The western sentinel. [volume] (Winston-Salem, N.C.) 1887-1926, 1895-03-28
VIEWS OF Mr.. TOMPKINS.
WHAT HE TOLD THE MASSACHU-
SETS COMMITTEE.
Social Equality Must be Set Aside in
North CarOlina-The Negro
Member Readily Assented.

1
The recent trip through the South
| of the Massachusetts Legislative
! Committee on mercantile affairs wes
| published in nearly all of the papers.
On Sunday Philadelphia papers
| contained a dispatch from Richmond,
| Va, stating that Governor OFerrail,
| of that State, entertained the com
| mittee, Notwithstanding there was
| one negro member, who received the
| same treatment at the hands Of
Virginia's Governor as did the white
members.
This telegram naturally created
| somewhat OF a sensation. Governor
| O'Ferrall has made a statement in
which he admits that he did receive
| the commituee and served cold lun-
cheOn, but claims that he did not
know that Robert Teamoh, the negro,
was with the committee until it
showed up" at the executive mansion.
He also says the reception was only an
official act and had lie known there
was going to be "a negro in the wood
pile things would have been managed
somewhat different.
TIE COMMITTEE IN NORTH CAROLINA.
In speaking 0. Governor O'Ferrall
y
r. Christian, OF the Raleigh News
and Observer, who is in the city, told
a SENTINEL reporter yesterday the
following interesting story about the
committees visit To Charlotte and
Raleigh. He said:
'Apropos OF that, ! was talking
with Mr. ID A. Tompkins, in Char
lotte, a few nights ago. This gentle
man. as you know, is one of North
4 u
and one OF the publishers of the Char
lotte Observer, level-headed, progress
Sive. practical, and as frank when
occasion demands as he is reticent
when occasion doesn't demand words.
Speaking of the Massachusetts dele
cation, Mr.. Tompkins said TO me that
he had met the gentlemen at Monroe
/ on their way South bound by the At
Ianta special" In the presence of
the whole delegation, the cOlOred
representative, Mr.. Teamoh, included,
MIR. Tompkins said that 1t was his
purpose to extend as far as he was
able every courtesy and every facility,
to the party, but that he would say
frankly at the start, Touching the color
ed member, that any expectation OF So
cial equality either by Mr.. Teamoh
or by the rest OF the gentlemen must
be set aside at once as out Of the QueS-
tion, Mr.. Tompkins insisted that
this point should be thoroughly un-
derstood and agreed to before joining
the delegation. Moreover, Monroe
being the breakfast station, Mr..
Tompkins said Teamoh could not ac-
company the rest to table, but that
he would see that a comfortable meal
was served to him in the car. More
over, the further stipulation was
made that in visiting places, plants,
etc, il should be the province of Mr..
Tompkins to say To Mr.. Teamoh,
join the party or it will not do for
you to JOIN us here However, it was
further made plain by Mr.. TOmpkins
that every courtesy in his power
should be forthcoming to the colored
representative who woulu be intro
duced and at once be put in touch
with the influential citizens of his
race in each town.
'All these things were clearly as
sented to before Mr.. TOmpkins took
the train with the party, and that,
too, in the best Of spirit, the situation
having been Immediately seized upon
by every man in the delegation.
Thus there was perfect harmony, and
the white men seemed to be more
gratif1ed than otherwise at the happy
solution that had been brought about
only by the clearheaded and prompt
franknesS of Mr.. Tompkins. On their
arrival in Charlotte, Mr.. Teamoh was
put among colOred friends at Biddle
Institute where he found them equal
in intelligence to some Of his Massa-
chusetts associatiaces.
''On leaving Charlotte, Teamoh
having relatives in Wilmington was
advised to join them there for a sea
son, the propriety OF which he seemed
to take in Immediately, and thus
North Carolina has no incident OF
friction to record similar to that
which rightly or wrongly is now being
wired over the country in connection
with Teamoh and that cold lunch OF
the Governor of Virginia.
Mr.. Tompkins, during his conver-
sation, spoke of another phase OF the
committees visit probably more inter
esting than that just referred to. 1t
was this: he told the committee that
except under certain conditions, the
plants of Massachusetts were not
wanted in Charlotte. While heing
fully alive to the manufacturing de-
velopment of the South, still Mr..
TompkinS wished to strike this key
note WITH no uncertain sound. If the
Massachusetts manufacturer wanted
[ to come to Charlotte he would be well
| coined as partner to the Southern
| man, the Northern man to put up the
| money and tile Southern man to man
age the plant in harmony with exist
| ing conditions.
These existing conditions did not,
Mr.. TompkinS believed, warrant the
| bringing to Charlotte of the skilled
| labor OF New England except as train
| ers of our labor. For in that case a
new question would be agitated in the
| South which was long way ahead of
US, which would be hurtfui and which
was unnecessary.
| For the truth had been, and was,
that the present manufacturing plants
of the South had been forwarded by
Southern men with Southern labor,
| and their ability to continue thus was
unQuestioned. A ii they needed was the
| capital of their Northern brother.
Gas corollary Mr.. Tompkins cited
the difference in demands between the
| Northern girl laborer in the factory
and those of the Southern girl, The
Northern girl was not satisfied with
simple home-going after work and a
domestic evening, but was after tog-
gerry and tastes far above her pecuui-
airy ability.
ITO get money then from the North
to keep the Southern man at the head
with Southern labor, these conditions
Mr.. Tompkins laid down clearly in
| behalf of his fellow-citiZens.
"Mr. Tompkins has thought much
on economic problems and upon none
more than the pressing one of the
manufacturing development Of the
South, and his opinions carry weight,
both on account of the sterling char
acter of their author as well as hi
H. f<.x- - l. s-sA L l.