Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1891-03-24
MR. HOLLANDS BALr1MoRE SPEECH.
One Who was with Him Severely Crsticises
Hfs Crfticn.

One Who Was With Him Severely Crtticfses
His Critics.
Mr.. Henry E. Baker, who was one Of those
who accompanied Mr.. Milton NJ. Holland to
Baltimore last Tuesday evening to attend the
meeting Of the Monumental Literary and
Scientific Society, has replied in a letter to the
American TO the criticisms passed upon Mr.
Holland.
"The subject Of Mr.. Hollands address"
writes Mr.. Baker, twas Q cooperation and
combination in business enterprises as applied
to the present general condition Of the colored
people everywhere, and in the course of his
remarks he referred to the vices % we'll a. TO
the virtues Of the colorsd race, and
undertook to argue that, by combining
our resources, We could develop and MAIN
tain large and credihble business enter
Prises, and that as we grow independent
in business We grow strong in responsibility
and worth. He made no disparagirg allusion
whatever to the colored people Of Baltimore.
and said nothing that could have been by any
fair construction, twisted into q comparison
between the colored people Of Baltimore and
the colored people of Washington. His
everywhere, and were listened to through
out with evident courtesy and inter-
est. As in the custom in such societies, after
the reading OF the paper by the principal
speaker, the president called for short ad-
dresses Of criticism. The very first critic, in
q manner that told only too plainly that he
was spelling for . fight had barely given
utterance to q few faint words of praise
when he broke loose in a copious effusion of
classical hyperbole, which gave an unwar-
ranted-not to say discourteous-set and di-
rection to all the criticisms which followed.
This speech was evidently intended as a direct
ridicule of both the facts and the logic pre-
scented IN MIR. Hollands paper. The speakers
who followed, with single exception. seemed
purposely to misirterpret and misstate the
meaning OF MIR. Hollands speech, ard gave
ample evidence of q weilinformed deternina-
ton to build monstrous straw man and then
rally their mighty hosts to knock it down. The
gentlemen who accompanied Mr.. Holland tc
Baltimore did not so there to make speeches
and they made none.
Il confess" writes Mr. Baker in closing his
letter, II scarcely know how to reply to their
exhibition Of bad taste and worse courtesy.
10 invite q gentleman to their city for the
purpose of having him make an ad
dress and then, not content with
unwarrsnted and unpleasant persona, allu
sions to him in his presence and in the
presence OF his friends, to rush into pliEt
with o meanly distorted report of his speech
added to a sarcastic fling at his style of dress
sets up for Baltimoreans standard Of cour
| tesy and culture which their Washington
neighbors are certainly not anxious to imi
tate. Mr. Hollands appearance there in ths
conventional spike-taii coat, low-cut vest
&C., seems to have been another point o.
offense to the Baltimore leaders o.
thought but that Circumstance might. per
haps, find its eXtenuation in the guiielessnes
OF his intention TO pay proper Difference to tn,
culture of his audience and the courtesy of hi
hosts. 1t is scarcely less his fault that he ap
| peared 'supremely radiant in his evening
dress for nature did her work SO well witt
him that he could have only pardonable prid
in making art a tit competitor in the handiworl
| Of nature"