Such a law is not only unjust, but it will react, as all unjust laws do, in time; for the effect of such a law is to encourage the Negro to secure education and property, and at the same time it encourages the white man to remain in ignorance and poverty.
Washington argues that unjust laws, specifically those related to voting, will inevitably have negative repercussions, harming both Black and white communities.
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More from Booker T. Washington
The hurtful influences of the institution were not by any means confined to the Negro.
I think that the presentation of facts, on a high, dignified plane, is all the begging that most rich people care for.
The picture of several dozen boys and girls in a schoolroom engaged in study made a deep impression upon me, and I had the feeling that to get into a schoolhouse and study in this way would be about the same as getting into paradise.
These discussions showed that they understood the situation, and that they kept themselves informed of events by what was termed the “grape-vine” telegraph.