up from slavery-第33章

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y　with　which　to　pay　any　part　of　their　board　in　the　regular　day…school。　It　was　further　required　that　they　must　work　for　ten　hours　during　the　day　at　some　trade　or　industry；　and　study　academic　branches　for　two　hours　during　the　evening。　This　was　the　requirement　for　the　first　one　or　two　years　of　their　stay。　They　were　to　be　paid　something　above　the　cost　of　their　board；　with　the　understanding　that　all　of　their　earnings；　except　a　very　small　part；　were　to　be　reserved　in　the　school's　treasury；　to　be　used　for　paying　their　board　in　the　regular　day…school　after　they　had　entered　that　department。　The　night…school；　started　in　this　manner；　has　grown　until　there　are　at　present　four　hundred　and　fifty…seven　students　enrolled　in　it　alone。

There　could　hardly　be　a　more　severe　test　of　a　student's　worth　than　this　branch　of　the　Institute's　worth。　It　is　largely　because　it　furnishes　such　a　good　opportunity　to　test　the　backbone　of　a　student　that　I　place　such　high　value　upon　our　night…school。　Any　one　who　is　willing　to　work　ten　hours　a　day　at　the　brick…yard；　or　in　the　laundry；　through　one　or　two　years；　in　order　that　he　or　she　may　have　the　privilege　of　studying　academic　branches　for　two　hours　in　the　evening；　has　enough　bottom　to　warrant　being　further　educated。

After　the　student　has　left　the　night…school　he　enters　the　day…school；　where　he　takes　academic　branches　four　days　in　a　week；　and　works　at　his　trade　two　days。　Besides　this　he　usually　works　at　his　trade　during　the　three　summer　months。　As　a　rule；　after　a　student　has　succeeded　in　going　through　the　night…school　test；　he　finds　a　way　to　finish　the　regular　course　in　industrial　and　academic　training。　No　student；　no　matter　how　much　money　he　may　be　able　to　command；　is　permitted　to　go　through　school　without　doing　manual　labour。　In　fact；　the　industrial　work　is　now　as　popular　as　the　academic　branches。　Some　of　the　most　successful　men　and　women　who　have　graduated　from　the　institution　obtained　their　start　in　the　night…school。

While　a　great　deal　of　stress　is　laid　upon　the　industrial　side　of　the　work　at　Tuskegee；　we　do　not　neglect　or　overlook　in　any　degree　the　religious　and　spiritual　side。　The　school　is　strictly　undenominational；　but　it　is　thoroughly　Christian；　and　the　spiritual　training　or　the　students　is　not　neglected。　Our　preaching　service；　prayer…meetings；　Sunday…school；　Christian　Endeavour　Society；　Young　Men's　Christian　Association；　and　various　missionary　organizations；　testify　to　this。

In　1885；　Miss　Olivia　Davidson；　to　whom　I　have　already　referred　as　being　largely　responsible　for　the　success　of　the　school　during　its　early　history；　and　I　were　married。　During　our　married　life　she　continued　to　divide　her　time　and　strength　between　our　home　and　the　work　for　the　school。　She　not　only　continued　to　work　in　the　school　at　Tuskegee；　but　also　kept　up　her　habit　of　going　North　to　secure　funds。　In　1889　she　died；　after　four　years　of　happy　married　life　and　eight　years　of　hard　and　happy　work　for　the　school。　She　literally　wore　herself　out　in　her　never　ceasing　efforts　in　behalf　of　the　work　that　she　so　dearly　loved。　During　our　married　life　there　were　born　to　us　two　bright；　beautiful　boys；　Booker　Taliaferro　and　Ernest　Davidson。　The　older　of　these；　Booker；　has　already　mastered　the　brick…maker's　trade　at　Tuskegee。

I　have　often　been　asked　how　I　began　the　practice　of　public　speaking。　In　answer　I　would　say　that　I　never　planned　to　give　any　large　part　of　my　life　to　speaking　in　public。　I　have　always　had　more　of　an　ambition　to　DO　things　than　merely　to　talk　ABOUT　doing　them。　It　seems　that　when　I　went　North　with　General　Armstrong　to　speak　at　the　series　of　public　meetings　to　which　I　have　referred；　the　President　of　the　National　Educational　Association；　the　Hon。　Thomas　W。　Bicknell；　was　present　at　one　of　those　meetings　and　heard　me　speak。　A　few　days　afterward　he　sent　me　an　invitation　to　deliver　an　address　at　the　next　meeting　of　the　Educational　Association。　This　meeting　was　to　be　held　in　Madison；　Wis。　I　accepted　the　invitation。　This　was；　in　a　sense；　the　beginning　of　my　public…speaking　career。

On　the　evening　that　I　spoke　before　the　Association　there　must　have　been　not　far　from　four　thousand　persons　present。　Without　my　knowing　it；　there　were　a　large　number　of　people　present　from　Alabama；　and　some　from　the　town　of　Tuskegee。　These　white　people　afterward　frankly　told　me　that　they　went　to　this　meeting　expecting　to　hear　the　South　roundly　abused；　but　were　pleasantly　surprised　to　find　that　there　was　no　word　of　abuse　in　my　address。　On　the　contrary；　the　South　was　given　credit　for　all　the　praiseworthy　things　that　it　had　done。　A　white　lady　who　was　teacher　in　a　college　in　Tuskegee　wrote　back　to　the　local　paper　that　she　was　gratified；　as　well　as　surprised；　to　note　the　credit　which　I　gave　the　white　people　of　Tuskegee　for　their　help　in　getting　the　school　started。　This　address　at　Madison　was　the　first　that　I　had　delivered　that　in　any　large　measure　dealt　with　the　general　problem　of　the　races。　Those　who　heard　it　seemed　to　be　pleased　with　what　I　said　and　with　the　general　position　that　I　took。

When　I　first　came　to　Tuskegee；　I　determined　that　I　would　make　it　my　home；　that　I　would　take　as　much　pride　in　the　right　actions　of　the　people　of　the　town　as　any　white　man　could　do；　and　that　I　would；　at　the　same　time；　deplore　the　wrong…doing　of　the　people　as　much　as　any　white　man。　I　determined　never　to　say　anything　in　a　public　address　in　the　North　that　I　would　not　be　willing　to　say　in　the　South。　I　early　learned　that　it　is　a　hard　matter　to　convert　an　individual　by　abusing　him；　and　that　this　is　more　often　accomplished　by　giving　credit　for　all　the　praiseworthy　actions　performed　than　by　calling　attention　alone　to　all　the　evil　done。

While　pursuing　this　policy　I　have　not　failed；　at　the　proper　time　and　in　the　proper　manner；　to　call　attention；　in　no　uncertain　terms；　to　the　wrongs　which　any　part　of　the　South　has　been　guilty　of。　I　have　found　that　there　is　a　large　element　in　the　South　that　is　quick　to　respond　to　straightforward；　honest　criticism　of　any　wrong　policy。　As　a　rule；　the　place　to　criticise　the　South；　when　criticism　is　necessary；　is　in　the　Southnot　in　Boston。　A　Boston　man　who　came　to　Alabama　to　criticise　Boston　would　not　effect　so　much　good；　I　think；　as　one　who　had　his　word　of　criticism　to　say　in　Boston。

In　this　address　at　Madison　I　took　the　ground　that　the　policy　to　be　pursued　with　references　to　the　races　was；　by　every　honourable　means；　to　bring　them　together　and　to　encourage　the　cultivation　of　friendly　relations；　instead　of　doing　that　which　would　embitter。　I　further　contended　that；　in　relation　to　his　vote；　the　Negro　should　more　and　more　consider　the　interests　of　the　community　in　which　he　lived；　rather　than　seek　alone　to　please　some　one　who　lived　a　thousand　miles　away　from　him　and　from　his　interests。

In　this　address　I　said　that　the　whole　future　of　the　Negro　rested　largely　upon　the　question　as　to　whether　or　not　he　should　make　himself；　through　his　skill；　intelligence；　and　character；　of　such　undeniable　value　to　the　community　in　which　he　lived　that　the　community　could　not　dispense　with　his　presence。　I　said　that　any　individual　who　learned　to　do　something　better　than　anybody　elselearned　to　do　a　common　thing　in　an　uncommon　mannerhad　solved　his　problem；　regardless　of　the　colour　of　his　skin；　and　that　in　proportion　as　the　Negro　learned　to　produce　what　other　people　wanted　and　must　have；　in　the　same　proportion　would　he　be　respected。

I　spoke　of　an　instance　where　one　of　our　graduates　had　produced　two　hundred　and　sixty…six　bushels　of　sweet　potatoes　from　an　acre　of　ground；　in　a　community　where　the　average　production　had　been　only　forty…nine　bushels　to　the　acre。　He　had　been　able　to　do　this　by　reason　of　his　knowledge　of　the　chemistry　of　the　soil　and　by　his　knowledge　of　improved　methods　of　agriculture。　The　white　farmers　in　the　neighbourhood　respected　him；　and　came　to　him　for　ideas　regarding　the　raising　of　sweet　potatoes。　These　white　farmers　honoured　and　respected　him　because　he；　by　his　skill　and　knowledge；　had　added　something　to　the　wealth　and　the　comfort　of　the　community　in　which　he　lived。　I　explained　that　my　theory　of　education　for　the　Negro　would　not；　for　example；　confine　him　for　all　time　to　farm　lifeto　the　production　of　the　best　and　the　most　sweet　potatoesbut　that；　if　he　succeede