The Denver star., 1913-04-19
Interesting News
Concerning the Race.
DIFFER IN OPINION

Recently the Atlanta Constitution
published an article under the cap
tion The Truth About the Negro"
Edward T. Ware, president of the At
lanta University, answered the article
in which he agreed with it in parts.
and in well chosen language NJ.
Ware pointed out those parts which
were faulty. We publish herewith a
short paragraph from the answer:
Editor Constitution: l have read
with extreme interest your editorial,
The Truth About the Negro" in last
Sundays Constitution. Your estimate
of the worth of the work of the Negro
colleges is peculiarly gratifying to me
and accords with a recent testimonial
received from a group of influential
citizens regarding the work and in
fiuence of Atlanta university.
There is room for difference of
opinion regarding the comparison
which you make of the condition of
the Negroes under slavery and now
after fifty years of freedom. One un-
questionable good result of the COM
bined efforts of north and south in ed
ucation is the reduction of illiteracy
/ to about 80 per cent among them
Whatever obstacles they may have to
soil, it is significant fact that the
Negroes own farm lands and build
ings in the United States worth $273,-
| 100000, and that in Georgia they own
1858 farms, valued at s20,54O,91O.
If in the days of slavery there were
| better trained and more capable ser
wants, and even if in the better fam
lilies there material and moral vel
| fare was assured, still it was at best
under a system of benevolence, and
we all must agree with President Will
son when he says, "Benevolence new
er developed man or a nation. We
| do not want a benevolent govern
/ ment. We want a free and a just
government. Every one of the great
schemes of social uplift which are
now so much debated by noble pco-
pie amongst us is based, when rightly
conceived, upon justice, not upon be-
nevolence"
In defense of the editorial the Con-
stitution of Sunday says in part:
President Wares suggestion re-
garding the equipment of schools
with domestic training and manual
arts adjuncts is excellent. The do
mestic work of the world. and of the
South, must and will be done If the
Negroes continue their present indif-
ference in that direction, the work
will be done by white people That
they are growing less and less compe-
tent in this field needs no argument
Put an "ad'' in the Atlanta papers for
domestic help, and the response is &C
tually pitiful. Few of those respond
ing can cook, sew or perform any
household work with ability, or fidel-
ity. This condition cannot last. Even
now white domestics are replacing
the negroes. Unless a change comes
quickly the day will be on us when
negroes formerly discharging these
services will be absolutely without
means of employment. 1t is useless
to dwell on the significance of that
development. If proper equipment
could be supplied in the training of
this class. not only the negro but the
white man would himself be mate
rial gamer.
Owing to the length of the two art
icles, we cannot reproduce in full.
Both are very interesting, one stating
the conditions and the other Offering
remedy. The articles in full can
be found at this office.