The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1905-09-14
Don't Blame Booker unduly.
Manufacturer Record.

Manufacturers Record.
CONFIDENTLY with the report OF the
resignation offOrmer Mayor bremen
of Birmingham as member OF the
board of trustees OF Tuskegee 1nsti-
tute on account of the Booker Wash
ington-JOhn Wanamaker demonstra-
ton at Saratoga, August IL, Booker
Washington wired to Birmingham,
August both, his discovery OF 'smis-
leading and false reports in Southern
newspapers referring to the occur
renee, and saying, Il did not escort
any female member of Mr.. Wanna
makers family to or out OF the DIM
inp-room." His correction of that
part OF the report-which report,
was published originally in a New
York newspaper August 18th, and
thence circulated in the Southland
his accompanying explanation hard
ly Craze the question upon which
turned the criticism OF those South
erners who in the past, i'll a mistaken
conception of the situation, were
prone to stand by Booker Washing
ton when placed by accident or by
incident i'll false positions, even at
the risk of being themselves mlsun-
derstoOd. Such SOutherners have
long since discovered their mistake,
and yet they are not inclined to
blame Booker unduly. Their feelings
toward him are rather those OF re-
gret at another and signal exhibition
of reasons for hopelessness about the
negro in some particulars. Nor DO
they unduIy blame Wanamaker.
They know his exceeding narrow linn
itation, and recognize that us apart
ner of Robert {. Ogden he could not
fail to be interested in the annual
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. Wanamaker
advertising Ogden train, and to be
misled by the reception given to that
train in the South.
Wanamaker, in entertaining Wash
ingtOn as his guest, could not posi-
bly, have intended to affront Il great
body of whites at the South. He un-
doubtedly is aware of the views OF
his partner, Ogden, on the race ques-
ton, and could not have escaped the
impression naturally created by the
rapturous intimacy with Ogdenism
of representative" ard "distinguish-
ed Southern educators" of "educ;l-
tional statesmen" ETC., who have
been cO-agents or cO-wOrkers with
Booker for Ogdenism in the cause Of
the characterization of the South.
banking upon special interest in the
negro on the part of individuals who
never will know the negro. 1t was
perfectly natural for Wanamaker, of
piOus mind, to attribute such ecsta-
tic intimacy to anything but a mis-
guided philosophy, or interest in a
salary list provided by millionaire
"philanthropy,' or an overweanlng
desire for nOtOriety on the part Of
individuals who had been bordering
upon great problems in lonely iso-
lation,' or even the instinct to play
petty politics and to ride upon an
apparent wave of popularity. His
inclination to take that view of the
outgivings of the representative
Southerners in train of Ogdenism
must have been strengthened by q
statement last spring of a young
president of Il Virginia institution, to
the effect that the support of Ogden
ism embraced everything i'll the South
except provincial narrOwness, petty
animosiSy, selfish motive and ignoble
purpose" and that its representative
gathering was ''dominantly made up
of leading men of our own Southern
country who are devoted to the ira
ditiOns and the ideals of our fathers,
who are not ashamed of the land
that gave them birth, and who, in
keeping faith with the past, are also
| loyal to their American citizenship
and ready for the new duties of this
new day, and for the manifest destiny
that awaits them
Ii Mr. Wanamaker is thoroughly
acquainted with his business part
ner's careerin philanthropy" during
the past forty-odd years, and if he
has carefully read all the literature
of Ogdenism, he cannot be blamed
unduly for regarding the ephemeral
error of limited class in Southern
education as final conviction at the
South, for thinking that the glare OF
noise pyrotechnics below the POto
mae was the dawn of a new America
and, falling into the consequent mis-