The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1901-10-24
HENRY WATTERSON'S VIEW.
kentucky Editor Says It's Not the
SOuth's Funeral.

Funeral.
From the Louisville Courier Journal
1t was a sensation. Already it rises
to the dignity of a "cause celebre"t
Presently we shall begin to speak of
1.-The Booker Washington incident"
One does not know precisely whether
to laugh or to whistle. Assuredly it
is the part of wisdom in Democrats
Ito say nothing and saw wood" Each
American, whether native or of Afri-
can descent, has the right to pick his
company, to sit at table with whomso-
ever he will, and if it please the Presi-
dent to dine one, or a dozen, gentlemen
of color at the White House-"unoffi-
cially," mind you!-that is nobody's
business. Nevertheless, and at the
same time, there are certain conven-
tions-call them prejudices, if you like
it were we'll for all men. and particu-
larly for great public exemplars, to
consider in their migrations 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 socitey-particularl in
those homes of luxury and alimony
which give the word and set the pace
to the Four Hundred-it is safer to
commit a sin than to be detected in
solecism.
The President need not be remind
ed of this. He knows it well. Nobody
knows it better. But he is exceptional.
Born with ruff1e around his neck
and q gold spoon in his mouth, he
grew up to fitch from among his play
things a ticket calling for the capital
prize in the lottery of life. Such a
man is tempted to defy usage. He
gets to be a law unto himself. Hav-
ing arrived upon the scene to regen-
crate mankind and reform the world,
may he not, shall he not clasp the man
and brother to his bosom, take coun-
sells of him. and, by these tokens, vim
dictate the gospel of the Fathers in Is
rael? Why, look you, masters, this be
a very Daniel come to judgment!
Yea, and he carrieth along with him
his scriptural warrant. Hath it not
been written "out of the mouths of
babes and Stockings even cololed
babes and Stockings ?-"hast thou or
dained strength"-the old Free Soil lit
any-"that thou might still the enemy
and the avenger?" In this case the
enemy is race-hatred. Why may
not the "avenger" be "the states late
ly in rebellion?"
In matter like this we should seek,
first of all, to be just. Whether the
President be, as Mr.. Plat describes
him, IAN organization Republican" or
not, he is an orthodox Republican, and
in this business follows but the princi-
pie of his being. He is an undoubting
as we'll as a lineal descendant of Wen
del Phillips and Lloyd Garrison, wear.
ing the mantle of Theodore Parker
and brandishing the sword of Joshua
Giddings. At least no old-t time Re-
publican will venture to chide him for
teaching by example what they were
able to teach only by precept. In
word, Mr.. Roosevelt is true to his po-
litical religion.
The foundation stone of that re-
ligion was. and is, and ever will be, the
equality of man. To free the negro;
to educate and elevate the negro to
seat the negro in the high places Of the
land. Was not this the underlying
doctrine OF original Abolitionism? Was
it not the logic of later-day Repub-
licanism? Why should not very
child of the Higher Law, come to his
estate, possess the courage of his
opinions? Why should he pale before
the fire of Southern Rebels or North
ern dough- faces? Did not his party
for the sake of a great moral lesson
purposely keep the seat last occupied
in the Senate of the United States by
Jefferson Davis vacant until it could
Revolutions never go backward. 1t is
but a step from the Capitol to the
White House; from the Council Board
to the Banquet Hall; from the Mar
riage Festival to the Bridal Chamber;
and. there. your are, prophecy fulfilled!
Mr. Lincoln might not have done 1t. Mr..
Mckinley would scarce have tried it.
But shall Mr.. Roosevelt, the dashing
Rough Rider, the confident Reformer,
the progressive Philosopher, quail be-
fore his duty to Humanity and God?
Perish the thought.
We mourn for Booker Washington.
He II is on whom such consequences
as betide this kindergarten lesson in
the ethics of modern life are likely 10
fall. He in the end will, as II were,
have TO pay the freight
In his own character and person
Booker Washington Is an honor 70 his
race AS teacher his uses were in
valuable. As the founder and head Of
an institutlon-both scholastic and
utilitarian-he held out a hope Of the
future 20 both the white people and the
black people OF the South. To be sud
denly caught up, as IL were, by The
hair of his head and the scat OF bis
breeches and tossed from the moral
sphere where he was doing 80 well into