The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1901-10-30
Is WASHINGTON TO BLAME
His Only Excuse is the Plea of
Vanity-The South Is the Ne
gro's Friend.
ew Orleans Times-Demo

gro's Friend.
New Orleane Times Democrat
Severely as the President has beer
criticised in the matted of The Roose
Welt Washington diuner incident, the
principal Of the Tuskegee institute can
not and should not escape condemua
ton. In accepting the invitation ui
the President, Booker Washington
could net fail ~ understand that he
was dong that which would stay the
hands of the Southern people who have
Watchtd q his career with interest and
who have generously sustained him in
his work OF educating the negro along
industrial lines.
From the moment that Washington
began to execute his purpose at Tuske-
/ gee, Ala, 1t seemed To the white neo-
pie OF the South that he had discerned
the line OF true development for his
race; and as they observed how pru-
IDENTIFY and how capably he entered
upon his life-work, they felt, and felt
deeply, that lie should be encouraged
and supported in all possible ways and
by' possible means. How fl, ctively
this nvlcti n Of the Southern people
has been translated into fact is known
by none so well as by Booker Wash.
ington. Wherever he has gone
throughout the South he has been
greeted with evidences of good will, of
sympathy and of intelligent support,
and hls life has Eeen held up as an ex-
ample that might well be emulated by
people OF his race. 1t is only fair to
state that theprincipal of Tuskegee had
until recently behaved himself becom-
ingly; had shown sound sense and
certain unfaiing tact IN his dealings
with the white race. He seemed to
convince the white citizenship of the
South that his desite was not to preach
political negro domination or racial
equality, but to inculca,e lessons of in
dustry, honesty and thrift among the
members of his race. In contemplate
ing his aim and his work, the Southern
people were Inclined to believe, and ct
length did believe, that this man,
Washington, had broken from the ranks
of ignorant and vicious negro leaders
and had taken position on the vantage
ground of reason; and the white peo-
pie of the South treated him with all
The considerati n his conduc, deserved
Throughout his career, however, mem.
bcrs of the white race made it uumis.
lakably clear to Booker L. Washing
ton that thoughthey BY lmpalhlzed wi h
b woul'l liberall, support
Ii X, yei he should clearly
understand that social equaht> OF he
races was not even fOr an iustapt, or
ven IN an individual instance, To be
conc, ded.
There can bc no doubt that Wash.
inyton understood this fac as thor ouvh-
il as he +, cOgrizeu the difference in
color between the African and the
Caucasian races; and understanding it
~ hu did, thcre can be entered in de-
feuse of his acton no plea other than
The plea of vanity. The invitation
came; the temptation swept Washing
ton off his feet and out of his head; he
yielded in obedience To sense CT per-
sonal conceit, and in doing 80 he neu-
tralized the wise efforts of lifetime
spent in actual service to his race and
TO his country.
The South is the negro's friend. In
spite of terrible temptation to treat
him ill, the South has treated him
we'll. White men and white mems
money have opened the way TO wise
of the negro race. The
effort to uplift the negro has been
made soberly and prayerfully by the
Southern people. 1t is their desire, as
it is their interest, to see the negro |
race in the South become what, within
its limitations and hy the providence
of God, it is destined to be. Every !
effort in behalf OF the negro, directed
along intelligentwilh, has met lines
and will continue to meet with, The /;
s> mpathy and support of ali men "with
straight HAIR" But every negro in
the South must understand here, now,
righ. off--once aud fOreyer--that the J
Southern people will never, even for
an instant, agree to the prop ,si ion
that the black race is socially the equal
of the white race. In momentarlly |
forgetting, or at least IN binding him.
self to that important fact, Booker
Washington has chilled the sympathy
of Southern men who had literally
supported HIM. In yielding to pecu
liar weakness of hi, race, the principal
of Tuskegee has measurabIy undone
the good work he had accomplished.
1t is clear that the penalty of bis folly
will fall most heavily upon his own
people.
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