The Colorado statesman., 1911-09-16

present or for the future. The whole
southland is full of opportunities for
skilled workmen at high wages. In
Alabama, for example. there are col
ored men who are earning from three
to fve dollars day as bricklayers.
In the Birmingham district OF Ala
bama there are colored men who are
earning from five to ten dollars per
day as skilled laborers In the various
iron and steel manufacturing enter
prises OF that state. What l say OF
Alabama is true of other states.
without the least fear Of exagger-
alton, l would state that employment
can be found for 100 additional negro
architects, 300 negro contractors. 100
more electrical engineers, 5000 more
bricklayers, 5000 more carpenters,
500 more plumbers, 500 more station
ary engineers and 5000 more skilled
workers in the iron furnaces. This
is to say nothing of at least 10000
places awaiting skilled farmers, dairy
men. stock raisers and fruit grow
ers.
Attention before It is too late to
our economic and Industrial growth
will enable the ten million members
of our race in the United States to es-
cape many of the pitfalls into which
our race has fallen in Liberia, Haiti
and elsewhere.
Just in proportion as our race gives
heed to the development of its eco
nomic and Industrial opportunities
will every school, college, university
and church be strengthened. Just
In proportion as we seize hold of and
use the tremendous economic and ma
terial opportunities that are at our
door will every journalist, teacher,
minister lawyer and doctor share In
the benefit and be strengthened.
"In all the respects to which have
referred and many others, rich and
bountiful harvest awaits us as a race,
and In proportion as we enter 1t we
shall find friends and supporters
among white people and black peo-
pie. Let us, then, as race every
where turn our faces away from the
setting sun of gloom and despair to-
ward the rising sun of hope and deter
mination."
| Following Doctor Washington's ad-
dress, DR.. Joseph A. Booker, president
of the Arkansas Baptist college, Little
Rock, and one of the most resourceful
and forceful negro college presidents
in the south, spoke on Negro School
Building by Negroes" AS presi-
dent of a distinctively negro school
for twenty-five years, Doctor Booker's
experience in this regard proved very
valuable. Doctor Booker stated that
the Arkansas Baptist college was
built up of the pennies and nickels
and dimes of washerwomen and Ia
boring men for the most part, and de-
clared 1t to be most helpful example
of self-help among the negroes OF the
south. Whereas the school twenty-five
years ago had nothing but the name,
he continued, it now owns property In
the city valued between 100000 and
$4,000 and ten thousand dollar farm
north of Little Rock.
1T is a much easier matter to build
schools for negroes than to persuade
them to build them for themselves"
he said. "The race today is enjoying
excellent school advantages both In
the north and in the south; but these
|
anthropy, public charity and patriot
ism of the white man, north and south,
than to the negroes own self-help.
The problem before us now is to get
the race into the habit and effort OF
paying much of Its own educational
bills.
Education today is the paramount
question with the white man. He and
his child are eager to know, and they
will find out in any school at any cost.
He and all his want intellectual pow
er and social power, and they have 1t
by aggregating their schools, presi-
I dents and professors and labelling them
as achievements of the white race
for the general uplift and promotion
of the white race AID the world.
"In everything but in civil and bust
ness matters, negroes are society
unto themselves. With these two ex-
ceptions they are a government within
a government. a wheel within wheel
The world would look with strange
horror upon them II they should accu-
mulate great wealth, learn to do bust
ness in great waters. erect magnificent
temples of worship and then care not
to build schools or colleges or univer-
stiles at their own expense.
"rhe white people of this country
have spent an immense amount OF
money to educate the negroes both
in the common schools, colleges. pro-
fessional schools and industrial
schools. What shall / say to the
business men, the hnanciers of the ne
gro race, with reference to these
worthy enterprises? The common
people have done much to launch and
support them. They have allowed
themselves to be grouped off accord
ing to their religious belief and rallied
nobly in supporting these schools
Inn Lot,