Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1901-10-26
ROOSEVELT EXPLAINS.

ROOSEVELT EXPLAINS.
Merely Wished to Consult With
Booker Warrington, He Says.
conversation here for day or two,
says a Washington special Of October
10, has been the entertainment at din
ner on Wednesday by the president Of
Booker T. Washington. The news got
out just as other announcements have
been made Of the guests Of the presi-
dent to dine, Mr.. Roosevelt having
adopted that method Of meeting per-
sons with whom he desired to have ex-
tended conversation.
The response that was flashed back
from the south, where 1t was learned
with something Of shock that Ne
gro had sat at the table with the pres
ident and his family, was the first in
timation to the president that ne had
transgressed. Tne subject has been
dealt with here by the newspapers with
delicacy. The critical reports from the
south have been printed, and there has
been some deprecatory comment upon
the resentful tone Of southern criticism.
| Among public men there Is manifest
a distinct aversion to be quoted about
the matter. But the general tone Of
conversation points to pretty general
disagreement with the president as to
the propriety of the departure from
traditionary avoidance Of just such
events The president has heard some
Of the criticism upon him, and has
told his visitors that he has been sur
prised ut the intemperate language ap-
piled to him for inviting Washington
to dine at the White House.
| To one Of his callers today, friend
who did not introduce the subject, the
president is reported to have said, in
referring to the dinner incident: II do
not need to give you an explanation OF
the Booker Washington affair, do II"
| The visitor made reply Of inquiry.
Then the president went on to say that
he was amazed that he could be so
misunderstood by those who had cri-
| ticised him.
When he had declared that he did
not intend to have anything to do with
the white and black "scalawags" in
the south, and followed that declara-
| tion by avoiding some appointments
| that he believed should not be made,
and appointed some Democrats because
he believed 1t to be for the best inter-
est of the public service, he was ap-
plauded. But he considered that he
| had perfect right, and that 1t was his
duty in order to accomplish what he
desired to do, to consult with white
and black men who are not SCALA
wags."
No one, he maintained, would VEN
ture to question Booker Washington's
ability to give information and advice
Of interest and importance to the presi-
dent. No one had ventured to say that
he would not behave himself like a gen.
tleman wherever, he might be. In
asking him to his dinner table the pres
| ident has simply taken advantage Of
| the opportunity that such a meeting
Washinton's study and experience
among the blacks Of the south and Of
| the country.
He admired him for his character,
his devotion to cause, and for what
he has accomplished.
The president does not pretend to de-
| fend himself from his assailants by en-
| tering upon a discussion Of the color
question. That seems to have had no
weight with him in considering wheth-
er he should or should not invite Wash
ington. The idea Of violation Of
southern prejudice and tradition with
| the purpose of provoking and alienat-
| ing his southern friends never entered
his mind.
That does not palliate the offense in
the estimation Of hosts Of people in
| Washington. They are disposed to be-
| lieve and say, as many do, that the
president did not reflect before asking
Washington to be the first Negro to
dine at the White House. Over and
over again today attention has been
directed to the fact that while Presi-
dent Mckinley was extremely kind to
al noInrod 1yioffnro fhof "a
appointments Of colored men to office,
that he provoked some bitter criticism
at the south by putting colored men in
postofflces against the determined op-
position Of white people in the towns
where the Negroes were to collect and
distribute the mails, he never went to
the extremity of asking any Negro to
dine with him.
When he visited Tuskegee Institute
he was the guest Of Washington; but
did not, 1t Is said, dine with him. This
was commented upon as Thoughtful re-
gard for local opinion against social as
ISOLATION between whites and blacks.
It cannot be truthfully said that the
president regards the incident and the
subsequent comment as humorous, al
though it has been said that he did and
that he proposed to get more fun out
of it by asking Washington to dine
with him again.
No such reckless story Is believed by
those who know Mr.. Roosevelt. That
it Is regretted by many Republicans Is
plain enough. Maryland Democrats
have seized upon the incident to turn
it to account in the pending state cam
paign, and Republicans have admitted
that 1t may give the state to the Demo-
Gratis. The persecution Of Rear Ad-
miral Schley has been a pretty hard
load to carry, it is admitted, and would
have handicapped the Republicans, and
now this Negro-at-dinner incident Is
being advertised in campaign fashion
in all the leading papers Of the state.
In Virginia, where a rather brave
boast of Republican success had been
put forth, the Booker Washington in
cident is proclaimed by some Of the
politicians as settling any doubt about
Democrat victory. it does not appear
that the president took counsel with
anybody before inviting Washington
or that he cared to know whether he
had departed from tradition or not.
No man knows better what the tradi-
| tions Of this country are than the pres
ident.
1t is probably a matter Of indiffer-
ence to him that he was the first presi-
dent to entertain a colored man at ta-
BILE. When Mr.. Cleveland was presi-
dent he was hotly condemned by many
persons for having Frederick Douglass
and his white wife at one Of the White
House receptions. The Democrats and
some Republicans who saw the couple
there were Mortified. But it was not
the black man and his white wife who
were invited. The invitation received
by the Douglasses was received be-
cause all the officers Of the District Of
Columbia were invited and without dis
elimination.
There were other colored officers then,
but the others did not accept the invi-