The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1903-11-11
A LAME DEFENSE.
Charlotte News.


Charlotte News.
Several days ago the Charlotte Obser-
yer gave flattering review of the Octo-
Der number of the South Atlantic Quar-
terly, mentioning among the other articles
that ought to be read by North Caro-
linans who think the article of Professor
Bassett. the editor. on Stirring up the
Fires of Race Antipathy" That article
was published in full in the News and
Observer on Sunday week-and the State
press did the rest. On Sunday of this
week the Observer says
For reasons satisfactory to it
self, The Observer has refrained from
editorial reference to rather start
ling article in the last number of The
South Atlantic Quarterly, of Durham.
by DR.. J. S. Bassett, its editor, and
now withholds comment until tomor-
row. In another column is state
ment from DR.. Bassett on the sub
iect.'
Begging the Observers pardon, it had
made reference and editorial reference
to the article, along with the others. 1t
was to help the Observer as well as Pro-
lessor Basset out OF the hole that he
Observer correspondent secured the state
ment from Professor Basset. And even
the Observer confesses this morning tina
the statement docs not do much to
eucidate or to help" Well, we should
say not.
Il merely mean this" says the Pro
fessor, with reference to the equality
which he had declared the negro
would win, that the time will come
when the negro will have a due pro-
portion Of wealthy, educated. prosper
Gus and civilized individuals, lust as
the other peoples of the world have.
Some day they will live IN coed
houses. wear good clothes. have good
schools, good churches, and especially
be conservative and reliable citizens.
This does not mean, nor did I intend
that it should mean. that there will
be social mingling of the races"
9sked how long it would be before
such a stage is reached by the negro.
Dr. Basset said: 30. don't know;
not less than two hundred years; per-
haps it may take five hundred years.
Social changes move very slowly. l
don't think any of US will live to see
it, do your
AS a real friend of the negro race
believing that the worst possible injury
that can be done to that race is the
Injection OF the ideas of social equality.
we protest against the brutality of this
statement. This new found champion
Of the negro race, who thinks that Book
err Washington is with one exception the
greatest man born in the South in q
hundred years, says that he and other
will not live to see the negroes living in
good houses, wearing good clothes, havlnr
good schools and churches and becominc
conservative and reliable citizens. Well
we should very much like to see that and
the sooner the better. In fact some ne
groes already have attained to that
There are some that fit that description
in Charlotte today
And then the Professor attempts 10
explain that he did not mean social
equality when he said equality"
mot by any MEANS said he. 1T
was not in my thought. do not think
that any one who knows me would
believe that meant to advocate any
thing of the kind. Between the two
races is a wide gulf, and I should be
the last man to try to bridge it. had
no thought of social equality in my
mind l was thinking only OF the in
dustrial and civic outlook of the negro
race"
Unfortunately for Professor Basset g
explanation he had already defined
equality" to mean social equality. And
it is down in cold type as follows: 1T is
not dstasteful TO the negro to eat his din
ner or to go to churches or TO theatres
with white men. HE is QUITE WILL
INC, To HAVE EOJTAIJTY -
Now, while going to the same theatres
and the same churches does not neces.
sarily mean the mngling Of the social
spheres, though that comes pretty close
to it. yet the eating dinner with a man
the sharing of the salt. is the immemorial
sign OF the abolition Of all social bar
riers.
The Observers quotations from this
article begin just after this sentence
which we have quoted, so we think it
did not quote its most offensive por-
ton. taken in connection with the rest
of the article.
Professor Bassett again tries TO ey.
cuse his declaration that Booker Wash
ington was the greatest man born in the
South in hundred years with the ex-
ception of Robert f. Lee. He says:
The word greatest as used by mo
has been given meaning which | did
not have IN my mind. had only refer
ence to ones capacity to break over
fearful impediments aud achieve sue
cess
Still, the word great" is not sue.
an abstruse word as to need explana
ton. We really think we should respect
Professor Basset's moral courage more
even If we could not respect his mepts'
furnishing as much. if he had stuck &c
what he said without this attempted ex
PLANTATION.