The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1902-04-22
THE RACE QUESTION
pops UP IN DISCUSSION OF WEST
POINT BILL.
NEW ENGLAND's POSITION.
rg,y NO LONGER CLAIM TO LOVE
THE NEGRO.

Mr. GiIIett of Massachusetts, Admits
.ho Prejudice There Against the
,,ard Him Greater Even Than In
s. .ho South-He Contends, However,
THAT when Negro Has Raised
q himself Above His Fellows His
q worth should BE Recognized.
Il washington, April 21.-The House
81 .o.day entered upon the consideration
~ tbe Military Academy appropriation
hill which, in addition to the regular
toms contains provision for the ex-
s. .orsive improvements of the grounds
and bindings at West Point. These
,mnroyements are to cost $6, SOC, 900, a
rtte over 100000 of which is APP
rronriated in the bill Twenty four
Il Of the thirty pages of the bill were
Il completed
81 During the general debate on the
Il Military Academy bill. Mr.. Gilbert of
q kentucky precipitated discussion on
the race question, which was partici-
mated in by Mr.. Gillett of Massachu-
& sets Mr.. Blackburn of North Caro-
lima. Mr. w. w. Kitchin of North Car
& olina. and Mr.. Gaines of Tennessee.
4Mr. Cochran of Missouri and Mr.. Gill
Met also discussed the question of the
#aueged violation of the neutrality
In connection with the shipment
Fl of mules and horses to South Africa.
q Mr. Cannon, chairman of the Com
*nittee on Appropriations, character
4 lied the proposed expenditure at West
81 Point as the "rankest kind of extrav-
q agance.'
4 Mr. Hay of Virginia said that the
Enforcement was necessary to accom-
8 modate the large increase in the num-
n Der of cadets which had already been
q provided for by law.
q Mr. Gilbert replied to some remarks
#recently made by Mr.. Gillett of Mas
ssachussetts, Mr.. Bromwell of Ohio and
&Gen. Funston, which he thought re-
Effected upon his state. In the course
& of his remarks, Mr.. Gilbert said that
hin Kentucky and in fact all the South
& they looked with supreme contempt
s upon the social equality of the races.
ii J
state, he said, would infinitely prefer
4 10 marry the lowest, meanest, most
Ignorant white man in the world to the
& most cultivated negro in Aemffcan
Gentlemen on the other side could
& not cry down the faint in the blood.
II He recalled the fact that when a coll
ored man on the other side, not one
& of his colleagues, invited him to his
house. The prejudice against social
equality was as strong in the North
as in the South. and all talk to the
contrary was hypocritical rot and
#rant
& Mr. Gilbert's remarks drew a reply
&irom Mr.. Gillett of Massachusetts.
81 Mr. Gillett said he was willing to ad-
Unit the prejudice against the negro
Mn New England. He thought that
a perhaps there was a greater physical
q Tepugnance toward the negro there
than in the South. But because one
man personally felt a prejudice against
the negro he did not think he had a
might to attempt to enforce it upon 9TH
<ers.
Mr. Bartlett of Georgia interrupted
70 ask whether some time ago Booker
washington was not refused lodging at
the hotels of Boston.
Mr.. Gillett replied that the incident
preferred to occurred at Springfield, not
Boston, and he said Washington was
refused lodging at two hotels because
lhey We're full and could not accommo-
#oate him. But he said the proprietor
III one Of them made every effort to
Insecure lodging for him elsewhere and
#lnVlted him to come to the hotel for
mis- meals.
"a Mr. Gaipoe of rro.,,,o---a =, -I-o1 ;c +l,o
s. governor of Massachusetts, when he
went to the Nashville Exposition, de-
iihed to take with him a member of
nis staff, who was negro.
II he did," replied Mr.. Gillett, tit
as because he did not want to wound
He Senslbilities of the people of Nash
The New England Position.
Proceeding, Mr.. Gillett said that in
se" England they could understand
We preJudices in the South against
w negro and against negro domina-
on Dut the people of his section in
s'eu mat social ostracism should not
VISITED upon those who did not
aoIe lhese prejudiceS. When a negro
aH raised himself above his fellows
A. a. leu a pure, clean, manly life, he
Iousht his worth should be recog-
.1eu' He did not sympathize with
W. Vi society which accepted a man
MY oose hands were stained with the
RI RI OF lynching or with election
81 n,, MUS but which rejected a worthy,
H. man because his color was black.
III INJECTED to making objectionable
'Ne Crime of color.
8 Cfhoo. not dodge the ISSUE" cried Mr..
10 IDV ye Did you ever invite a negro
- your table?"
Il "bnt never have" replied Mr.. Gillett,
Il 10 c,i., never have been mean enough
Il (PnIiIClse man who has done So"
NJ upncan applause).
q bigb Nlllett went on to tell of the
s naerotIOo Hors won in New England by
81 ton oe OIL worth, including the selec-
ward =, Il negro as class orator at Har-
& Inc III ,lls year, and concluded by say
81 the So So ne did not ask the people of
8 bur %bouln to put aside their prejudices,
Ell ostraoi. uld insist that they should not
& as tbo,, others who did not believe
#bDsbo i atterson of Tennessee said he
#wben u LOT the honor of Massachusetts
#cal "a. ne heard a defense made of So
#man 4udnty of the negro and white
3 na ADJ, Blackburn of North Carolina
<against@ vehement speech protesting
Face o,,,S ne constant injection of the
Mr. iTTTsuon into politics in the South.
Him ~. w. Kitchin of North Caro-
'Splled to Mr. 2Ia olx1o,,,-,,