her touching statement: "Many of your
parents are poor. Not only that, but many of them are ignorant, at
least, so far as books are concerned. Notwithstanding all this, in
every case they have done something for you. It may have been, in many
cases I know that it has been, a very little, but out of their poverty
and out of their ignorance they have done something. They have made it
possible, in the majority of cases, for you to come here, and no
matter how poor they are, no matter how ignorant they are, their
ambition is largely centred in you."

This is one of the many statements which show that Booker Washington
had no illusions as to the ignorance and poverty of the rank and file
of his people, and yet with this full knowledge and realization he
never became discouraged.

In another of these talks, on "The Importance of Simplicity," he said:
"In many cases young men in cities do not own anything in the world
except what they are carrying around on their backs. They have a few
collars and a few cuffs, some bright-colored socks and neckties, and
that is all; nothing would be left of the man if you were to bury
these things. A few collars and cuffs, neckties, and a few pieces of
cheap jewelry--that is all there is of such men."

Later in the same talk he said: "Short, simple, direct sentences
indicate education, indicate culture, indicate common sense. Some
people think the way for them to show their education is by using big
words, elaborate sentences, and by discussing subjects which nobody on
earth can understand.

"Whenever you hear a man using words or talking on a subject that you
can't understand, you can be very sure that the man does not
understand himself what he is trying to talk about. If a man is
talking about any subject, literary or what not, of which he is really
master, he will be so direct, so simple, so perfectly clear and
intelligible in the discussion of that subject that the most humble
person can understand what he is saying."

In a talk on "Being Polite," he said: "It is often difficult, I might
better say, it is always difficult, for persons to have genuine
politeness in their hearts when they live in a country that is
inhabited by different races. Here in the South, and throughout this
country, for that matter, we come into contact with persons of another
race, persons of another color. It takes some effort, some training,
and often some determination to say, in dealing with a person of