The copper era., 1904-07-14
THOMAS JEFFERSON AND
 JULIUS MELBOURN-NEGRO
A Social Dinner Given at Monticello by President Jefferson to Negro. A
 Scrap of Forgotten History.

President Jefferson to a Negro. A T Scrap of Forgotten History. c Much is being written by the soutf 9 ern press and more is being said by tn } pohtiCians Of the south, concernin : tbe Booker T. Washington luucheo 3 ipcident at the White House. Tn people of the south have been led t believe. either designedly or wantonly v
 that this well known negro was invited
 by tho president to sit tt his private
 table in the secred precincts of tie
 presidential family circle.
 The true facts Of this episode were given some time since to the prblic by General Marcus A. Wright, Ia brother Of General Luke F.. Wright ! DOW governor Of the PbilippinesJ but
 1t mas been the policy Of the opponents Of the president to ignore General ! Wright's statement.
 In a special dispatch to the Commer- cial Tribune, dated Memphis, Tenn, NOvembe" q. last, we find the follow ing:
 Memphis, Tenn. Nov. 24.
 Booker T Washington did not dine at the white house table as the guest Of President Roosevelt and fam fly, as has been previously charged is the startling announcement made by General Marcus A. Wright Of the war department at Washington, who has been visiting in Memphis for number of days.
 "The statement was made several days ago by General Wright in the of flee O. a well known wholesale grocer who was companion at arms with him during the late war Seated around the office were number of well l known business men who were talking l with General Marcus Wright over the | past.
 "The president was in Memphis that lay for the purpose of doing honor to General Luke F. Wright, and the sub- ect of the Washington incident, as it ''"oN hho pCCb iii tlI'- uOi SlbCt tue was first sent broadcast 'ver the land. wa o~oachcd by num- Der ot those present.
 A DEMOCRAG- rSs1 ioNY. .> That -LaSe eu1er- s-0s-,at ..-cs&4--l F len eral Virgin. immediate y, to the ntense astonishment Of those present. |. l. m h. rat, and have ucs.r voted any other . icket in my life. or the past twenty hree wears. however. l have been esident of Washington. and have had 10 opportunity of exercising my fran hise. but when man has been fully then, f he is my politl- al opponent, I believe it is duty to ct the matter right before the people.
 :" The whole truth Of the matter Is his: President Roosevelt bad been nxious for some time to obtain ruthful light on the situation in the nuth. Finally. at the suggestion oi luraber O; southern and northern men # both great political parties. he sent message to Booker Washington ask no him to come to the capital Tor conference regarding the negro, his ,eeds and his capabilities. Washing on came and the conference, which vas started in the presidents eXecu- i've office aud was changed to hts pri- ate office because of repeated inter-
 
 In the midst of the conference be- ween the president and Washington, uuch was sent into the chief eXecu- i've of the nation. De,i"ing to con inue the ,nvcrsation and rather than osc the time necessary fo" Washing op ,o go to lunch. President foose- .elt thcreupou ordered that lunch be served to the negro educator in the same room. Now this was all there was to that story. Washington did not dine at the white house table, did not break bread with the presidents wife and daughter, and was in no sense , guest upon terms of social equaiity.N
 PRESIDENT TOO GREAT TO DENY.
 Asked as to why the president had nevar seen lit to have this statement ! made public, General Wright sai0:
 Because he is too great man. He believed that it was beneath him to deny story 90 pal pably false. and that the truth would in time prevail. It Is ! his ambition to be the president Of the l whole people of the United States, 1 knowing no action or party, and his visi; here shows how fond he is of the southern people.
 He is an aristoc~at to the finger tips, and for that reason, aside from the fact that he Is the son of south- ern woman, would never be willing to acknowledge the social equality of the negro. At the same time, he believes, as we all do, that everything possible should be done to assist the members of that race in their struggle for high CT citizenship, and will be their friends in all their worthy undertakings
 JEFFERsoN'S NEGRO LUCHEoN.
 Now it will probably surprise some of our home democrats (althoueh well known to their representatives in Washington to know that the great lan,nn,-aav that rpVPreu