The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-12-05
W. en Tuskeeee Lost Her Leader
By CLEMENT RICHARDSON Of the Teaching Staff of TuskeEee University

I psychology of cheer. No wonder that
 when death came both teachers and stu
 dents went about with eyes that told
 too plainly what the heart felt. | Just as he touched the students and | teachers with little thoughtful deeds so | he touched the town and state. both white and black. One feature of his funeral illustrated how completely had been his triumph over narrow prejudices.
 He was always talking about that white
 man up the hollow, back in the woods. How many times have l heard him urge picturesquely upon gatherings of teach- CTS to win that old fellow who, when you begin to talk negro education and negro schoolhouse scratches his head,
 leans to one side and looks far away. That's the man." he would say. that you've got to convince that negro edu- cation is not farce"
 Well. that man was at Booker T.
 Washingtons funeral. He came there , on foot, on horseback in huggies. in wagons. He was there in working clothes. In slouched hat. with no collar. During the service I chanced to stand near the end of the platform. Pretty soon felt a rough brushing against my elbow. AS I turned saw small, white child. poorly clad. being thrust upon the end of the flower laden platform. Then followed old white man, collarless. wearing a dngy blue shirt and a coat somewhat tattered. After him came two sttapp.ng fellows, apparently his sons. All grouped themselves here and listened eagerly. How thankful would Dr. Wash ington have been for their presence What a triumph. Ten years ago these men would not stop at the school. They cursed 1t. cursed the whole system and the man at the head of it. But quietly, persisteutly he had gone on with that everlasting doctrine that service can win even the meanest heart that an in- stitution had the right to survive in just so far as it dove-tailed its life into the life of all the people. There was no race and no class in the Tuskegee chapel on Wednesday morning. Novem- Der 17; heart went out to heart that common friend had gone.
 Broken as everybody is over the loss no one is afraid. No panic as to tho future of the school disturbs the breasts of the 190-odd teachers here. In the first place, poor as most of us are, we are ready to suffer many & privation be- fore we see the institution slip back tho slightest fraction of an inch. All these years 1t has been on trial on record It has been test, not of mere school. but of a race. A tacit pledge-not a word has thus far been spohen--has gone out along us that 1t shall remain on rec ord, that 1t shall stand here as breath ing evidence that negroes can bring things to pass.
 Back of this is the unshaken faith in our board of trustees. I doubt if an- other such board exists. It is made up of white men and black men, of men Of the north and men of the south. There Is not a figure head among them. Though intensely engaged. they go into the de- tails of the school getting close to the inner workings and to the lives of the teachers and students.
 Finally we are confident that the pub lie will have a good deal to say before Tuskegee is let die. The beaten path has been made to her door. Her methods have not only been commended but adopted wholly or in part. both in this country and other lands. Her use is undisputed. She takes students almost literally out of the gutter puts them on their feet and sends them out to fill riso oes Of honest. peaceful, useful citi- zens. This is the ideal for which Dr. Washington struggled. and over which his life cord snapped too soon. For tho same ideal the people at Tuskegee. though broken in spirit, are willing to spend themselves. for they are confi- dent that their cause is just, and that the world Is with them.