The Birmingham age-herald., 1916-04-07
MEETING ID HONOR B. I. WASHINGTON K. R. MOtOn Was Principal Speaker Last Night WHITES ARE PRESENT New Head of Tuskegee Makes Ex- cellent Impression By First
 Public Speech In State
 Since Election
WHITES ARE PRESENT

The principal speaker at the memor- ial exercises held here last night for Booker T. Washington, late head of Tuskegee institute, was R. R. Moton or Hampston institute, president elect Of Tuskegee, and successor to Dr. Washington. The exercises were held at the sixteenth street colored Baptist church in connection with the annual convention of the colored teachers as sociation of the state
 Other speakers at the meeting who paid high tribute to the late head of luskegee institute were two of the states most prominent citizens W. w campbell, banker of Tuskegee and former president of the Baptist State convention, and H. o. Murfee, presi- dent of Marion institute.
 MT. Campbell told of his acquaintance with Booker Washington and his work Tor quarter of a century and spoke of the high regard in which he was held py the white people of Tuskegee and Macon county
 MT Murfee paid tribute to Booker Washington as leader of his race and an educator and told of the splendid work he had done to elevate the ne- groes Of the south. MT. Murfee stated that the late head of Tuskegee was held in the highest regard by educa- tors throughout the nation and that he had done much to bring about a bet ter feeling between the races.
 large number of prominent white men and women attended the meeting large number of seats having been reserved for them. The address of prin- clpal-elect Moton was the first deliv- cred in this state since he was chosen as the successor to Booklet Washing ton, and he created most favorable impression last night
 Booker T. Washingtons educatio programme was not merely local, it was national worldwide i'll scope" he said.
 Industry, thrift, morality decent homes, clean bodies and minds, better methods or farming-a kind of education which made a universal appeal was his It was an education that helped farmers to do better farming, the carpenter to do bet ter carpentering, and the cook to do bet ter cooking. He believed that educa ton Tn the broadest sense should teach a far ner how to get more out of an acre by better methods; that a carpenter was re- celvlng useful and very necessary in- structlon when taught how to build a bet ter and more beautiful home at less cost and to instruct those who cook how to Keep a cleaner kitchen and prepare d more appetizing meal at less expense was, In hls opinion, an education of the most essential sort
 Booker T. Washington was most per- sistent in his efforts that educa tion whether for farmer, preacher or teacher should be linked in definite, tangible "ay to life, and the life of the lowly man end woman in particular-for he wanted to see each man and each woman live to do better in his daily vocation. This ldea he worked out and put into practice In such remarkable and convincing way as 10 command the respect and admira- tion of the entire world.
 The colored schools of Alabama, as a rule, have been wise enough to follow pr. Washingtons course, and as a re. suit the white people of the state are growing more interested in negro schools. If the white man sees that negro educa- ton makes a more industrious com munity, if he sees better results on his farm, in his kitchen better behavior on the streets, in the life and conduct of the colored people of the community gener- ally, he will not only believe in and un- Teservediy approve of negro education but he will find some way to give us bet ter schools Our white people can usually find a way for anything they think is really worth while, but they must be convinced that it IS worth while and mo- pody can do better than the negro teach CT. and no one demonstrated this more conclusively, more effectively or more Eeautl1uIly than the man in whose menl- cry we are gathered tonight.
 We, as teachers must, first of all live clean. honest. industrious, unselfish lives We are living in an era when we are expected to practice what we preach. Let us take firm stand for morality, and set our faces like flint against the loaf ing, worthless element in the negro race. Let us follow Dr. Washington in teach ing the members of our race the neces- sity of decent living. and the beauty and dignity of labor. For, indeed, we have more to fear from the lazy, shiftless. ignorant criminal negro than from any race prejudice in Alabama. And let us remember that in the solution of the race problem, a large measure depends upon us, and practical, Christian educa- tion will be one of our most forceful and helpful mediums for good"
 In closing his address Principal Moton made an earnest appeal to the white peo- pie for their continued cooperation and support in helping the negro in Alabama carry out the wise. unselfish programme formulated by Booker Washington This appeal was effectively emphasized by the story of Dr. John White of Atlanta, given before the National Negro Business league, in which Principal Moton urged that the white people who had a firm, definite hold on civilization, would not cut the rope from the negro whose grasp was so indefinite and uncertain. My people, said he, ''need you-they need your kindly advice and criticism-your religious and moral instruction, and your help and protection in all that makes development"