Show AIDIXG TUB XEGIIOCS Booker T Washington is a man of whom the colored race may be proud he is a man of whom the whole country may be proud The other day he addressed ad-dressed the Twentieth Century club of Boston and what he said shows deep thought and study and that he is a thinker He spoke of the elevation of his race and he spoke hi a manner that deserves attention from all for I the negro problem in the United States is not a solved problem The observation of Mr Washington that it seemed to him that the temptation temp-tation in educational and missionary work Is to do for a people thap which was done a thousand years ago or is being done for a people a thousand miles away without always making a careful study of the needs and conditions condi-tions of those whom we are trying to help and that the temptation is to run all people through a certain educational educa-tional mold regardless of the condition condi-tion of the subject or the end to be accomplished is not a new one by any means but it is a true one This country of ours needs all the educational educa-tional and missionary work our people have to bestow for many years When there is so much ignorance and sin in the land it seems like a satire and abandonment of hope for missionaries to go to foreign lands to educate and convert the heathen What Mr Washington had to say about the education of his race shows how interested he is in his lifes work He says bThe central Idea which I wish you to help ITIP consider thls evening is the reaching and lifting up of the lowest most unfortunate negative element that occupies so large l a proportion of our territory and composes so large a percentage of our population It seems to me that there never was a time In the history of our country when those interested in education should more earnestly consider to what extent the I mfre acquiring of the ability to read and write or a knowledge of literature I litera-ture and science makes men producers lovers of labor independent honest unselfish and above all supremely good Call education by what name you please and if it fails to brine about these results among the masses ft 1s it falls short of its highest end The science the art the literature that fails to reach down and bring the humblest up to the enjoyment of the fullest blessings of our government is weak no matter how costly the build I 1 aa tiattj f = ings or apparatus used or how modern mod-ern the methods of instruction employed em-ployed I know that wherever our life touches yours we help or we hinder that wherever your life touches ours you make us stronger or weaker I know that with all the conflictIng opinions I opin-ions and with a full knowledge of all our weaknesses only a few centuries ago we went into slavery In this country coun-try pagans we came out Christians we went into slavery a piece of property prop-erty we came out American citizens We went into slavery with chains clanking about our wrists we came out with the American lallot in our hands My friends I submit It to your candid can-did and sober judgment of a race that is capable of such a test such a transformation trans-formation is not worth saving and making a part in reality as well as in name of our democratic government govern-ment Few I fear realize what is to be done before the 7000000 of my people in the south can be made a safe helpful progressive part of our Institutions The south in proportion to its ability abil-ity has done well but this does not change facts In spite of all that has been done in one county in Alabama that contains 30000 colored pecple and about 7000 whites not a single public school for negroes has been open this year longer than three months not a single colored teacher has Ueen paid more than S15 a month for teaching In this county the state or public authorities au-thorities do not own a single dollars worth of school property Each colored col-ored child has had spent on him this year for his education about 50 cents while each one of your children has had spent on him about 120 And yet each citizen of that county is expected ex-pected to share the burdens and privileges privi-leges of our democratic form of government gov-ernment equally with the people of Boston Do you know that a single schoolhouse built this year in a town near Boston to shelter 300 students has cost more for building alone than will be spent this year for the education of the whole colored school population of Alabama That could not have been better said 1y any one Booker T Washington has a noble mission in life May success crown all his efforts |