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

opinion Of your paper HERALD"
-MoSnn, Ala, Aug. is.--No reply from you
our telegram asking opinion BooKaR wAsHrSa'
rows action. Docs wANAxAxsAs advertising
make your silence golden, HERALD"
sMobna, Ala. Aug. Birthday and Saturday
we Wired for your opinion Of Booker Washington
affair. Lest your silence give the impression that
you are subsidized BY wANAxAKERs advertising
ws arc especially anxious 70 hear from you. and
we stand ready 10 pay cost. Send two hundred
words. HERALD
The characteristics Of the personality
responsible for the foregoing missives
arc 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 SUMS opinions directly through
the columns Of THE Sum- That method
of promulgation 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
well 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 it's
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 hotel in Saratoga for the
purpose Of talking about q matter Of bust
ness, Mr.. WANAMAKER exercised right
OF choice Of time and place for the inter-
view which no American not crazy will
deny was his. The incident would not
have. attracted the slightest notice in
London or Paris or Cairo; and in the
North Of America it II by no means novel.
Since the days Of Frederick DOUGLASS
mon Of distinction and personal sensi-
tiveness have sat at table with men Of
education and refinement whose veins
contained African blood. 1t 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
Inconsistencies on his part is In our
opinion greatly to his honor.
As for Mr.. WARRINGTON, an American
who has the esteem and admiration Of
every other American citizen worthy
Of the name, he appears to have &C.
copied Mr.. WANAMAKER's invitation
to the table at which some members Of
Mr.. WANAMAKER's 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 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,
bers Of Mr. WANAMAKsR's family had
been escorted ostentatiously into the
dining room by the oolored president
Of Tuskegee. Thereupon Mr.. WASH
1NaToN caused to be published a 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 Ill oolored
people. 70 the customs Of tho South. but when In
the North have found It necessary during the
last twenty ycars. ~ stated fully In my book Up
From slavery 70 como into contact with white
people In the fuTtherance OF my work In ways I
DO not In tho South"
So far as Southern newspapers Of
responsibility and candor have come
to our notice, their remarks upon the
Occurrences and their criticisms Of Mr.
WASHINGTON have been based mainly
upon the erroneous report referred to
above. nov corrected by him. His
statement ought to end the matter.