Iowa state bystander. [volume] (Des Moines, Iowa) 1894-1916, 1914-07-10
AERQ:AMER|CAN cULL|NCS

Declaring that the progress of the
tcolored race during the last half-cen.
fury has not been excelled by any
people, Henry B. F. Mcfarland, for.
mer commissioner Of the District of
Columbia, urged the graduates Of M
street high school. Armstrong Manual
Training and Cardozo and o Street
vocational schools to pledge them.
selves to honest endeavors for the fur.
Their advancement of their race.
Mr.. Mcfarland was the principal
speaker at the joint commencement
exercises of the four schools, which
were held in convention hall at Wash.
ington. The big auditorium was
packed with friends and relatives of
the graduates. Henry P. Blair, presi.
dent Of the board of education, pre-.
sided, while members of the board
and James F. Oyster. its former presi-
dent, occupied seats on the stage.
In beginning his address former
Commissioner Mcfarland referred to
the interest which the nation has in
the public schools Of the District, and
declared that further development of
the schools depends upon the mainte.
nance of the organic act of 1878, un-
der which the federal government
contributes to the support of the mu-
nicipality.
Il think the city is to be congratu-
lated upon the services Of the men and
women of the board of education who
serve without pay" said Mr.. Macfar-
land. Il am glad to believe that l
simply express the feeling of every
patriotic American the country over
who is intelligent enough to know
about the public schools of the Dis
trict Of Columbia. l have had reason
to believe that in the recent campaign
Of education concerning the organic
act that there are all over the country
men and women who feel just as
strongly interested in education in the
District Of Columbia as they do in
their own states and cities.
They regard the national capital as
an integral whole, like no other city,
and would feel ashamed and disgraced
If the education given here was below
the standard that existed elsewhere.
They do not divide the capital into
national city, made up of parks, build
ings and things that can be seen, and
a local city made up of schools, a
health department and municipal serv-
ices generally. They look upon this
national capital as one, and they want
it to be in all respects the finest in the
world.
Fifty years ago five per cent of
the colored race could read-now 70
per cent. Fifty years ago no archi-
tects or engineers or manufacturers or
mine owners were of the colored race
bow there are thousands. Fifty
years ago there were no negro news
papers, banks, stores or other bust
nesses of similar character-now you
have 400 newspapers and periodicals,
"a banks, 100 insurance companies and
10000 grocery stores. Fifty years ago
there were no colored doctors, nurses
or dentists. Now there are $4,000 Of
such professions. Fifty years ago
there were no farms owned by the
members of your race. Now there are
100000 farms, embracing more than
100000 acres.
Rejoicing as do at your pride in
your race, rejoice to speak to you
tonight as members of that great race
"a race which is going to be greater
in the future than it has ever been in
the past. The unparalleled record of
the negro race in the United States
ought to be to these young men and
women the greatest possible inspira-
ton that can be given them"