The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1901-10-31
THE PRESIDENT AND HIS RIGHTS"
Some Comments on ROoSevelt's Hav-
ing a Negro to Dine With Him at
the White House.
aleigh Morning Post.

Raleigh Morning Post.
The NeUs and Observer insists that
the President "has the right" to "sit
down to dinner with a negro in the
White House. This is the remarka bic
utterance of that paper:
when President Roosevelt invited
the negro teacher, Booker Washing
ton, to dine with him he did what
was clearly his right to do. 1t is
true that in 50 doing he was the first
President who has sat down to dinner
with negro as his guest in the his
tory of the Republic. He boldly
crossed social lines which other Presi-
dents have not crossed. They gave
offices to negroes, on some occasions
they received negro officials at their
public functions. but Mr.. Roosevelt
goes step further and invites one
to private dinner. Being so radical
departure from social custom and
social usage, it will naturally be the
subject of some comment. But,
whatever the comment as to the new
President breaking down old social
customs at the White House,it should
be rememb ered that Mr.. Roosevelt in
his own home has right to choose
his guests without consulting any
body to his private dinners, though
he has not always the right of choice
at Estate dinners"
This is simply monstrous. We
deny any such right. The White
House is and is intended to be, the
representative official home of the
American people. in it's highest,
purest sense; not the private home of
the person chosen to occupy it. No
President has ever invited negro to
"sit down to dinner" with him in his
private home, for very obvious
reasons, and to do SO in the White
House in disregard of those reasons is
a deliberate insult to the people
whose officiel home it is.
And yet the News and Observer saws
that in so doing The did what was
clearly his right to do" IfPresident
Roosevelt has a right" to do thus,
then other officials have a like
fright; and if officers have this
fright" it would follow that it would
be the right" thing to do by others
not in office. We insist the President
has no such fright" in the White
House, nor the Governor in the State
Mansion as either would possess in
his private home. In his own home
he alone is response lie; in the PEG.
Mes home. established by them for
their Chief Executive, they are exalt-
ed or insulted as the occupant thereof
| demeans himself in the observance or
violation of customs which have be-
come law and which the we'll being
| of society demands shall be main
| tanned.
And yet the NeUs and Observer re-
peats:
1T should be remembered that Mr..
Roosevelt in his own home (meaning
the White House, has right to
choose his guests without consulting
anybody to his private dinner, though
he has not always the right of choice
at State dinners"
to have negro at State dinner,
though scandal-mongers during one
of the campaigns charged. and knew
they were lying when they charged it,
| that Mr.. and Mrs. Cleveland had en-
tertained and "sat down to dinner
| with Fred Douglas.
Booker Washington. intelligent and
respectable negro that he is, entitled
to all proper respect at proper times
and places, has no more respect, if SO
much, for the President because of
this invitation. while it shocks every
decent white citizen of the Republic,
all who have the future good OF the
country, and OF the negro, in view