The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1901-06-29
BOOKER 7. WASHINGTON.
The Attack on Him in n Recent Negro
Conference.
Mount Vernon Qnd.) News.

Mount Vernon Qnd) News.
In the M. f. Conference that recently
convened at Harrisburg. Pa, a significant
thing happened. Justin c.. Carter, a good
lawyer. a forceful speaker and a resident
OF the same city. addressed that confer
ence. In the course of his address, he re-
ferred to Booker T.. Washington as "one
of the greatest living negroes" He prob
ably did not know how great was his Of
Tense until after the close OF his speech,
when Rev. Henderson moved TO strike the
disagreeable phrase from the minutes. Had
he stopped with merely his motion he would
not have spoken in terms of assinine stu
pidity. But he had the foolhardiness to
say that Booker T.. Washington is doing
the race more harm than good, and the
contemplate egotism to proclaim that the
meanest preacher is a greater man than
the philosopher of Tuskegee. Strange as
II may seem that a ministerial egotist even
of Rev. Henderson's proportions should
thus declare himself in regard 10 the per-
sonality of Professor Washington. it IS
stranger still that such monstrous clap
trap should be Endorsed by a body of men
so p%retentious as that Pennsylvania con-
ference. Yet such is the case. The dictum
was sanctioned and the motion carried by a
vote of l0l to Z.
1t is only another illustration Of the fact
that no colored man of great intelligence
ever gets his due from his own race until
white men of note have trumpeted hi3
praises to the world. Pau Lawrence Dun
bar was ignored by his people until taken
under the protecting wing of w. ID. How
ellis. The ilustrioGS Fred Douglass was an
athematiZed by negro cyclists until the
ripest scholars of both America and Europe
placed him in the front rank of great men.
And now, even when the brightest minds of
this continent pronounce Booker I. Wash
ington a great man. a conservative genius,
"A practical philosopher who entertains
bright visions and with titanic energy
makes those visions come 70 pass. II is left
for a body of negro ministers TO deny him
the commentator that the greatest living
white men have given unstintedly.
But be IL said 10 the credit OF the rank
and file of negroes that il is not they
who deny the need of praise to the worthy
few that climb the heights and sit in COM
pany with earth's elect, but II is their
sO-called leaders" who. having been ele-
waited to a pulpit or appointed to an Of
flee, strenuously deny that there is any
body else on earth so great as they. With
them greatness is not performance. but
but self laudation, and 1t happens. there
fore. that when a truly great man of seri-
Gus soul and iron Will plunges into life
with a purpose, and mOlds and brings -
pass events for the general betterment
Of a people or a race. these Self-centerel
creatures see nothing in him nor of him
TO commend; for he is not of their kind!
and there is no bond Of sympathy between
them. Truly the situation Is ironical. for
had they died young. the world would not
have been any worse off, and now that
they are old. they will not carry. at their
demise. even a mite of the worlds wisdom
to the tomb.