Tazewell Republican. [volume] (Tazewell, Va.) 1892-1919, 1904-09-29
LOCALIZED MlsCEGENA1 ION.

In our issue of the 10Th inst. We pub
lishei an editorial: Social Equality and
MisceSenation. We criticised the mani
fest disposition of the Democratic press in
Virginia to seize upon every Objectionable
transaction or incident with which negro
is connected and use it for partisan ends.
The Richmond News Leader had made it.
self amenable to the criticism by an article
in which it related very Objectionable af-
fair in which negro was the most promi-
Hent actor in Massachusetts. The vice of
the article was that it asserted with all
positiveness that the primary blame was
not upon the negro but upon President
Roosevelt. Our Richmond contemporary
was reckless enough to make the incident
in question the basis for sneering at the
civilization and good taste of the people
of Massachusetts, by insinuating that the
time would possibly come when mis-
cegenation would become go prevalent in
that State that it would be largely peopled
by mulattoes, but that "the infection will
not spread this side of the Potomac
river" What we said in our article of
the 10Th inst. in criticism of this assault of
the News Leader upon Massachusetts, and
the New England States seems to have
been a plenty, as our contemporary wac
effectually silenced on that line. But 1t
tries to maintain its absurd charge that
Ahe misconduct of the particular negro in
Massachusetts was directly traceable to
the conduct of President Roosevelt 10 the
Booker T. Washington matter. Then it
tries to waive aside our charge that the in
cident in Massachusetts, could be more
legitimately laid at the door of President
Cleveland The News Leader Gays:
''The attempt of the TazeWell Rspub-
kcsn to use the ordinary, cheap retort in
this matter of the Republican stump
speakers and crossroads heller about Mr..
Ceveland's invitation to Fred Douglass is
; trivial and unworthy of consideration. We
forget the details of that transaction. 1t
made no impression on any body at the
time, presumably because it was purely a
formal or official matter-very different
certainly from an invitation to mans
dinner table to mingle with his family"
1t is strange that the memory of our
Richmond contemporary should be 80
faulty as 10 the Cleveland Douglass affair
and SO very apt and fresh as to the Roose- |
Velt- Washington incident. But this men
tai faculty of the Democrats is always con-
venieut, and they cannot only forget
things that are to their disadvantage but
remember things that do not occur that
are to the disadvantage of the Repub-
licans. Can tribe possible that the News
Leader does not remember the details OF
the invitations extended to Fred Douglass
by President Cleveland? 1t can refresh
its memory by consulting the letter Of L.
O. Washington, well known Democratic
newspaper correspondent, and the "Grand
Old Man." the Hon. John Goode, who
wrote and talked about 1t contempora-
ueous with the occurrence. 1t can also
6nd out good deal about it by reading
the auto biography of Fred Douglass. We
would also suggest to our contemporary
that it refresh its memory before it speaks
again about the Booker 7. Washington in.
ecident. Our contemporary ought to know,
if il does not know, that Mr.. Roosevelt did
not invite Booker T. Washington to bis
dinner table to mingle with bis family. IL
ought to know that Booker Washington
had been sent TO see the President by
Democrats to urge the appointment OF
Democfat to high Federal position 10
Alabama, and that it was during that in
teryiew that the President asked Wash
ington to partake of lunch in the Office
where the interview was going onS
We do not refer to these two tfansac-
lions to show thai either Mr.. Cleveland or
MIR. Roosevelt is in favor Of social equal
ity. or to prove, comparatively, that Mr..
Cleveland, judged by his acts, is more in
tensely the friend of social equality. 1t is
our honest belief that neither MIR. Cleve-
land nor Mr.. Roosevelt ia amenable to the
charge. What we wrote was intended to t
direct attention to the insinceriiy Of DEM t
ocratic leaders and journals who condemn
DIR. Roosevelt for What they claim was a q