The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1901-10-31
Against Social Equality.
Press Comments on the White House
Dinner Incident-The Foolish Freak
of the Rough Rider President de-
pIOr ed and Denounced.
A SAD STORY FOR OUR COUNTRY.


his family means that the guest or
his son may WOO and win the hosts
daughter.
When the one man is white man
and the other black it means that
there is but one more step to mis-
sinful and wilful break
ing of Gods plain law.
The news item which came from
Washington and was printed in yes
terday's Telegraph told sad story for
our country. We shall hear more of
this.-Macon Telegraph.
oFFENDs SOUTHERN PEOPLE.
President Roosevelt has made a
serious mistake, and committed a
grave offense against the Southern
people.
1t is not so much in his having y
we'll behaved and we'll educated negro
like Booker Washington at his dinner
table with his family, but it is the
baneful effect his position as Presi-
dent it will have on certain vicious
negroes who seek social equality.
The example is bad one. No good
can come to it from the country, or
to the negro race. President Roose-
velt has made a senseless bfunder,
and without reason.-Rome Tribune.
HAD WASHINGTON DECLINED HE WOULD
HAVE PROVEN HIS SINCERITY.
Mr.. j. F. Jordan, writing from
Greensboro to the Charlotte Obserre,
of the Observation-Disclosures dining
incident, says:
ut seems not to have occurred to
many people that Booker T. Wash
ington was the man who lost his OPP
portunity. Had he declined the
Presidents invitation to dinner he
would have proven the sincerity of
the professed desire for the elevation
of his race and peaceful relations of
both races. Instead, if the unneces-
sary episode proved anything, it
showed that Washington is like all
other negroes, earnestly longing for
the equality of the races, which in
my humble judgment, none of them
will ever live to see."
THE DINING AT WASHINGTON.
1t will be some time before discus
sion of the event of last Wednesday
evening at the White House ceases,
and for its being forgotten, it will
never be- The Richmond Dispatch
truly says that '.the dread Of the pub
lie has been that Mr. Roosevelt would
be dashing, splashing, sensational
President. and here they have proof
that his elevation to the Presidency
has not cured him of his we'll known
tendencies in that direction. Senator
Bruce and Fred Douglass" it con-
tinues, event to the White House in
their official capacities, and were
present at public receptions, but the
Washington correspondents, who have
bren ransacking the records, have not
been able to diecover that any other I
negro than Booker Washington ever
dined with the President and his
family North Carolina Republicans
some years ago sought to make politi-
cal capital by the allegation that MIR.
Cleveland. while President, had Fred
Douglass to dinner at the White
House. 1t was not true and they
knew it. 1t has remained for Presi-
dent Roosevelt to establish a new
record and The Dispatch says that "he
could have done nothing worse to
estrange his Southern friends and by
sensible, conservative Northern men
his act must be regarded as a silly
piece of bravado. That
dining will undo all the good done by
the appointment of Judge Jones, q
Democrat, to Federal judgeship in
Alabama. And it's effect may be vast.
ly more far-reaching." g."-Charlotte Oh.
Sercer.
BLUNDER WORSE THAN CRIME.
The Commercial Appeal has always
stood up for the rights of the negro,
and expects to continue to do So
But the color line must be drawn.
and drawn firmly, when the social
aspect of the matter is considered
President Roosevelt has committed 6
blunder that is worse than q crime
and no atonement or future act OF hi.
can remove the self-imprinted stigma
Memphis Commercial appeal.
AN ABSURD ACT.
When Mr.. Roosevelt. as Chic
Magistrate Of this nation, or at leas
while he is Chief Magistrate OF thi:
nation, invites a negro to dine at ths
White House-the home not of Mr.
Roosevelt the private citizen, but o
Mr.. Roosevelt the President-he in
stantly presents in concrete form tn
question OF racial social equality, an'
in presenting it he attempts to throw
the weight, the dignity and tn
authority Of his high official position
on the affirmative side of that ques
ton. 1t is absurd in him to imagine
that his private acts either will be o.
can be disassociated from his officia
character Orleans Times Demo
Graz.
HAS ALIENATED MILLIONS OF HIS Eel
LOW CoUNTRYMEN.
The President must understand
that be has alienated from him som,
millions of his fellow countrymel
who were disposed to think we'll o
him and to rejoice at any success tha
he might achieve as Chief Magistrat
Of the nation.-Memphis Scimitar.
USELESS AFFRONT.
His next move would apparentl..
show that he is intending to make
| campaign in favor Of social equality
His inviting this negro to dine at tn
White House is q most radical de
parture and one which goes far be
yond anything done by his prsdecsl
sors in that direction. 1t is q useles
affront to q feeling which. wheths
rightly or wrongly is in1material.
desp-seated and permanent in tt
hearts Of 4 very large section OF Il
American people. While it bitter
offends these, bis act will have ]