Tazewell Republican. [volume] (Tazewell, Va.) 1892-1919, 1904-09-15
SOCIAL EQUALITY AND MISCEGeNA-
TON.

SOCIAL EQUALITY AND MISCEGsNA-
TON.
There is a disposition shown by the
Democratic press in Virginia to seize upon
every Objectionable transaction or incl
dent with which a negro is connected and
10 use it for partisan ends. Even the
Richmond News Leader, which once
claimed to be independent, is so bitter In
its hostility to President Roosevelt that 1t
is manifesting this unfair and unfor innate
disposition. In its issue of the 5;h inst
it had an editorial headed: "a Mohgrel-
lied Massachusetts.
Our Richmond contemporary relates Ill
this editorial an incident which had oc-
Cured few days previous on Provi-
dence, X. l., steamboat. 1t says that "a
negro man went aboard the boat With
white woman and insisted on sitting with
her at the table reserved especially for
white women" The captain remonstrat-
ei With the negro and the negro struck
him. The result was that the negro was
arrested, put in irons and thrown in the
hol of the boat. We agree with the
News Leader in its declaration that the
negro did not get half the punishment be
deserved; but we disagree with 1t entirely
as to who was to blame for the negro's
misconduct The News Leader say:
"Yet the primary blame is not on him,
not even on the white woman with him.
1t is on Mr.. Roosevelt, who has 80 dill
gently taught the doctrine of II social
equality Of the races. -
No more unfair, unjust and untrue con-
clusion was ever reached from such
premise. We are surprised that any jour
nal, even of ordinary intelligence and of
the most limited information, would ven
ture to express such conviction or con-
cuIon. We are astounded that a journal
as Intelligent and assertively fair as the
News Leader should be guilty OF this folly.
1t Can only be accounted for by the blind,
partisan zeal which seems to influence it
against the President.
Ifit is legitimate to account for given
cause by tracing it to a certain incident
and fix upon it the primary blame for the
effect. why should any act of Mr. Roose-
welt be singled out and be proclaimed as
the cause ofthe act of this negro? OF course
our Richmond contemporary meant with
out saying so in 80 many words, that the
Booker T. Washington incident was the
primary cause Of the negro's bad conduct
o. the steamboat. If such an incident
could and did produce such result why
not trace it back to one where the nature |
OF the cause vas more In keeping with the |
eieCtP We remind the News Leader of
the fact that when Mr.. Cleveland occu.
pied the White House he invited Fred |
Douglass, his white wife, and negro daugh |
ter to one of the highest social functions Civ. |
en- by the President. And we have the posi-
tive assurance that Douglass was there with
bis white wife OIL one arm and his negro
daughter by former negro wife on the
other arm. Which of these two incidents
''taught the doctrine Of the social equality
of the races" and the propriety of mis-
eegenation most emphatically Will the
we want it to remember that recently and
repeatedly it has endorsed Mr.. Cleveland's
official and personal acts and expressed a
mDet edIutbt uSoli0 W ccc hItu uauo
President again. Our contemporary has
either lost its head OF it is presuming too
much on the ignorance of credulous
public. We do not believe for moment
that the negro's conduct on the Provi- {
deuce steamboat was traceable to either
tie Washington or Douglass transaction.
Foolish negroes and silly white persons
have in tie past been guilty Of much !
10 IRE glaring acts Of social equality and I
miscegenation. q
The News Leader In liz editorial of the Q
9th inst, takes opportunity to make an
attack upon the civilization and good Il
taste of Massachusetts and the New Eng b
land people generally. 1t argues from p
the steamboat incident that the people of z
N Massachusetts favor social equality of the
races and mixed marriages. These views o.
are expressed in style that is not in Il
leeping with the good taste usually shown "
By our brilliant but euatic Richmond q