The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1903-11-10
PROFESSOR BASStTT
RISES To EXPLAIN
His Explanation Sore|y in
Need of Clutches.
SO IT WILL STRIKE MANY
The Doctor Says H. Did No, Mean That the
Negro Could WINS cial Equality and Tells
How He Thinks Booker Compares
With Lee.
With Lee.
Durham Morning Herald.)

NDui udul
Ii view of the excitement aroused BIZ
newspaper criticism of an article, by Dr..
j. s. Bassett, in the current South At
lantic Quarterly The Herald reporter
called upon Dr.. Bassett, whom he found
at work in the Trinity college library, and
asked him if he were willing to make any
statement concerning the points in the
article which have been most severely
criticised
His attention was first called to the
following sentence: in spite of our race
feelings, of which the writer has his
share they (the negroes) viii win equality
at some time We cannot remove them,
we cannot kill them, we cannot prevent
them from advancing in civilization As
to his meaning in this sentence, Dr.. Bias
sett said: Il mean merely this, that the
TINE will come when the negro race will
have a due proportion of wealthy, edu-
Gated prosperous and civilized individuals
just as other peoples of the world have
Seine day they will live in good houses
wear good clothes, have good schools
good churches, and especially be conser-
vative and reliable citizens. This does
not mean, nor did I intend that it should
mean, that there viii be social minghng
OF the races
Asked how long it would be before
such a stage is reached by the negro, DR..
Bassett said: 20. / don't know; not less
IAN two hundred years; perhaps it NAV
take five hundred years. Social changes
move very slowly. don't think any Of
u. VIII live to see it. do your
As to the meaning Of the word ''equat-
- as used in the article. DR.. Bassett said
that it did not mean social equality. ''Nol
by any means, said he ct was not in
my thought. | do not think that any one
who knows me would believe that l meant
to advocate anything of the kind Be
tween the two races is q wide gull and
l should be the last man to try to bridge
IT, l had no thought of social equality IN
my mind | was thinking only OF the
industrial and civic outlook of the negro
race
Another sentence widely quoted begins
Take him al in all. Booker Washington
is the greatest man, except Lee, that mas
been born in the South in the last hun
bred years. As to this sentence DR..
Bassett said: .'Tbe word greatest as
used by me has been given meaning
which ! aid not have in. my mind. had
Only reference TO ones capacity to break
over fearful impediments and achieve
success. Take him all in all Washing
ton beginning as a slave with all the him
ORANGES to a race terribly hedged about
having nothing but an ordinary school
training, he has made more out Of his
capital than any other man born in the
South, except Lee who stood out against
the world with all the odds against him.
and made tie greatest military record
known in the country Taking Booker
Washington working with his race as an
educator as a reformer. as an orator as
4 leader OF eight millions of ignorant
and passionate men, and "a Il writer of the
English language. he impresses me as
. very remarkable man. The fact that
ne did these things as negro only makes
his work more remarkable This is only
a private opinion from which ] readily
admit that other people may positively
differ As a student of history | am ac-
quainted with the South to some extent
ana never dreamed of undertaking. the
character Of any work of any man
Speaking Of the magazine in which the
article appeared, the South Atlantic
Quarterly DR. Bassett remarked The
i>0Gtu -ttiuHtlh RHditei1y - d uidSdAiIS
founded two years ago by some young men
who wanted to DO something to promote
literature in this part of the South. | am
It's editor and am entirely responsible for
its editorial policies. though I am under
obligations to my friends for assistance on
points not connected with the editorial
policies. / wrote this article as editor of
the Quarterly, and it was intended to rep
rescnt only my private views. I did not
consult with any one about it. / am my
self responsible for it. "
The doctor said: Il was born in the