The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1905-05-04

! sensitle and conlmendable, md we pause
| lust here to remark that he gave aShlnt
| 10 tho white race which the white men
OF Virginia and Of the entire South may
| take to their profit. He spoke of the
Initiative characteristic of the black man,
| but he emphasized that the negro did
mot Initiate inferior races, but the Anglo
! Saxon race. He wittily remarked, by way
OF Illustration, that the negro never tried
| to do Zip his hair like q Chinanian, put
| that his desire was to make his hair
look as nearly as possible like the hair
Of the white man In texture and style OF
wearing. we all know this to be true,
and 1t is the duty OF the white race to
set tho negro the best possible example
III manners, in morals and III Justice.
The rimcs-Dspntch has preached over
and over again the doctrine that tile
white race cannot do the negro n wrong
without injuring itself more than It liz
lures the negro, and hence we have ar ar
gued that for that reason, If for no higli-
er reason the whites should deal Justly
and kindly and CONSIDERABLY with the
black man and give him his rights under
the law and especially that they should
give him fair trial in a court Of JUS
tice when he Is accused Of crime, IN
stead Of dealing with him according to The
llasty, impetuous and sometimes cruel
code Of the court OF Judge Lynch. 1t
is the duty, as 1t should be the pride,
Of tho white race to set the negro race
tho nobest example in all things. 1t is
our responsibility as the superior race
and responsibility always carried with it
an obligation. is i
But to return to Booker Washington.
While concedlng to him8inteiligence and
character, good morals and good motives,
the question forces itself upon US whether
or not no is desirable instructor and
leader Of tho negro races in the South2
He speaks most earnestly and cloquently
Of lifting tho negro Up" and his doctrine
Is good. But the question with us Is how
will his followers Interpret itY There is
a difference between up and uplsli-
ness. Every leader and teacher Is an
exelnplar and a + ne has devout followers,
they will to tho best Of their ability imi-
tate him.. Booker Washington is not n
negro. He has not the appearance Of q
negro; he has not the manner, the tone
OF voice. the accent or pronunciation OF
the negro. 70 speak plainly, he Is a white
tv,h taf1
has attained q position to which tho men1-
hers OF his race In tho South cannot pos
sbly be lifted up He has already
gained social equality--not at the South,
but among the whites Of the North, North
ern men and women OF culture and dis.
tinction, not only receive him on terms
OF social equality and entertain him in
their homes but they Ionic him. The
men pat him OH the back and the Wo-
men beam upon him With their smiles.
Tho highest tribute to his Intelligence
and character is that these attentions
have not turned him into q fool. s 55a
We do not intimateythat Booker Wash
ington8 teaches social equality or ever
intimateg to his pupils or his followers
that the negro race may aspire to- social
equality with the white race, but he
teaches It by example, and that is q more
Impressive mode of Instruction than pre-
cept. Booker Washington and his pa
irons at the North have made it ap-
parent that north OF Mason and Dixon's
line it is quite possible and attainablc for
negro so to educate and conduct him
self as to be received into the best So
cicty Of the Anglo-saxon race upon terms
OF perfect equality.
We despse to allude to this subject
in the columns OF. The Times-Dispatch be-
cause some readers at the North may get
the silly impression that the white men
and women OF Virginia have some sort OF
fear that social equality is a menace.
Virginians no moro fear social equality
than5they fear negro domination, 1t never
enters even remotely into thci1~-cal cula-
tons But If the negro children OF tho!
rising generation arc taught that such Il
SO badly spolt that there Will be no
living with them in peace and Southern
crs do not want2to have racial troubles.
Wo earnestly desire to see the negro ur-
lifted in tho best and broadcast sense OF
that term. but in the South at least that
is not to be accomplished by setting be-
fore him false and unnttannble ideals.
------:----..:=---=--=
Now for Greater Richmond.
Growth on a reasonable basis at least
was made possible for Richmond last
night by tho lines adopted BY the Com
mittee on Charter. Ordinance and Re-
form, A great amount OF argument
against any forward movements was
heard from those whose objections ranged
all the way from unreasoning tiInldlty To
frankly nvowcd selfishness The needs
of Richmond, however, outwclghed the
objections OF individual interests and the