The Montgomery advertiser., 1902-04-22
RACE QUESTION DEBATE
GILBERT AND 0ILLETT ENGAGE
 IN A coLLooUY.
Massachusetts Man Admits That New England Looks Upon 4hs Negro with 1spugnancs.
 Senate passss liver
 and Harbor Bill.

day entered consideration of the military
 academy bill. In addition to the regular
 items 1t contains provisions for the ex- tensive improvements of the grounds and buildings at West Point These improve ments are to cost $s5eo.ooo of which
 little over ss.ooo.ooo is appropriated in the bill.
 In the general debate Mir. Gilbert tKy.)
 precipitated discussion on the race
 question which was participated in by
 Mr. Gillett (Aass.). Blackbprn (N. e..
 w. W. Kitchen tN. O., and Mir. Gaines
 STenn). Mir. Cochran CMo.). and MT.
 Giliett.
 Mir. Gilbert (Ky.) discussed the Race
 Problem and recalled the fact that when
 . colored man sat q the other side, not
 one of his colleagues Invited him to his
 house: The prejudice against social
 in the South. he declared. and all talk to the contrary was "hypocriticsl rot and rant" M
 Mir Gilbert then turned to. Mir. Brom-, his version of Tayior's flight from the State after the murder of GoebeL He described Mir. Taylors appearance at the Philadelphia Convention. characterizing
 him as an assassin" who was made an
 Mir. Gilbert's remarks drew a reply
 from MT. Gillett tMass.) MT. Gillett said
 he was willing to admit the prejudice
 thought 'ns that. neps psrhap. % Ss there wa. great
 CT physical repugnance toward the negro
 there than in the South. But because one
 man personally felt prejudice against
 the negro. he did not think he had rignt
 Mir Bartlett (Ga) interrupted to ask whether some time ago Booker Waehing-
 ton was not refused lodging at the hotels of Boston.
 ferred to occurred at Springfield not Bos- ton. and he explained that Washington was refused lodging at two hotels De- cause they were full and could not ae- prietor of one of them made every effort to secure lodging for him elsewhere anu invited him to come to the hotei TOT ms meals. nor of Massachusetts, when he vent to the Nashville Exposition, declined to take with him a member of his stan who was a negro. c.,.,. ... . because he did not want to wound the sePToeSs Proeeedins o Mr. Giistt explained that in New England they could understand the prejudices in the soItn a,,;nStion an' sut sm the people of his section insisted that social ostracism shouid not be visiteo on those who did not share their pre1ud,ces. When a negro man raised n'mseH aoose his fellows and led pure. clean, manis life. he thought his worth should be rec oxnizUd. He did not sympathize with state of society which accepted man whose hands were stained with the oiooo of lyuchinc or with election frauds. but reflected a worthy and pure man simply | because his color was black. He object. ed to making unpardonabie tho crime oi color. IA, ,. .r+ invite negro II to your taple?"
 But | have never been mean enough to criticise a man who has done so." (Re- publican applause.)
 Mir. Giilett went on to tell of the high honors won in New England by colored men of worth, including the selection or a coolred man as class orator at Harvard this year, and concluded by saying that he did not ask the people of the South to put aside their prejudices. but he did insist that they should not ostracise oth- ers who did not believe as they did. for the honor of Massachusetts when he heard a defense made of social equal ty of the negro and white man.
 MT. Blackburn fN. e. made vehement speech protesting against the constant injection of the race question into poli- .ics in the South.
 MT. Cochran (Mo.) argued that it was he bounden duty of the government to ,top the shipment of war material to South Africa. He declared that within 'orty miles of his home there was a Brit sh garrison engaged in buying war sup ,Iies and said the excitement of a camp rear New Orleans was notorious. He in- listed that it was the duty of the admin stration to prevent these violations of ie laws of neutraliy.
 MT. Gillet (Mass.) replied to MT. Coch- | an, reading a letter of the Sheriff of La, to the Governor of Lou siana. stating specifically that while 1 mules and horses were loaded at Chal- nette there was no British nlitary camp here.
 Mir. W. W. Kitchen (N. @ replied to he remarks made by Mir. Blackburn. Ar. CT completing twenty-four of the thirty , ,ages of the bill. the committee rose he agricultural appropriation bill was eportcd. At 5 o'clock the House adjourn d. It