The Colorado statesman., 1912-05-04
BOOKER WASHINGTON At WORK
(By BRADLEY GILMAN.)

the oranges; or you may like better
the golden grapefruit; or you may pre-
fer to pot" alligators; or you can
study the evoutions of the turkey
buzZards, as they drift and soar on
the air-current, putting Glenn Curtiss
and the Wright brothers to the bad,
with their deftly-poised rugged. sooty
wings.
III none of these things interest you,
there is the negro; always the negro.
bearing about with him his problem.
standing-to the thoughtful, serious
tourist-like a heavily-loaded interro-
cation mark, on the southern page OF
American history. What shall we do
about him? What can he do about
himself? What answer is he giving
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 did
not travel there in search OF the foun-
tain of eternal youth; he went with a
dozen friends and helpers to Pensa-
cola, thence to Tallahassee, Ocala,
Tampa, Jacksonville and other points,
and addressed vast audiences OF
whites and blacks, and gave such wise,
hopeful words of counsel that his own
people responded to him with en-
thusiasm, and his white hearers-even
in the regions made notorious by
lynchings-eXpressed approval and
urged him to come again and deepen
the good influences which he had al
ready established
This missionary journey" was one
of several which DIR. Washington has
made through southern states; it was
under the direction of M. M Lewey,
president of the Colored Mems Busi-
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 his
own people and their relations to the
white race. and to encourage public
sentiment in the direction OF plain ele-
mental and Industrial education for
negroes. The state governments al
ready do something in the direction,
and private individuals help, but not
over 5 per cent. OF the total black
population of the south is affected by
schools like Hampton, Tuskegee and
Others.
Many of the public school superin-
tendents see the need of a more gen
eral education for the blacks, but are
thwarted by an adverse public senti-
ment. This sentiment, hostile or in
GlffprpDt ha Teri
for good by DR.. Washington's 1mpas-
stoned addresses to such large audi
ences in so many centers of popula-
,tion. He does what more eloquent
and theoretical speakers often do not
he changes the ideas and the feelings
of his auditors; people who have
heard this great man speak to audi
ences in the north have little idea of
his addresses to southern gatherings,
where he has his own people before
him, and has also considerable num-
Der of white people who begin the
session in ill-concealed enmity
The dramatic situation at l. |
shall never forget; the famous negro
leaders faced over 200 white men
about fifth of his total audience
who sat with scowls of distrust on
their faces, until his kindly appeals to
their reason and better selves soft
ened them and made them his friends.
Probably almost every man in that
white group carried a pistol; one or
two weapons were displayed OPENLY:
some of those men must have taken
part I'm the barbarous lynchings which
disgraced the town fifteen months
I,,t
and veritably with the royal mien OF
that king of the forests. DR.. Washing
ton stood forth from his little group
of friends alone and gave battle; a
battle of right and reason against ig-
norance and prejudice; and he won:
and some of those men said in my
hearing afterward, that he was a
,grent man and that the negro ought
to be given fair chance
I made the similar trip with Mr..
washington through Mississippi three
years ago: and all my observations
land reflections on that journey were
confirmed by what | saw on this pres
;ent trip through Florida There is
only one solution of this vast problem
In the south; the negroes are to re
main on the land; therefore, common
sense dictates that they be educated
in the simple branches of book edu-
cation, and trained in some Industrial
pursuit; and then given chance to
'"mnke good" That is all that their
leading men ask. | have talked with
colored physicians, lawyers, ministers
and business men, on this recent jour
ney, who would be a credit to any race
and valuable asset to any cause;
they have pointed out to me the signs
OF progress among their people, the
advance of spring up the Atlantic sea-
board today is no more obvious and
Certain than is the advancement of