The Colorado statesman., 1911-11-25

as Tor the DlackT III We neeu lnoub-
trial education to make better farm
ers. to make better carpenters, to
make better brickmasons, to make
better citizens for one race, why do
we not need It for both?' He said In
reply: I thoroughly agree with you'
Industrial education must be for both
races; just now he said. our partic-
ular work is for the negroes and the
Indians alone-the other will have to
be evolved in the future / do not
know OF any reason why emphasis
should be placed upon the observ-
ance OF the primary virtues Of indus
trial economy or thrift by one race
above another. unless II is that our
race needs teaching OF that sort more
than another. II so, then the greater
emphasis should be placed where the
greater necessity lies But, at all
events, IL / understand the lesson
which the eminent speaker of the eve
ming has been teaching from one end
of this country to the other, 1t Is GER
tainly lesson which can and should
command our unfailing and enthusias-
tic support"
Doctor Washington began his ad-
dress which lasted one hour and ten
minutes. 1t was enthusiastically re-
ceived, the applause being often led
by the white listeners.
1t was considered to be one of the
most remarkable addresses ever de-
livered to the colored citizns OF BIZ
mingham-remarkab for its abso-
Lutte candor in dealing with the race
problem.
Following are some of the white cit
liens seated on the platform: Judge
W. |. Grubb, Doctor Parks, Doctor
Riley, Mr.. Klotz, Judge Edmund IL.
Dryer, Hon. ]. o. Thompson, Mr..
Smith Cullom, Jr., Judge Crow, Pro
fessor White, Doctor Ullman, Mr.. M.
V. Joseph, Mr.. Cabiness. Hon. John
Frye, Ben NJ. Jacobs, Doctor Whaley,
Mr.. Gafford and several white ladies.
Doctor Washington spoke as fol-
lows:
81 am glad to be in Birmingham in
connection with the beginning OF the
work of DR.. ]. A Whitted in new
church. have known Doctor Whitted
for many years in North Carolina, and
there are fewer stronger and more
useful men of our race anywhere than
is true of him.
There is important work for a
church to do in a city like Birming-
ham. The colored population of the
Birmingham district is large and grow
ing each year. Birmingham and JEFF
ferson county contain not far from
100000 colored people. This l think
you will find the largest number, with
possibly one other exception, of col
ored people in any county in the
United States. The mere fact that
SO large a number of colored people
are living in this county brings tre-
mendous responsibility to the church
and people who have the interest OF
their community and state at heart.
There is perhaps no other country
in the United States where colored
people earn and handle so much
money annually as they do in Birm-
ingham and Jefferson county. 1t is
safe to say that from sS,OO0,00O to
$40 100000 are handled every year
by our race In tnlS county.
81 sometimes fear that as race
we do not rightly appreciate our op-
portunities in this country in the mat
ter of finding plenty of opportunities
to live. In most of the older coun-
tries of the world there are thousands
of people today who are seeking la
Dor, who are willing to work for
I
Europe last summer | saw numerous
cases where thousands of people
walked the streets at night and by
day, sleeping sometimes on the side
walks, sometimes under the trees In
the parks, because they could not lind
labor with which to supply their
wants. How different is it with the
hundred thousand colored people in
Jefferson county. l do not think l
am far out of the way when | say that
there is scarcely an able-bodied man
or woman of our race in this county
who cannot find plenty of work every
day in the year. and In most cases
instead of having to seek work, work
seeks them.
"The colored man as a laborer has
an advantage again when compared
with the condition of laboring classes
among other races in the old world
During the past summer in southern
Europe / saw strong, able-bodied men
working for wage of from IL to 15
and rs cents a day and glad to get
work at that price. How different 1t
is with the colored people in Jefferson
county, where in many cases they
earn from 10 to IL times as much as
the same class of laborers in south
ern Europe.
IN Jefferson county the negro has
spatted down a pretty big field in the
matter of labor. l do not want to see
my race merely tolerated in this coun-
ty because 1t exists in large numbers,
h,it I want To see nv race In such q