Iowa state bystander. [volume] (Des Moines, Iowa) 1894-1916, 1912-05-03
BOOKER WASHINGTON At WORK
10y BRADLEY aILMAN.)

10y BRADLEY aILMAN.)
There are many things Of interes
N Florida at this season. Thore ar
the oranges; or you may like bette
the golden grapefruit; or you may pre-
fer to pot" alligators; or you Cal
study the evolutions OF the turkey
buzzards. as they drift and soar OF
the air-current. putting Glenn Curtis
and the Wright brothers to the bad
with their deftly-poised rugged, SCOT
wings.
II none OF these things interest you
there Is the negro, always the negro
bearing about with him his problem
standing-to the thoughtful, seriou
tourist-like a heavily-loaded interro
CATION mark, on the southern page o
American history. What shall we d.
about him? What can he do abou
himself? What answer is he givini
In Florida to his own embodied IN
terrogation?
Booker T. Washington. the world
famous educator, Is wisely and brave
ly giving his answers to this problem
He has recently completed an eight
days journey through the land which
Ponce de Leon discovered. but he az
not travel there In search OF the foun
tain of eternal youth; he went with
dozen friends and helpers to Pensa
cola, thence to Tallahassee. Ocala
Tampa, Jacksonville and other points
and addressed vast audiences o.
whites and blacks, and gave such wise
hopeful words OF counsel that his owl
people responded to him with en-
thusiasm, and his white hearers-ever
In the regions made notorious BY
ynchings-expresse approval ane
urged him to come again and deeper
the good Influences which he had al
ready established.
This missionary journey" was ONT
Of several which DR.. Washington hal
made through southern states; 1t was
under the direction Of M. M. Lewey
president Of the Colored Mems Bust
ness league OF Florida. The object
which DR.. Washington has had In view
In all these tours has been to ascer
tain the conditions existing among hi
own people and their relations to the
white race. and to encourage public
sentiment in the direction OF plain ele
mental and industrial education FOL
negroes. The state governments al
ready do something in the direction
and private individuals help, but mo-
over s per cent. OF the total blacl
population of the south Is affected by
schools like Hampton, Tuskegee anc
others.
Many Of the public school superin
tendents see the need Of more gen
eral education for the blacks, but are
thwarted by an adverse public senti
ment This sentiment, hostile or In
different. must be distinctly altered
for good by DR.. Washington's impas
stoned addresses to such large audi
ences in so many centers OF popula
ton. He does what more eloquent
and theoretical speakers often do not
be changes the ideas and the feeling'
OF his auditors; people who hav'
heard this great man speak to audi
ences In the north have little idea O
his addresses to southern gatherings
where he has his own people before
him. and has also considerable mum
Der Of. white people who begin thu
session in illconcealed enmity.
The dramatic situation at L.
shall never forget; the famous negr,
leaders faced over 200 white men
about fifth of his total audience
who sat with scowls Of distrust OF
their faces, until his kindly appeals t
their reason and better selves soft
ened them and made them his friends
Probably almost every man In tina
white group carried pistol; one o
two weapons were displayed openly
some of those men must have takel
part in the barbarous lynchings which
disgraced the town fifteen months
ago: but, like lion facing jackals
and vertically with the royal mien o
that king Of the forests. Dr. Washing
ton stood forth from his little grou]
Of friends alone and gave battle: {
battle of right and reason against ig
norance and prejudice: and he won
and some OF those men said in m!
hearing afterward, that he was ,
great man and that the negro ough
to be given a fair chance.
made the similar trip with Mr.
Washington through Mississippi three
years ago; and all my observation
and reflections on that journey wer,
confirmed by what l saw on this pres
ent trip through Florida. There Il
only one solution Of this vast problem
IN the south; the negroes are to re
main on the land; therefore. commo,
sense dictates that they be educated
In the simple branches Of book edu
cation, and trained in some industrial
pursuit; and then given a chance t
make good" That is all that thei
leading men ask. ] have talked will
colored physicians. lawyers, minister
and business men, on this recent jour
ney. who would be credit to any rae,
and valuable asset to any cause
they have pointed out to me the sign
OF progress among their people; tn
advance Of spring up the Atlantic sea
board today Is no more obvious ant
certain than is the advancement O
the. negro race IN the southland to
ward all that is characteristic OF ,
high civilization. The increase II
homestead holdings, the increase o
stores and banks and taxable prop
erty-these tell the story of that gai,
in material prosperity which alone vii
give the black man position and pow
er and Justice III the south, All honol