The daily morning journal and courier., 1901-11-14
PHASES OF RACE QUESTION
BOOKER WASHINGTON AND OTH-
 FRS.


 Southern "Gentleman" When He
 Meets a' '' Man."
 When southerners of the white race
 visit Booker T. Washington at Tuske-
 gee, Ala, to consult with him about his
 great school there or on matters of
 soils, crops, the labor system and the
 like, in which he Is well informed, they
 are always embarrassed when their 1n-
 terviews encroach on the time set for
 the midday meal, in that portion of the
 country, They pull out their watches.
 snap them open and shut, indulge hesi-
 tating or permonitory coughs and re-
 gretfuly discover that their time is
 limited' or that they have an appoint
 ment down town" or that they prom
 ised to meet a friend" or they must
 catch train," or that they must keep
 another engagement" or the like.
 The cause of their embarrassment is
 so evident that the Actions to which
 they resort to conceal 1t are condoned
 to the painful circumstances by which
 they find themselves surrounded. They
 are perfectly willing to take up Booker
 Washington's time, to avail themselves
 of Booker Washington's knowledge, to show their respect for Booker Washing tons work and character but they are mortally afraid that he will ask them
 to dinner! They are getting hungry, and he is getting hungry. The noises
 that never disturb the ear, and the odors which are pleasing to another of the senses, indicate that preparations for dinner are going on.
 Booker Washington always under stands that situation. If he inwardly smiles he is outwardly unruflled, quiet and dgnifled. He just remarks to the fidgety caller: My dear sir, I appre- ciate this case. Our conversation is not half over. We should resume it after a while and carry it to e conclu- sion. You have put yourself to con- siderable pains to come this distance 10 talk over this matter with me. Now If you will permit me to offer to you room upstairs, where you can enjoy good dinner, by yourself, and where you will be waited on, I hope satisfactorily, by one of my men, my family and I
 
 and after your dinner and our dinner, we can resume the consideration of this question"
 The proposition is always accepted. The judge or the dominic, the planter or the doctor, the banker or the dentist, whichever he may be, Is always reliev- ed He is no longer troubled by cough. He does not recur to any limitation of time" He no further alludes to ''any down town" He omits to renew the Statement that "he has prom ised to meet a friend" He refrains from saying again that The must catch a train" He quite forgets or conceals that "he has another engagement" MT. takes him upstairs to a large comfortable airy room, connect ed with all the convenience which the guest could desire, and leaves him there. In a few minutes a noiseless. courteous servant enters, arranges ' table in an irreproachable manner and hen brings in the various courses of we'll cooked, well selected dinner, wait ng on the guest most respectfully and Perhaps once during the neal MT Washington will look in at he door and express the hope that "the gentleman is finding everything all fight" And on being assured to that ,ffect, he will quietly depart.
 The dinner partaken by the man up-s stairs, and that partaken by Booker and his family downstairs, being over, the principal of the school { tnd the man who has come to learn | rom him how to care for important in- erests or accomplish important results will sit down and finish their interview. | The white guest gets just as hungry in l Booker Washington's house as he would | tt home or in a hotel. He eats more | heartily there than he would elsewhere. | because the food is better cooked, is ! marked by a finer variety, and Is com nended by better service than it would be in almost any other place. The white man is not averse to eating Booker Washingtons food, to sitting at Booker Washington's table, in Booker Washington room. Oh, no. That is all fight. And it no more occurs to him 0 pay Booker Washington for this than it occurs to Booker Washington to charge him money for |. He has had free and full meal or nothing, and he has had it alone. Alone Is the important consideration. 70 eat Booker Washingtons food Is all ight-but not with him. To eat it in 'ooker Washington's house is all right but not in his company. To be waited II by Booker Washington's waiter is Il rlght---but Booker Washington must ot be present The mans hunger is atisfied and his susceptibilities are re- arded. The mans strength Is renewed nd his prejudices or principles or hab- S or theories or whatever you may hoose to call them, are preserved [oreover, he has kept within the lines hich those with whom he associates st down for him and for themselves, nd he goes home filled with Booker food, filed with Booker yashington's knowledge, convinced lat Booker Washington "is really a cry sensible and excellent nigger, who nows his place. and that the man ho has been fed and informed by poker Washington Is "a perfect gen. eman."
 This is no fancy sketch. It is a fre- lent occurrence when Booker Wash gton is at home. It shows the condi- ons in which Booker Washington does S great work and it shows the way in hich he adjusts himself to them It ,es not show-it cannot sllow--the elings of Booker Washington, what