuntOn, oil SOuIH taTollIld.
formally thanked the speaker in behalf
of the delegates. and praised him as the
friend of the negro and great citizen
! eve feel that the country is better and
safer when you are at home" said he
| The Bishop closed by asserting Mr.
| Roosevelt that if the time ever came for
his further promotion, If such were pos
! sibIe. he could count on the support Of
the negroes throughout the country
In the form of dessert after the more
| substantial courses of the convention,
the members of the league and their
wives. sweethearts and friends gathered
at dinner in the Grand Central Palace
last night. and after dinner fled out into
the adjoining ballroom and danced.
At an early hour this morning the fes-
! tivities were still in full swing, the
eleventh annual convention not being
! declared closed until the last couple
/ should tire of the dreamy waltz and re
/ tire into the rIo3 EroonS