like me, who had inherited the problem? I had long ago thrown
aside illusions and theories, and was willing to meet the facts
face to face, and to do whatever in God's name a man might do
towards saving the next generation from such a burden. But I felt
the weight of twenty well-nigh hopeless years of thought and
reading and observation; for the old difficulties remained and
new ones had sprung up. Then I saw clearly that the way out of a
century of blunders had been made by this man who stood beside me
and was introducing me to this audience. Before me was the
material he had used. All about me was the indisputable evidence
that he had found the natural line of development. He had shown
the way. Time and patience and encouragement and work would do
the rest.

It was then more clearly than ever before that I understood the
patriotic significance of Mr. Washington's work. It is this
conception of it and of him that I have ever since carried with
me. It is on this that his claim to our gratitude rests.

To teach the Negro to read, whether English, or Greek, or Hebrew,
butters no parsnips. To make the Negro work, that is what his
master did in one way and hunger has done in another; yet both
these left Southern life where they found it. But to teach the
Negro to do skilful work, as men of all the races that have risen
have worked,--responsible work, which IS education and character;
and most of all when Negroes so teach Negroes to do this that
they will teach others with a missionary zeal that puts all
ordinary philanthropic efforts to shame,--this is to change the
whole economic basis of life and the whole character of a people.