Tazewell Republican. [volume] (Tazewell, Va.) 1892-1919, 1903-05-07
a;.or I'D me Times. Dlsnatch:

President did not invite a negro ana Ills
wife to become visitors at the White
House. | take it that Virginia" refers
to the report concerning an invitation said
TO have been sent to Assistant District
Attorney Lewis, of Boston, and his WIFE l
happen to know when the Presidents at
tention was called to the fact that report
to that effect had appeared IN an editorial
from the Richmond News, copied into the
The Literary Digest of February 18th, he
said that it was the first that he had heard |
of it, and that he had not even thought OF
extending such an invitation. So much
for that count in "Virginia's" indictment.
The President did invite Prof. Booker
T. Washington to dine with him one eve
ming more than year ago, because this
would give him agc cd opportunity to hear
the suggestions which he knew in advance
that wise colored leader wished to make
with reference to the ACCESSIBILITY of APP
pointing white Democrats Of the best class
to prominent Federal offices in the South.
The President is such a busy man that he
often invites to luncheon or dinner gentle
men who have business with him, and
that without any idea of raising the ques'
ton of social equality. The President hav'
ing dsclaimed any intention to set an ex-
ample of introducing such equality at
the White House or in the South,
would it not be well to accept his declara'
ton contained IN his letter to Mr.. Clark
Howell, and let that old matter rest?
When Queen Victoria entertained Prof.
Washington and his wife at luncheon
would anyone presume to say that by that
act of hospitality to great negro educa'
tor she meant that Englishmen and negroes
should be on terms of social equality in
South Africa? When Prof. James Bryce,
author of "A merican Commonwealth"
entertained the same educator and his
wife at dinner, does any one suppose that
great scholar and statesman imagined that
he was setting an example for his Southern
friends in America to follow? When the
Duchess of Sutherland entertained this
exceptional negro and his wife at her
home, and when Lady Henry Somerset
invited them to spend several days in her
home did those noble ladies wish to be
understood as favoring social equality be-
tween the races in South Africa and in our
Southern States? That does not follow by
any means. They were simply recognizing
the great work done by that wise leader OF
the negroes in America. They doubtless
honored him as an exceptional man of his
race, and as he is the only negro who has
been invited to the family table in the
White House $50 far as We are informed),
ought we not to regard the Presidents In
vitation as also exceptional?
But Virginia" will want to know then
why negro guests attended the President's
official reception. Well, that can be easily
and satisfactorily explained. Ever since
negroes have held Federal Offices of a GER
tain rank in Washington they and their
wives have been invited, as a matter of
course, to these formal official receptions,
Just as the Minister from Hayti and his
wife (wbo are negroes) are invited to the
more formal State dinners at the White
House. Such negro officials were invited
to official receptions by Cleveland, Harri-
son and Mckinley, and it may be taken
for granted that no President would APP
point a man of any color to Federal office
in Washington and then ignore or "snub,
that officer whenever invitations were sent
out for an official reception.
When we recall how often the President
has spoken words of praise and admiration
of the South and of cur Confederate lead
ers, and how ready be is to show feeling
of pride in bis relationship to some of those
leaders, it seems strange that "Virgnia"
could suppose that this same President
would offer "deadly and stupid insult
to the State of South Carolina" IN which
be had been recently Hospitality entertain
ed. On the other hand, he found himself
in a trying dilemma, because as a con-
scientious man trying to be the Executive
of the whole people he did not believe he
could ignore nearly 100000 people in
making appointments to Office, and hence
he stood for that principle to the last, in
spite of bitter criticism and abuse, and if,
as "Virginia" asserts, the President and
bis family are "antagonlziDg every senti
ment and tradition of the South" how is
it that such noble and true men as
Thomas Nelson Page and General Basil
Duke remain his friends?
hold no brief to defend the President.
Indeed, know that he does not believe
that his acts need either apology or de.
Tense. l have written this letter with the
desire to get some people, including "Vir-
ginla, to see the other side, for, whatever
our political creed, We ought to wish to
think we'll and not i'll of the President of
our Republic.
In conclusion, let me commend to all
reasonable people open to conviction the
editorial comments on the Presidents pol
icy in the February and March numbers
of the Review of Reviews, the able editor
of which, DR.. Albert Shaw, is an intimate
friend of the President and also a warm
friend of the South, as he has SO frequent
ly shown in the pages of that popular
periodical. When we read there that Of
eighty Federal appointments in South
Carolina, only one was given to a negro;
and that, including Dr. Crum, only three
negroes in the South have received new
appointments from President Roosevelt,
we wonder why 20 much more ado has
been made over these few than over the
larger number of such appointments by
his predecessors.