The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1905-06-08
Voice of
the People
DIXON ON OGDEN.
Author Of the Leopard Spots
Writes About MIR. Ogden.
Editor o'f Tie Tln,es-DIspatch.

Editor Of The Tln,es-Dispatch:
.Sir,-As MIR. g onzaless challenge to me
about Mr.. r. C. Ogden, of the Southern
Educational Board, Is Of equal inpor lance
70 yoar readers enclq T@ a. COPY OF my
| in which I send It to the State.
| b, Sincerely,
THOMAS DIXON, JR.
New York, June G.
rd, an sorry my Letter 70 the no NeWs and
expressed. The truth Of my statements
sa1Tst Re S asssG aes editorial
from Mr.. ogdens private letter. as fol-
lows, is very vague:
hava IS, statements con,ah.e ol. IN the art,ce
and IN particular.
haxs meyer ey uttered T9ra II the in
public, meeting that YOU and al my
reasonable, friends in the South would
not ,t,,t cordially approve.
the ailegations concerning my rela-
tons with colored persons IN my place
Of business arc too contemptible for no.
tice and so absolutely absurd az to make
T TSnsal or explanation purely rld'cuious
for, publication, and I fenr. Mr.. Ogden
VIII be far more distressed over their
appearance than am.
able" friends will cordially approve and
TINT my allegations are TOO contemptible.
for notice" I do not understand him to
MS signature, for Mr. Ogden, apart from
ms crazy notions about the negro, Is q
truthful r,,ll and lovable gentleman, a very
III re pea my allegations witl, renewed
any other man to Deny them
-. Washington to a Cooper Union audi
ence was loathsome and disgusting
p pc because vas present and
or to Mr.. Ogden, a woman OF we'll poised
lnlnd and sound common sense. When
Mr, Ogden finished his remarkable speech
Of introductlon, she turned to me with
look Of contempt and said:
Well, 1ahaye, heard Of such things, but
gro's feet I've enough; let's got,
-, 1 said; No It isn't the ,negros fault
the table il he could, but he can't escape uI
The negro is good; let's hear HIM" We
stayed and she liked the negro much
Among the things he said in that intro
duction, recall one sentence in So b.
stance: Men tell me. sometimes that I.
have made O. success in life. Ladies' and
ana a., al my ;honors as trash. compared to
the glorious privilege Of standing here to-
night ana truthfully saying to you that I
ing to you.''s
This is only q, sample.
New York with his arm around CHS ne e.
gro, because e. = saw him do it.. How long
say He may3have done It unconsciously;
II so. az the worse, a a revelation Of his
great length and have much fun with
isf vsnenaR eaR e the a
s 3sns Noaher t2 parod
i i On tbs theme and its allied ones in
ever }H'to make the tale Simple and I'M
t; q passion Or Thunder Of i ifiee.
tor Of the thf ZANE # the s sd
CLIENT to convince the editor and All his
Southern readers.
that Mr.. ogdeni s a negro worshlpper.
pure and simple" because he teaches a
school six days In the week on Broad-
way. where negro equality is taught in
the most direct and powerful manner
possible by personal example.
Mr.. Ogden Is the head of tho John
Wanamaker Store in Now York, and he
conducts there the only first-class res
puck Negro Is allowed to enter and seat
himself at tho same table with Il white
mans wife and daughter. So far as
know. this is the only restaurant where
such disgusting spectacle can be seen
IN New York. and, SO far as know, Mr..
Ogden Is the originator OF the idea Of
this town.
I am inclined to think that our people
Of the South were little unfair to Pres
ident Roosevelt about his famous lunch
with Booker r. Washington. 1t was
purely, an accident of the Presidents
at the lunch hour-the President wished
to talk with him and accordingly lunch
was served In an informal manner. Mr..
Roosevelt dId not mean to preach social
lieve. In it. In the heat Of politics wo
of tho South didn't tote fair with our
dashing young. President.
real thIng-an honest. earnest, wcll-mcan-
ing Yankee fanatic, who does believe In
It with all his soul He not only believes
In It,. he breaches It. He not only
ing to say about what he may choose
to do at his own table in his own home.
But I have the, right as q citizen and q
patron Of his 70 o ,7|'S 70 ms at,
The State declared, before learning my
Identity, that "the authors intimacy with
knowledge Of Mr.. ogden's mode Of as
ISOLATION with persons Of. color Is the
question at Issue"
Tho point Is well taken. i nave VoLed
knowledge on this Issue is ample and
first hand, Mr. ogden's store Is the only
one where keep an open. account from
year to year. have had this account
there about ten years. ! MY .m, VIE Can lanS
| tho "Wanamaker Habit" "a disease for
which Keslsy never invented aay any e e1re e.
| their fact, looking at his tempting wares
as the tippler hangs around 9 saloon,
| until they come homo at night In con-
dtion of collapse. can't blame them.
They are made that, way; Mr. Ogden
keeps a fine store-a tempting store,onc
OF the best in America. In all my deal
ings with him, he, has never sold me n
sody piece Of so96Ss1A have d msISso &C.,
| he is man Of tho highest order of
genius. But as q teacher on tie race
problem, he Is man Of profound and
pathetic ignorance, where money and
position mako him a fanatic Of danger
GUS and far-reaehina power.
II MIR. Ogden ran q restaurant for ne
| Eroes and whltes npnrt from his store,