Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1901-11-05
Is Nobody's Business.

Editor Courler:-AS observe IL re-
produced by you Henri Watterson
published an editorial in his paper
with the above caption. Contrary to
his text he clearly and emphatically
seems to make it his business to dis
sent from the act of President Roose-
welt in inviting and dining with Book
er T. Washington at the White House
There are always some people in the
world who sooner or later establish
such reputation as to make what
ever they say of little account and
harmless for evil especially. They
are rafting gossipers; they are
sprightly and brilliant with tongue or
pen; they say or write things so tax
| ingly so funny sometimes as to sort
of enliven the hearer or reader for the
moment while the sentiment express
ed is deemed all bosh.
Now Henri, following the general
custom of the neighborood gossiper,
says: Its nobody's business" but
nevertheless, at the same time there
are certain conVentionalities, call them
prejudices if you like, it were wise for
all men and particularly for great
public exemplars to consider, in their
migrations between the drawing room
and the dining room"
He proceeds to add more butts touch
ing the President, such as informing
his readers that Roosevelt is de-
scendant of Wendall Phillips and
Lloyd Garrison, and wears the mantle
of Theodore Parker and Joshua Gid
dings. Then he totes into his gossip
ping for the edification of his south
ern brethren the marriage of Fred
Douglass to white woman. All this
he writes about, an act of the Presi-
dent, which he starts out by saying,
is none of his business. Funny isn't
it. Yes it is but, quite characteristic
of Henri. He has always been cratic
and the public knows it and SO what
!, he may say is as volatile as the jokes
} of clown. VIII. this Henri announc-
J ed at one time nat he would raise a
: hundred thousand men in Kentucky
and lead them to Washington to pre-
vent the Inauguration of a President.
This Kentucky gentleman, who
probably drew his nourishment for the
first two years of his life from the
breast of his colored nanny" is
shocked and scandalized if perchance
she should sit by his side when he
got big enough to chew his own meat
We would suggest to Henri to droI
Fred Douglass and his white wife ant
:. recall Vice-President Richard M.John
son, good democrat and Kentuckian
and his colored wife There was {
time when the south for SO many year:
was dominant in the nation. Out o
:, slaveocratic domination came the in
, cident of a vice-president of this lant
), who fathered a family of children
). born of colored mother. Out of thu
q new regime comes the incident of
:. cultured noble corored man who il
J, confessedly honest, and ripe in in
i formation touching what is best TO
), the two races in the south who is cal
9 ed in consultation and dimes at tn
). Presidents table. Which civilization
a is the best Henri? Which civilization
: will best prevent miscegnation O
!. the races? Henri thinks he is oil
o enough to be remembered by his part
. and wants to be governor of Kentucky
v etc. So he suggests that this Roost
y welt incident is bound to help his pal
q ty in the future and bids democrat
a to be of good character and wait a Ii
!. tie longer Now this reminds me tina
!. Henri has in years past often deliver
a ed a lecture on Abraham Lincoln an
r. it is pretty fair lecture barring som
d Watterson pyrotechnics. In that le
ture Watterson actually says that b
s. believes Lincoln was raised up by tn
X Almighty to do his work and goo
lie many people SO believe. So it occu
it red to me as read Henri's editori;
whether or not his eccentric brain ha
It. conceived the idea that the Lord woul
as stand by him as a democratic cand
70 date for governor and bear him on
n. victory because the President has di
d. ed with colored man.
IS. If Watterson could only stop imita
as ing the rocket which scars brilliant
ID and hits anywhere or nowhere,
lis might attract some considerable q
tention. A. II. Hamilton.
lie, The colored people of this countl
I'M laugh when they read the extrac
m. from the southern papers, to see VIII
er fever the south is in, and all b
er cause President Roosevelt invit'
,rt Booker T. Washington to dine wi
re him. The south is SO prone to 81
H. i