The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1903-11-12

INA cnleI eQucaClOllal INSTITUTIONS,
and greater than all profound schol
ars and teachers the South has pro
duced for an hundred years. Who
would think OF placing him in the
same class with the South's great
preachers Pierce, Marvin, Hoge,
Palmer, Broadus, Atkinson and a
score more of men who have made
the pulpit honored for an hundred
years? Is there man in North Car
olina, not afflicted with negrophobia,
who would say that Booker Wash
ington is in any way the equal of the
three foremost men under forty-five
North Carolina has asproluced-Chas.
B. Aycock, Charles d. McIver and
Edwin A. Alderman?
The absurdity of the statement,
the fulsome eulogy of a smart negro.
is seen whether reference is had to
the men of the era that produced Cal
houn, Badger, and Jefferson Davis;
the era that produced Stonewall
JACKSON and Robert F. Hoke; or the
era that produced the present able
young statesmen and educators of
the South. There is no period of
time, no group of Southern leaders
that Prof. Bassett can cite to give
even a scintilla of foundation for the
attempt to make. capable negro
educator even approach the homage
which the professor seems to render
Booker. Does he pray with his face
turned toward TuSkeree?
The Southern people are just and
fair. Booker Washington, born in
slavery, has achieved a position as a
leader of his race, that he could not
have attained without ability. He
has shown his capacity to organize
the greatest negro school in the
world. He has on the platform shown
that he is an effective speaker. He
has SO lived as to gain the assistance
of the best white people of Alabama,
whose State treasury has: contrib
uted in some part toward the build
ing of his successful school. y
He is mot great scholar, a great
orator, a profound thinker. To call
him Statesman is to belittle that
word. He is practical and success
full educator, good speaker and a
negro OF Uncommon power. But to
place him on the pedestal where Prof.
Bassett would enthrone him is but
to make him ridiculous and to do
him a grievous wrong.
But, while Prof. Bassett might be
forgiven his enthusiastic ecstacy over
the Alabama negro teacher, what
shall be said of the following three
statements that indicate clearly the
opinion of the author? He says:
GIN SPITE OF OUR RACE FEEL
ING, of which the writer has his share,
they (THE NEGROES) WILL WIN
EQUALITY AT SOME TIME"
"THE PLACE OF EVERY MAN
IN AMERICAN LIFE is SUCH ONE
AS HIS VIRTUES AND CAPACI-
TIES MAY ENABLE HIM TO TAKE.
NOT EVEN A BLACK SKIN AND A
FLAT NOSE CAN JUSTIFY CASTE
IN THIS COUNTRY"
GAS LONG AS ONE RACE CON
TENDS FOR THE ABSOLUTE IN
FERIORITY OF THE OTHER THE
STRUGGLE WILL GO ON WITH
INCREASED INTENSITY"
We shall make no comment upon
these statements None is needed.
Prof. Bassett is the first white man
in the South who has put his name
to such sentiments. Let US be char
liable and hope that when he penned
this article Prof. Bassett was hypno-
tized by some negropholist, and
when he "cOmes to himself he will
repudiate the utterances.
Otherwise-but let us not antici-
pate the feeling that Southern people
must entertain for a MAJ who can
give utterance to such opinions.