Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1905-09-04
Mr.. Wanamaksr and Booker Wash

large amount OF space to criticism Of
Hon. John Wanamaker betau he took
dinner at Saratoga hotel with Booker
Washington. The cutlery OF the South
over this matter Is childish. 1t would
seem az II the experience of that sec
tion in its ill-judged and hysterical
demonstrations OF President Roosevelt
because he entertained the famous
negro educatOr-the foremost leader of
nearly 100000 Americans-at his
table, would have led them to a calmer.
the people OF the South do not care to
entertain Mr.. Washington they are
do 50; but they are going too far when
they undertake to instruct the people of
the North what they shall or shall not
do touching social recognition Of Mr..
Washington or any other American
citizen. A public official cannot hope
to escape criticism of his acts-evcn
when they are Of private and personal
nature. Southern critics based their
criticism OF the President upon the as
sertion that he had lent the weight of
his official position to an endorsement
OF social equality between the white
and colored races-a claim that was as
absurd as 1t was untenable. President
Roosevelt honored Mr.. Washington for
his own high qualities Us citizen and
n Municipalities which the most viru-
lent Of the Presidents white critics at
the South were forced TO admit were
possessed by the great negro educator
in generous measure.
1t must have been q matter of some
chagrin to these southern critics. to
note how fiat their Nominations fell
upon the country at large.
In the case Of Mr.. Wanamaker the
shallow pretence upon which the criti-
,isms Of President Roosevelt were al
legged to have been based cannot be in
vok.d. Mr.. Wanamaker IL a private
citizen. He is OF age. and so far as We
know has a perfect right to dine with
whom he pleases-and certainly he wa.
fortunate to be able to do so with 80
able and cultured gentleman as
Pooker Washington.
One of the leading. and most abusive
critics 81 Mr.. wanamakcr. i'm connec-
ton with his entertainment OF Mr.
Washington. has been the Atlanta
Journal. edited by the Hon. Hoke Smith.
who was Secretary of the Interior dur
ing President CIeveIand's second ad
rninistration. Mr.. Smith - at the pres
ent time an aspirant for the Demo-
cratic nomination as "A candidate for
Governor I'm his state. His leading op-
poncnt Is Clark Howell. the editor
cr tn, Atlanta Constitution. one
Of the strongest Democratic news
papers published i'm the South. In a
recent issue OF the Constitution an arti-
Gle is rcpublished from another Georgia
newspaper I'm which the fact is brought
out that while Secretary OF the Interior
the Hon. Hoke Smith, in company with
his wife ana daughter. attended re.
ccption given by President Cleveland In
Ecgro leader of his day and his Whit
wife Like President Roc sevelt, Mr.
Cleveland was too broad gagged to dis
eliminate against any man because o.
the color of his skin. 1t would appea,
also that the Hon. Hoke Smith himself
was not accustomed TO draw such mar
row distinctions at that time. How
than does II come about that this mar
who was glad to attend a reception t.
face and thunder his denunciations al
Mr.. Waramaker for sitting at hote
table with another negro leader who is
IN all respects the peer Of the late Mr.
Douglass? Is 1t principle or is it policy
From this distance 1t would seem as II
Mr.. Smith were not above an appeal to
:ace prejudice In his desperate efforts
to advance his political fortunes. Indeed
the article In tho Atlanta Constitution.
above referred to. specifically charges
that this was his motive i'm his intern
pcrate and indefensib,a criticisms In
a7much as the issue of the Constitution
containing this article also has a signed
statement from former gubernatorial
candidate. stating that Mr.. Smith was
instrumental in getting him into the
field in 1904 only to desert him when the
fight was on. 1t would certainly seem
as If consistency We're not one of the
ox-Secretary's strong points His at
titude on the matter, however, is sug-
gestive of general conditions at the
South. and explains why the Democra-
tic leaders in that section. in their
efforts to maintain their political
supremacy are so willing to siege upon