The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1904-01-02
LUSK SCORES ROBINSON.

No, it is not another rumbling on Black
Mountain that we hear. 1t is merely the
echo of Colonel Virgilius Semper Lusk's
latest "hot stuff that comes from the
land of the skies. He has long com
mun;cation in the Asheville Citizen roast
ing Judge William Smith OBuen Eooin-
son to a turn. He says that Robinson APP
Piled for Pritchard's job on the National
Committee, knowing that the negro Lyons
was member; that he was cheek by jowl
with the brother in black at the meeting;
that he accepted an invitation to the
banquet, knowing that the negro was in
vited and that his reason for withdraw
ing from the banquet was because she
wanted notoriety and sought this egotisti
cal method in qualification of his vanity"
He adds:
''If his motives had been genuine, 5ased
upon the fact, as he says. that mo gen
tleman can afford to participate in a
banquet in the same hall with negro"
he would have retired from the hall in
quiet way instead of seeking out the
newspaper correspondents and making it
known to them what he had done and
that he himself was a gentleman
Colonel Lusk says that Judge Robinson
virtually says that every other white man
at the banquet was not gentleman. and
that therefore. he ought to resign from
the committee Then the colonel gives
the ex-iudge from Wayne this ''socdo
lager
"While Judge Robinson proclaims to the
world that he is a gentleman. the world.
or that part of the world that knows HIM,
will proclaim that Judge Robinson is UNI
grateful, for every one at all conversant
with the facts, knows that the high hon.
ors to which the Judge has heretofore
been elevated came through the negro
vote, and but for that vote, instead of
the honorable prefix attached to his name
it would be simply Mr.. Robinson. While
ingratitude is not a crime by reason of
the fact that there is no common law or
statutary enactment to make 1T such. still
there is not one incident to the mind OF
men against which the world has raised
such loud and universal outcry as
against ingratitude For years the faith
full negro has stood by Judge Robinson,
through evil as well as good report. Pray
ed for his success by night and voted for
him by day, and that, too. often at the
risk of personal violence and loss of en-
ployment and the necessaries of life.
Sometimes he had to fight his way to the
ballot box and with bleeding limbs and
broken head deposited his ballot for Judge
Robinson, and when the result was an
nounced shouted himself hoarse over the
Judges success. Now the negro is down
deprived of his vote because he cannot
read and write, and is Of no further use
to the Judge, and so he turns his back
upon his benefactor of former days. It
i'll becomes those who have received IA
vors at the hands of the negro. when
he was in position to give, to turn
upon and kick him now when he is down."
And every word in the above extract is
the plain truth 1t is a disgusting spec
tacle to see Republicans. who were cheek
by jowl in politics with negroes until the
amendment was adopted, suddenly adver-
Using themselves as above their former
political associates. Robinson did right
to refuse to attend the banquet with the
negro. He ought to resign from the com
mittee upon which, according to his estl-
mate, tire is no gentleman except himself.