The Montgomery advertiser., 1902-12-02
CUTTING BOTH wAxs.

.ssa ss CUTTING BOTH WAXS. That Roosevelt Washington dinner story is getting matters worse mixed than ever. It would long since have passed away if it had been allowed to do so, but there's the difficulty. It keeps coming to the front and keeps on making trouble The general opinion had quietly settled down to the explanation that the Prest- dent made a blunder without any thought of what would be thought or said about 1t, and with that the incident would long since have passed into oblivion if, as we have said. 1t had been allowed.
 The special denial made by Gen. Luke E. Wright in his Memphis speech, who posi- lively declared that Washington did not dine at the White House. did not dine with the Presidents family, did not dine or otherwise eat with the President on terms of equality--ail this has opened up the subject anew, and has placed the in- cident fin a light which Is likely to cause more trouble than ever. Naturally, the Southern people. if they are satisfied that General Wright is correctly informed. and that tthe much-criticised dinner incident never occurred will have a better opin- ion of Roosevelt than they would if he had, under any circumstances. taken colored marf to dine with his family. If no such incident occurred all the better for the Presidents reputation in the South, is the way our people will regard the denial.
 But what of the North. if General wrirhts statement is credited? The Milwaukee Free Press is one of the in- tense brand of Republican papers. and from an editorial in a recent issue we take this:
 We imagine that General Wright has been talking too much and will be told that he has. His story may be accepted at the South, where it's acceptance VIII do good. But 1t will not be accepted at the North where 1t would certainly do an infinite amount of harm. There have been few acts of Theodore Roosevelts life that have been more generally com mended than his invitation. to this great black man to partake of his hospitality. and no friend of his will try to rob him of the credit of it. ~
 This is a pretty plain intimation to the General that he must take the back track. He is to be told that he must either deny his denial or must admit that he didn't know what he was talking. about. We are informed that the people of the North believe that the President invited Wash ington to dine with his family on equal terms, and that they will not submit to have that belief dispelled. We are given to understand that what the South so strenuously objected to Is just what tho North likes, and that it will do "an in- finite amount of harm in that section | if it Is claimed and proven that Roose- welt didn't "eat with a nigger" as some people express it.
 Now here, 1t seems to us, is decidedly worrisome dish of mixed pickles for some- body, and whether General Wright denies or sticks to his story there's trouble | ahead. It is true, as The Free Press says, that the dinner incident, if it actual ly occurred, will not do the President any 1 great harm in the South. He will gel as many voters from the South in the l National Convention if the story is true as he would get otherwise, and will gel no electoral votes from here in either case So, whether General Wright stands pat o
 revokes will make little difference dowi
 here. But some white people of th North, and all the colored ones, will no
 accept the denial. The Wisconsin Advo cate,. for example, which Is the organ O the race in the Northwest, does not be lieve the denial, for it claims that Gen
 eral Wright "is too much liked by tn
 negro population of the South, and ha
 too much regard for them. to try to be
 little an incident which tends to giv
 them a social lift.up.''r
 There is the rub. It is that social lift
 up," that obIiterati0n of race and colo
 lines by the President, if it was done which has strengthened him with tn colored people of the North. and wit
 many of the white ones, and they ar
 not willing to have their fond delusio
 brushed aside. So if Wright statemen is thoroughly correct he has lost n
 electoral votes for the President in tn
 South. and probably none in the conyen ton, but may have cost him both in tn
 North. And so, whether the dime incident Is true or false. General Wrish
 has queered himself and the Presiden
 by denying 1t