The Appeal. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. ;) 1889-19??, 1917-02-24

The Following Article is Taken From
The Cleveland Gazette, and is Only
One of Many Such That Have Ap-
peared From the Trenchent Pen of
Rev. William A. Byrd.-Read and
Ponder.
That Hampton and Tuskegee have
done much good for the colored race
and the country at large, no sane man
will deny, but there is a serious ques-
ton as to the harm they have also
done. Hampton in Virginia empha-
sizes humility for colored men. Tus-
kegee in Alabama emphasizes non
resistance and deep respect for
southern traditions" Such men as
Seth Low and many others have built
and do maintain Tuskegee because
they hope through it to uplift the
colOred race and in a measure solve
the race problem. The trouble with
this policy is it's one-sidedness. These
men constantly advise the colored
race to be patient while the white
men continually heap upon them
more and grievous burdens. Colored
men are continually reminded that
the southern white man is his "best
trlend' and this white ''friend" is
continually showing his friendship by
oppression, violence and death. Be-
sides these evils both Hampton and
Tuskegee stand for the kind of edu-
cation the south is half way inclined
TO tolerate-industrial training,
teaching the niger how to be a
good servant" From Tuskegee a SEN
t1ment of this kind goes out over the
country. The head of Tuskegee must
stand for this sentiment or fight like
man and quit; or acQuiesce like "a
good niger" and be allowed to re-.
nam. No one can sit and hear a.
lecture from Hampton's teachers with
out being impressed with the fact that
all of the effort of that institution is
to make the colored people patiently
| receive whatever the whites or the
| south may give them. They are fos-
terlng a sentiment of inferiority of
the black man to the white man, urg-
ing the colored youth to accept this
as fact and prepare to make useful
his life under such conditions. THIS
is WRONG! Within Hampton itself
this inferiority of the colored to the
white is emphasized. We are reliably
informed that even little advance
agent, white of course, secured for
Major Motion, after he was chosen
head of Tuskegee, a very humble stop
ping place in Syracuse, N. Y, but he
himself stopped at the "Onandaga. y
the most expensive and exclusive
MOTEL in that city. When a protest
was made against such, he said that
ne regretted it, but did not want il
published. He should have been more
OF a man than to have done such q
thing where discrimination is unlaw
full. For Major Motion to stop in the
same hotel with him would be toe
much like equality of the president
OF Tuskegee N. & I. Institute with
an agent of Hampton, who CHANGED
to have white skin" Mind you, ar
fagent begging the public for a chance
ito present his black school progeny
Major Motion was very wise when hi
told his New York audience a few
days ago that he did not aspire to be
the leader of the colored people il
this country. No southern man wh<
must live and make his living there
can be this leader! Major Motion mus
suppress his own resentment at in
justice in order to do what good hi
can for his race. Heads of souther,
tschools cannot be the leaders in civil
and national matters pertaining te
colored people. In church and state
Ischools these teachers must accep
the southern policy. The colored race
is unalterably opposed to acceptins
anything as it's portion which any
other self-respecting race would no
accept. The danger of Hampton an(
Iuskegee is their building up a man
mood OF Weaklings and nOn-resistants
They are making colored youths be
lleve that they are right when the,
humbly take southern sand and sa1
they have sugar. These institutions
should remain and be encourage
1BUT THEIR POLICY SHOULD RE
ICHANGED. The colored youth should
be taught to shun bullyism, but love
TO embrace those principles of cour
ageous manhood which resent wrons
when wilfully and maliciously given
Inc weight of these institutions will
De sought to stem the tide of emiera
zion from the south. We hope the,
Will speak out and utter the truth
The colored people of the south have
nothing to fear by leaving there
They may die by reason of the cold
in this section (and this it not at nj
probably but that is more merciful
than dying by the rope and at the
mouth of the shotgun. Here in the
north their children can receive the
education any child receives, and thei,
amDitlon will not be curtailed by
maklng them believe and recognize
the fallacy that they are inferior tc
some one else. If the south desires
the black people to remain there 1et
them lift the embargo on education
voting, protection of life and nron
erty, and discontinue "jim-crowism >
segregation and general cussedness
black people are insulted when they
are asked to accept such as their
portion. The trustees of HAMPTON
and Tuskegee should recognize the
fact that their work must fail if thew
continue to try to build up a race
That is too weak and cowardly to
demand it's rights. These white trus.
tees should demand for their wards
Ia greater degree of freedom Of
thought and action than they now
nave. The pandering to the wishes
OF the south is not making it better
for the colored race but it is firmly
| establishing a policy which the whole
race will be asked to accept. Now,
the colored people not in the south.
ern states will NEVER accept the
| policy of the South. Colored men
working there have tho s,,nona4h.