The Montgomery advertiser., 1904-04-12
GILLETr ON rHH RACE CUES


 Congressman Gilistt. of Massachusetts,, is not personally pcpalar. we believe, with the department people of washing. ton. He caused their working-day to be heightened one-half hour and thereby krocked the whole collegiate system of the place of it's base and compelled its readiustment. Colleges snI Washington are manned by men in the departments and are attended and supported by the younger fellows who work for Uncle Sam. 4 difference of ons-haif hour in leaving time at the departments made a -ew schedule of recitasions imperative. fixed new dinner hour in thousands of households and broke up the days prome- made Mr. dfIett wae shook the social fabric of the Capital in this way is not popular with the department people and with many others besides. He is 2 very intelligent man, however. and as . typi- ca! Yankee, can well assume to speak for New England on most public questions. He has been debating the race question in the House. moved thsreunto by a speech of Congressman spight of Mis- sissippi. MT. spight had said frankly that the Southern people had done with beth social and political equality on the part of the negro. This must not be per- mitted to pass without a challenge from Massachusetts. In that State the negro Is trampied upon in industrial eompsti. tion. his labor being largely confined for a field to running elevators. When the elevator boys and men form a union he Inc is allowed to vote with the usual Massachusetts restrictions and the state of things at the South is most depIor- able. Here he is given every chance to earn an honest livelihood and Is permit ted to vote under the customary Ala bama or Mississippi or Virginia restric- ticns. Mir. Gillett would change this for the better. He takes credit for the per- mission given the Southern members to occupy their seats when if the Republi- cans chose they could so easily turn them out by the heels as frauduiently re- turned as elected. He had not prepared carefully for the debate as Messrs. wil- Hams. DeArmond and Kitchin soon demonstrated. What puzzled the Massa- chusetts man most was the constant cry T confess" he said, "I'rm somewhat at a loss to know what they mean by so- cial equality, and I don't believe they know themselves. I had supposed that in this Republican form of government all social grades and orders and precedence had been forever abolished. and that there could be no social claims or distinctions" ]" His argument on this line and his dis cCssion of the famous dinner to Booker Washington at the White House had an amusing sequel. MT. Reeder of Kansas took hand. He is a true blue Republi- can from the West. After a preamble he asked Mr. Gillett If he thought there was a village or small city in any part of the North where ten of the most promi- rent and most respected citizens would not regard it as an honor to invite Booker T. Washington to their tables if hs were in their city? To which the cunning Gillett responded, "Of course the gentleman's opinion on that Is prob ably more valuable than mine." The en- thusiastic Reeder proceeded: II want to say to you in my section believe there would not be one out of a hundred who would not regard 1t as an honor to in- vite Booker T. Washington to their ta- ble were he to come to our cities or our towns" To this the cunning Gillett add ed. MT. Chairman, I think I will let the gentleman put that statement in as his own" By which it is made appar- ent that MT. Gillett of Massachusetts is not as ignorant of the prejudice against social equality as he had pretended. He made haste to excuse himself to the House and quit the floor. Reeder or Kansas had squeIched Gillett of Massa- ohusetts. even if the squelching was un- intentional. >
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