Franklin's paper the statesman., 1910-03-12
Young Negroes
Making Good
Most Progressive Era In the History of the
Race Since Freedom 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 period
Of our history since freedom, and in
most cases they are making good.
Professor Walter S. Buchanan, the
newly elected president of the Agri-
cultural and Mechanical College For
Negroes, located at Normal, Ala, Is
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 Will
liam H. Council as president Of the
Agricultural and Mechanical college
when there were a 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 happy one
more than ordinary executive ability
The school in all of its work equals its
record in its most prosperous days.
and there is complete absence Of
any friction.
If possible more stress is being plac-
ed upon the requirement Of technical
knowledge, and the institution is be-
coming in truth an agricultural and
mechanical college. A recent address
delivered by President Buchanan at
Birmingham shows him to be a 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 to
his people. In the course of his re-
marks he said:
AS grave as have been the errors on
both sides and as irritating as is the ef-
feet OF them upon our social fabric, they
have not been sufficient to break the bond
of mutual friendship and helpfulness
WHICH IldNe5 tLe negro ana the southern
white man the best of business partners
And this is the sum total of ali the saw
ing grace in the race problem-that the
south is loud in its praise of the Negro
as laborer and gives him abundant op-
portunity TO earn livelihood. This fact
above all others Is to be the keystone in
the arch of race readjustment. The lar
ger relation between the races is the re-
lation between capital and labor and it
Is in this relationship that we must make
good as efficient and responsible produc-
ers or yield our places to the invading
hordes of Europe. Despite the various
acts of legislative injustice and individ-
ual cruelty, the whites and blacks of the
south love and understand each other as
foreigners can never hope to be loved and
understood by them. But in the long run
efficiency and reliability win.
Perhaps you think l oyerestimate the
Importance Of our servant class as max
ers of sentiment, but | am reminded OF
Nehemiah, who escaped into Persia
where he later became cup bearer to the
king. This servant was member of an
oppressed and despised race, but as a
servant he was so loyal and spotless that
through him the king he served devel.
oped kindly spirit Of sympathy for his
downtrodden race, so much SO that when
Nehemiah requested of the king that he
be allowed TO return to Jerusalem to re-
build the walls of the city the king not
only granted him permission. but sent
along whole army to protect and assist