The Washington bee., 1910-07-09
DR.. BOOKER T. WASHINGTON
Continued from first page.)

| do know that in other states much
Is lost by reason of the fact that too
large a number of our people move
from one community to the other.
from one state to the other: in a
word, in many cases they are a shift
ing group of people and unsettled.
Every father and mother owes it not
only TO themselves but to their chill
dren, | repeat, to select a spot some
where that they can call their own.
and settle down there and plant
themselves and make a reputation for
industry, for thrift, for economy and
sober, upright living. A man who IS
IN Wilmington this month, in Phila-
delphia next month, in Washington
another month, cannot accomplish
much. In this state you have the ad-
vantage of a good climate, a good
soil, and are surrounded by a class of
white people who are willing to help
and encourage you in every way pos
sible. Here, III my opinion, is the
place for you to settle down and make
a permanent abiding place
1T IS trIe of the colored race. as it
is true OF most races, that the great
mass Of our people earn their living
by the work of their hands For a
number of years I have preached the
doctrine of the dignity of labor. No
race of people can make much prog
ress until those people have become
thoroughly imbued with the idea that
all forms Of labor are dignihed and
should be encouraged. The idea Of
the dignity of labor or the disgrace Of
idleness, should be taught to our chill
dren, should be taught around the
ireside, should be taught in every
church and in every public school.
People who are in the habit of
employing large numbers of our peO-
pie as labOrers often complain to me
that while the negro in certain re
spcCtS IS a satisfactory labOrer. that
he Is not reliable, that he will not keep
his word when he has promised 10 be
at place of labor at a given hour or
a given day. | often hear complaints
that the negro Iaborer will not return
to his place of labor on Monday
morning ii he has been paid off on
Saturday night, until all the cash has
been spent. If that in any degree, Is
true of our people in this city or in
this State, | want to impress upon you
the Importance OF changing this repu-
tatiOn for our race.
And then in all matter of labor
whether it relates to work on the
farm or in a factory or IN household
work, whether cooking or laundering
or what not, the time has come when
the negro cannot hold his place in
Il vr---1I 8 1.ha- ,r,11-- l. l-ac
progress. That means he must put
brains and skill into every line Of
work. The kind of service that would
satisfy twenty years agJ on the farm
will not be satisfactory to-day The
kind of service that would satisfy
twenty years ago in the kitchen will
not satisfy to-day. In all these re-
spects, progress, new methods, new
implements, new ideas, are entering
in and the negro must make progress
or he will lose the position that he
now holds.
The minister, the lawyer, the doc
tor, the school teacher, in my hearing
may ask, what has all this to do with
US; / answer that the success of the
professional class OF our people de
pends upon the success Of the hard
working classes Of our people. # the
common negro labOrer loses his job
because of ineficicnCy. he Is not able
to support the church or the school
or the lawyer or the doctor in the de
gree that he was before. The profes-
sional classes prosper in proportion
as the labOring classes prosper.
"Of equal Importance Is the cult
vation OF the habit of learning to save
that which we earn. While I do not
know the exact amount OF. property