The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1906-02-27
IT CAN'T BE HELPED.
Booker Washington Writes of Negro
in the South.

About month ago Nick Chiles,
wrote a letter to Booker T. Washing
ton at Tuskeegee, Ala, in which he
entered a protest that negroes should
not attend the convention Of negro
business and professional men at At
lanta in August because negroes are
not aIlowed to pass through the main
entrance of the Atlanta union depot.
but are provided with separate ne
trance for themselves. Chiles received
a reply yesterday in which Mr.. Wash
ington. While admitting that it is hui
initiating, still advised all reputable
negroes to attend the convention any
how.
Washington's letter follows:
have read carefully what you say
regarding the business league meeting
in Atlanta There are several points
that I want to put before you
First-Granting for the minute, Tor
the sake of argument, that all you say
/ is true regarding conditions at Atlanta,
/ is there not another point of view to
/ be considered2 DO you not think that
the bringing of a large number of IN
4 teligent prosperous and cultured class
of colored people from all over the
/ country into such a city as Atlanta will
/ tend to shame the class Of white peo-
pie who inaict indignities upon US and
will omen their eyes to the fact that
colored people are making such tpe-
Hmendous progress that the south can
not afford to attempt to humiliate
them much longer?
Second-Ought not our northern
and western brethren to bear In mind
that If many of US who live in the
south can endure these Affections dur
ing ten or twelve months in the year,
they might share them for few days
in the year?
Atlanta we viii be doing real mis-
sionary work. not only among the col
ored people, but among the white
I people.
Fourth-Nanv of the conditions de-
scrfbed in your letter are much ex-
! aggeratad. really feel that when
+ we get to Atlanta the main humiliation
that we are going to meet with will
be in the separate entrance to the
/ depot. that is the crux of the whole
matter. The accomm Odations for the
| colored passengers. as. understand IT,
| are in every way satisfactory. including
! restaurant arrangements. but con-
fess that the separate entrance IS
| disgrace and humiliation 1 am GO
/ ing to use my utmost endeavor be
! tween now and the meeting of the
/ league to have this distinction done
4 away with, and 7 want to say to you
/ that if You will get as many. people to
write me letters as possible protesting
/ against the humiliation it will help I
very much hope, however. that moth
+ ing will prevent KanSans coming in
4 large numbers to the Atlanta meeting.
+ You viii remember at one time when
f Mr.. Douglass was forced to ride in a
cattle car. somebody tried to cheer
him up by telling him that it was a
+ disgrace for him to he Inundated in
that manner Mr. Douglass replied
i that it was impossible for him to be
Inundated. We must take something
I of the same attitude when fighting the
kind Of battles and passing through
the kind of difficulties that we are now
waging war against. You of the
north and west must come TO our
rescue. and You do not know what a
i great encaurageme It will be to Hs
/ to know that our brethren from a dis
1 lance are atsIeast willing to share our
/ troubles for few days in each year.
/ Yours truly.
BOOKER T. WASHINGTON :