The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1905-08-22

MOBILE Ala, Aug 1s.-No reply from you
our telegram asking opinion BOOKER WAsHINo'
TONS action. Docs WANAMAKKR's advertising
make your silence goldenr HERALD.
MOBILE Ala. Aug. 7o.-Fnday and Saturday
we wired for your opinion Of Booker washington
AFFAIR. Lest your silence give the impression that
you are subsidixed by wASAMAKIR's advertising
We are especially anxious 10 hear from you, and
We stand ready to pay cost. Send two hundred
words. HHRALD."
The characteristics OF the personality
responsible for the foregoing missives
are sufficiently manifest in the quick
change from eager importantly to child
ish insult. The unauthorized appeal is
made in the name Of the "entire South,
which has long been in the habit Of get
ing THE SUNS opinions directly through
the columns of THE SUN. That method
Of PRONUNCIATION is the one we. prefer,
and we shall continue to employ it, no
doubt with the general approval Of our
Southern friends. Even in tone and
phraseology the Mobile Herald fails to
represent the Southern gentleman, in
whose code courtesy is so prominent an
article.
We don't mind saying to this silly
newspaper or person what is already
we'll known to the better informed in
Alabama and elsewhere, that the edi-
torial opinions OF The Sun are not
in the remotest degree shaped by its
advertising department. In the case OF
Mr.. JOHN WANAMAKER, for instance,
this proposition has been somewhat
conspicuously self-evident.
In asking Mr.. BOOKER WASHINGTON
to his table at a hotel in Saratoga for the
purpose of talking about matter Of busi-
ness, Mr.. WANAMAKER exercised right
Of choice OF time and place for the inter-
view which no American not crazy will
deny wm his The incident would not
have attracted the slightest notice In
London or Paris or Cairo; and in the
North Of America it is by no means novel.
Since the days OF FREDERICK DOUGLASS
men OF distinction and personal sensi-
tiveness have sat at table with men OF
education and refinement whose veins
contained African blood. It does not
seem to have occurred to Mr.. WANA-
MAKER that he was doing anything
either aggressive in the way Of assertion,
or courageous or spectacular; and this
unconsciousness on his part is in our
opinion greatly to his honor.
As for Mr. WASHINGTON, an American
who has the esteem and admiration Of
every other American citizen worthy
Of the name, he appears to have ac-
copied Mr.. WANAMAKER's invitation
to the table at which some members Of
Mr.. WANAMAKERs family were sitting
without thought Of thus asserting his
social equality or Of challenging those
customs and ideas at the South which
no man living recognizes more intelli-
gently or respects more scrupulously.
Indeed, it was not until Mr.. WASHING
TON reached Atlanta day before yester-
day that he became aware that a false
version OF the incident had provoked
much indignant comment by the South
ern journals, which assumed the truth OF
the story that some Of the female men,
beers Of Mr. WANAMAKER's family had
been escorted SYSTEMATICALLY into the
dining room by the colored president
Of Tuskegee. Thereupon Mr.. WASH
1NaToN caused to be published de-
NAL OF that story, followed by this
sensible and manly statement Of his
attitude toward existing facts and
customs:
when In the South conform. like all colored
people, TO the customs Of the South. but when In
the North have found 1t necessary during the
last twenty years. as stated fully in my book Up
From Slavery 70 come into contact with white
people In the furtheYsnce Of my work In ways
do not In the South"
So far as Southern newspapers Of
responsibility and candor have come
to our notice, their remarks upon the
occurrence and their criticisms Of Mr..
WASHINGTON have been based mainly
upon the erroneous report referred to
above, now corrected by him. His
statement ought to end the matter.
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