The Colorado statesman., 1915-12-04

above named reasons, and not, as
many people think and have said of
him. Many people think his purpose
for teaching the trades was to show
that the colored man was intellectu-
ally inferior to the white man, and
that his duty was to labor solely with
his hands, and that he was not by
nature as good as the white man.
Now, good people, these thoughts
were strangers to him, as far as his
work was concerned He did not cher
ish nor hint at such ideas.
His true ideas were to enlighten the
colored man, to advance him morally,
industrially and religiously, and to ac-
quire wealth and good citizenship.
When the colored man has acquired
these, then he will be in a better po-
sition to demand those things which
he sees fit to demand, and achieve
those things which rightly belong to
him.
To further verify my statement in
saying that the establishing of Tuske-
gee Institute was on the fundamental
basis of head education and is still on
that basis, | will cite the following
facts: When a student comes to Tus-
kegee Institute and is intellectually
unable to enter the &c preparatory
class (Which is equal to the first
grade in other schools), he goes to the
kindergarten department of the instl-
tuition. If he is too large to enter the
kindergarten with the children, he re-
turns home. His trade or desire for a
trade is given no consideration what
ever until he makes and enters class
in the academic department There is
no instance where student is given
a trade without his being in the acad-
emic department, unless he makes
sufficiently high enough class to war
rant that he is competent to go
through life without any more educa-
ton. and in that wise he has to make
Senior Class" or class next, which is
known as "A Middle Class" Then he
gets his trade without taking the acad-
emic course. Such students are called
Special Students" And taking the
trade without the academic course is
called Specializing.
All the common, honorable and life
| sustaining trades are taught at Tuske-
gee Institute; from Housekeeping" in
| the department of Domestic Science,
| to farm management" in the depart
ment of Scientific Agriculture. From
| the "office boy up to the professional
arts on the academic side, and few
| of the professions are also taught.
| Gospel ministers, trained nurses and
veterinary surgeons complete their
courses there. Medical doctors, phar-
macists and lawyers begin their
courses there, but finish at other in
| stitutions that are more extensively
| and especially equipped for such stud
| les.
Every student, both male and fe
male, is privileged to enter the Phelps
Hall Bible training department This
department is especially designed and
| wholly devoted for and to religious
work. 1t is there that the young min
listers receive their theological train.
ing, and the elder ministers, mission
aries and other religious workers like
| wise. Religious speaking and prayer
meetings are held every Friday night
in the several assembly rooms on the
campus, conducted wholly by the stu
dents. Christian Endeavor meetings,
Young Mems Christian Association
and Young Womens Christian Asso-
citation meetings are held Sunday
mornings and afternoons All these
services are optional with the stu
dents, but all of them are well attend
ed. The following are compulsory:
Nightly chapel devotional exercises,
except Friday and Saturday nights;
Sunday preaching services and Sun
day School. These last three, the stu
dents MUST attend or give some very
|tgood excuse for not attending.
Six long years have l sat under the
sounds of DR.. Washington's voice
drinking in his free, welcome, and
wholesome Instructions; six years I
diligently trod the paths of academ-
ical, industrial and religious work; six
years was completely surrounded by
no other environments but his. In
those six years learned something of
his true worth. l learned that the
closer one is connected with him the
more they knew about him. l learned
that the teachers knew more of him
and feared him more than the stu
dents. And when l hear a man say
that his work was for a selfish pur-
pose | feel SOrrY for that man and sav