The San Angelo press. (San Angelo, Tex.) 1897-1907, 1901-11-01

Henry Watierson editoriIlIy dis
cusses President Rcusevelt's
dinner To Booker 7 Washington
He says in part:
Each American, whether ma
tive or of African descent. has
the right TO pick his company,
to sit al the table with whomso
ever he will and. If ii pleases
the president to dine one or al
dnzen gentlemen of color at the
White House uDofficially mind
you that is nobodys business.
Nevertheless. and, at the same
time, there are certain c0nven.
tIUualilies- call them prejudlces
If you like--it we're well for all
men, and particularly for great
public eXem plars, TO consider in
their migration between the
drawing room and the dining
room. Even as a blunder is
held in politics and diplomacy to
be worse than a crime, so, in SO
c'ety Particularly in those
homes of luxury which give
The word and set to the phrases
four hundred it is safer to
commit sin than TO be detected
in a sOlecism.
! The president need not be re.
minded Of this, for he knows it
well. Nobody knows it better.
! But he is exceptional Born
with a rufiie around his neck and
Il god spoon in his he grew up
fitch from among his playthings
a ticket calling for the capital
prize il the lottery of life. Such
a man is tempted to defy usage.
He gels TO be law unto himself.
We mourn for Booker Washing
ton. He, it Is on whom such
consequences as beude this kin
dergarlen lesson in the ethics of
modern life are likely 10 fail.
He, in the end, will, as it We're,
have to pay the freight
"Wben Frederic Douglass
married white woman. his pow.
q er was gone. IT did not elevate
/ him IN the estimation of white
men. Ii lost him caste among
the people Of his own race.
!, Booker Washington. as head OF
the Tuskegee school. was admirs
bic AS head, even OF the kitch
en- cabinet, be is to be pltied. A
red rag to racial prejudice, an
object of envy 10 those blacks
who are Intelligent enough to
ditferentiate. an offense TO white
repu olicans, an offense to white
democrats in the South.
Truly, the president did
Booker Washington an i'll turn
in this business. Looking al in
from a partisan point OF view,
democrats may take not a little
comfort 10 them selves What
ever happens, this is not our
funeral. Out in the cold as we
may oe--shivering as we are
and nungry, yea, verify, and
thirsty yet, as we stand around
the White House and look in
and see Teddy and Booker bob
nobbing over their .possum and
potatoes, not one of Us is dis
posed to envy either of them, o,
to evclaim OF either, .Wouldn''
ii be bully TO DE him
We prefer TO take our chances
of the future. We had rathel
wait till our time comes. Some
how the look ahead does no
seem so hopeless. nor the dis
lance so long, For here there
is radical intirmity of iudg
: ment--a plain lack of common
sense--and. bless the Lord, W,
|. are not in it. Indeed, the short
5, coming implied by it means {
|. great deal to US. Mistakes, lik,
e misfortunes, never come sipgiy
!. They travel in groups and Gu
T. mulous. We democrats hav,
If but to get together and keep oul
It powder dry TO carry all before
& US three years hence, becaus,
S this young man is bronco bust
e err. and he is gong 10 raise NOR,
% OF the very hot place with TIT
o very short name TO the souar,
S inch. than was ever raised il
g that particular neck of th'
II woods. Sursum corda.
There is a good time coming
n boys; wait little longer"