The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1902-06-08
The Educational Movement
Julian Ralph Writes of It and Rev. N. Fl. D
Wilson Corrects His Misinforrnation. +

to New York Mail and Express.
We who are Of Mr.. Robert G.. Og-
den's party were recently entertained at
a grand Virginia mansion. We thus got
the entree of typical Southern home
where hospitality had been enthroned for
a full century and every feature, like
the house itself, carried our minds back
TO the days when the greatest group OF
great Americans were building the Frame
work of the nation and trod these very
halls and stairs. The old English and
colonial pictures, the English coats or
arms, tho Chippendale furniture, the
carving of the woodwork all harmonized
in creating a splendid reminder or a
splendid past. The wealth, beauty and
fashion of Virginia were assembled to
greet us and only one thing was lack
ing. That thing was the flowing bowl.
Instead of the toddy, and the mint Julep,
the cobbler or the peach and honey or
Virginian entertainment there was, In a
recess off the main hall of the mansion,
the largest water cooler ever saw
g. fair, full barrel of ice water.
We did not want any alcoholic re-
freshment We did not need it. We
had enjoyed wine with our dinner on
the train and were content. But to miss
strong liquid refreshment at Virginia
reception was a strange thing, to fail
to have it offered to us by one who
beasts that upon every mound in every
Virginia cemetery green mint is sure
to rise IN luxurious abundance as proof
of the dead mans loyalty to his native
drink during his lifetime-this was, in
deed, thing requiring explanation. The
explanation I will now give, because it
is to serve as the text of this letter. 1t
is this: Our Vlrginian host was no trail
tor to the fond traditions of his State.
He was simply "lying low" like Br'er
Rabbit. He had read the names of those
who compose our party and, noticing a
number of clergymen, bishop and many
a doctor" among them, had set up a
barrel of water instead of a decanter of
julep in order to run no risk OF giving
offense to his Northern guests. 1t was
not wholesouled. 1t was not compliment
tary. 1t was Virginia hospitality limi-
ted.
NV text is that he misunderstood US,
and, in charging upon that text, | pro-
prose to go on and say that thousands
OF southern u1eu anu "oiliSH cquoAiy
misunderstood us about the more inn
portant matter of our mission. Our only
reliance and the only chance for the sal
walton of this Southern educational sys-
TEN rests upon the work that is done for
it by Southern born, Southern bred.
Southern established men connected with
the movement. But for them we could
not boast any preseDt success or count
upon any success to come.
The Governor of Virginia, an enthusi-
asst in the cause, brought to Hampton
Institute on Tuesday large number OF
his friends and neighbors; but even
among these were found some who doubt
ed us and we got no farther than the
institute grounds. They looked in upon
the meeting in the gymnasium hall, and.
seeing the blacks and whites crowded
in there together, declined to enter
Il reckon it's too thick in there for
me-" they said.
Now, what did they mean by that?
can tell you, for it is not my custom
to report half of anything or to de-
scribe the outside of thing and miss
the inside, or vice versa. I have taken
pains to spend as much time among
the people we have visited as among
the excursionists with whom / am trav
cling.
| would not dare to lend any enthu-
siasm to this cause if ] only knew the
Northern side of it, though 1 fear that
too many in my own party have never
thought of the adage, There are two
sides TO everything" or the axiom that
1T takes two to make bargain"
The Virginia men and women who
would go to the Hampton meeting and
the hundreds in Athens who have not
so much as looked in upon this con-
ference hang back because they mis-
understand the spirit of Mr.. Ogden's
"Great Moral Show They fear that
these educators are going to fraternize
with the negroes, go and dine with them,
them into our own repasts, to Mister"
them and fiatter them and "colored BROTH
er" them and turn their heads and con-
vert them into nuisances, who would
make the mutual comfort of both whites
and blacks impossible in the South. They
even think that we whites and our black
charges may he travelling together, "ail
in a bunch" as they would say, in the
Ogden train of Pullman coaches.
They do not understand that this Is
movement born of pity and compass
sion for both poor whites and blacks,
but not OF affection in the fraternal sense.
They have not yet come to know that
we believe in the fraternal sense. They
have not yet come to know that we be-
lieve the illiteracy of the "cracker" and
the negro is IN our opinion q menace to
the safety of the republic. Governor Ay-
cock, OF North Carolina, put that phase
of our interest into clear language when
he said this, in his speech today: THE
Federal government is pouring out money
to create an Appalachian Park, or pre-
serve, in our Southern mountains, in or
der to preserve the forests and prevent
the devastation of our fields and farms
by floods and freshets, but | tell you that
there lies, in the mass of illiterate peo-
pie in our rural districts, greater dan
ger of freshet or flood of ignorance
that may devastate our entire Southern
land, engulfing whole commemorative
Tillmanism has awakened the intelli-
gent men of the South to the danger that
threatens them though Tillmanism is
mere hint, a mere first threat of what
may easily charge from socialism to an
archy, extensive, awful, ungoverrable.
The broad gauge Southern man I'M
derstands this and the reports to the
conference today show that Virginia,