The French Broad hustler. [volume] (Hendersonville, N.C.) 1896-1912, 1905-08-31
ANOTHER BOOKER T. INCIDENT
Senator Simmons Expresses His
Opinion of The Affair To The
News and Observer.

Throughout the South there has..been an
universal protest against the action of what
has been called foolish negro and foo
white man, says the News and Observer.
Governors, congressman and newspapers
have united iu general condemnation of
Booker T. Washington for his last exhibi-
tion of his fatal desire for social equality.
With one voice these spokesmen of the
South say 1t has exhausted its patiencel
with the black man, and the sentiment
prevails that more emphatic policy to-
ward that race has been necessitated. 1t
is said that Booker Washington's day of
usefulness is over, aud that it is high time
for the South to turn its back upon him.
United States Senator Furnifold M. Sim
mons was seen yesterday by reporter aud
asked his views of the incident which has
precipitated another head. The incident
referred to is that when the negro acted as
escort to the daughter of John Wannanak-
er.
Senator Simmons said;
'Booker Washington is generally regard
ed as the ablest representative of the negro
race in America and probably in the
world.
"He first came into public notice as the
exponent of an idea which appealed power
fully to the good sense of the country He
recognized the unpreparedness and the
weakness of his race in its contest for re-
cognition in the field of responsible citizen
ship under institutions and conditions such
as we have in this country; aud he taught
that the first duty of the negro was to make
himself useful citizen by training himself
to do high class work in the avenues of in
dustry open to him. He dicouraged his
fonduess for politics and Office a1d his silly
ambition to control in communities where
they were in the majority. He let 1t be
understood that he had a just conception of
the social laws, customs and traditions of
the South, aud that he neither expected
nor sought social equality for himself nor
encouraged those under his leadership or
his race in the delusion that such thing
was possible or disirable for them.
"With this understanding of Washing
ton and his teachings, and purposes tn e
South encouraged, supported and even ap-
plauded him. Though some doubted, it
was the general opinion, that the basic
principle of his idea was sound, and that
he represented and led a movement which
promised much for his race and the coun-
try of which they constituted considera-
BILE part.
"There are not many white men and far
fewer white women in the North who be
lieVe in social equality with the negro,
even in theory, and still fewer who are
willing to practice it to even so limited an
extent even with negro Booker Wash
ingtons class. But still there are some
and there always will be some, and few
of these moved by moral sentlmentalism,
have tempted Booker, and he has fallen.
His judgement has been beclouded and un-
balanced-hls old ideas, based on common
sense applied to actual and Interchangeable
conditions, have been shattered and new
hopes and aspirations for himself and his
race have taken their places in his heart
and mind.
''The result is that Booker Washington
is changed and ruined man. In thought
and aspiration he is different man The
things he now stands for and represents
are different. The things that the Booker
Washington, which the white people of the
South encouraged and supported with ap-
proval and sympathy and money, stood for,
made for the welfare of his race and the
country. The thought that the new Book
er Washington stands for, especially in the
minds of his own race, is not only odious
to all white people in the South and nearly
all in the balance Of the country and utter
ly impossible of realization, but it can re-
suit in nothing but mischief and injury TO
his own race and the country. His useful
ness in the South has undoubtedly reach
ed its end. He can no longer be helpful
to us in solving the negro problem. He
now represents IN the negro mind and idea
and hope, which silly as it is, more than
everything else combined, makes difficult
the adjustment, upon satisfactory work
lag basis. of the relations of these two
races in the South.
"While Booker's social equality ambition
has destroyed his own usefulness in the
South and put vain and mischievous
notions in the heads of his race which can
eVentuate In harm to them and injury to
his country, he has not by the little SEEM
ing success he has had, advanced one with
the hopless cause of negro social equality.
There are still few devotes of that idea
in the North but comparatively speaking,