New-York tribune., 1902-04-22

RACE QUESTION INJECTED INTO DE-
BATE ON THE MILITARY
ACADEMY BILL

WASHINGTON April 21-The House to-day began
consideration of the Military Academy Appropria-
ton bill. Mr.. Hull in charge of the bill. in brief
preliminary statement explained its features. the
increase in pay of cadets and the adoption of
plan for extensive Improvements at West Point
These improvements Mr.. Hull said. would cost
when completed $4,000, OF which S3,UsU3Zb was
appropriated by the bill.
Mr. Cannon chairman Of the Committee on Ap-
propriatons. characterized the proposed expendi-
ture at West Point the 'rankest kind OF rank
extravaganza
Mr.. Gilbert. Of Kentucky took occasion to reply
to some remarks recently made by Mr. Gett OF
Massachusetts; Mr. BromweH OF Ohio. and Gen
eral Funston which he thought reflected on his
State. He said that In Kentucky, and. in fact in
all the South. they looked with supreme contempt
on the social equality of the races. Gentlemen on
the other side could not down the taint In the
blood" He said that when coored man sat on
other side of his colleagues invited him
to his house The prejudice against social equality
was strong in the North as in the South. he
declared. and all talk TO the contrary was 'hypo-
critical rot and rant"
Mr.. GIlbert's remarks drew reply from Mr.
Gillett. who said he was willing TO admit the
prejudice against the negro in New-England he
thought that perhaps there a greater physical
repugnance toward the negro there than in the
South. But because one personally felt preju-
dices against the negro he did not think he had
right attempt enforce them upon others
Mr.. Bartlett. of Georgia. interrupted to ask
Boston was not refused 10 Booker t Washington
Mr.. Gett replied that the incident referred TO
occurred in Springfield. not Boston. and he ex
plained that lodging refused to Mr.. Washing
ton at hotels because they were full and could
not accommodate him But. he said. the proprietor
Of of them made every effort TO secure lodging
for him elsewhere and invited him to come 10 the
hotel for his meals
Mr. Gaines of Tennessee. asked # the Governor
of Massachusetts. when he went TO the Nashville
Exposition. declined 10 take with him a member
of his staff who was a negro.
''If he did, replied Mr.. Gillett. eft because
he wound the senSibilitieS OF the
people OF Nashville Proceeding Mr., Gllett
planned that in New England they could understand
the prejudices in the South against the negro and
against negro domination. but the people of his
section insisted that social ostracism should not be
visited on those who did not share these prejudces
When a negro man raised himself above his fell
lows and led pure. clean. manly life he thought
his worth should he recognized He did not sym
man whose hands stained with the blood of
lynching with election frauds. but which re-
iected a worthy. pure simply because his color
was black. He objected to making objectionable
the crime of color.
DO not dodge the issue" cried Mr.. Gilbert Did
you ever invite negro to your table?
II never have replied Mr.. Ciillett, but never
Mr. Giett went on tell of the high honors
won In New England by colored men of worth in
cluding the selection OF colored man as class
orator at Harvard this year and closed by saying
that he did not ask the people OF the South 70 put
should not ostracize others who did not believe
Mr Patterson of Tennessee said he blushed for
the honor of Massachusetts when he heard a de-
made of social equality of the negro and the
Mr. blackburn of North Carolina made
vehement speech protesting against the in
lection of the question into politics in the
Twenty four of the thirty pages of the Military
Academy bill were completed.
admission free of duty of the statue of Rocham-
beau