Staunton spectator and vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1896-1916, 1906-08-31
Entered at the Postoffice al Staunton, va
az second class mail matter.
Friday, August 81. 1906.
LETTERS FROM TUsKEGEE.

A HLul6 VOLUME uto oft
print STYLED Letters from Tuskegee'
The volume appeared last year ana
the copy before US is of second ell
ton, issued May 1st. 1905. 1t ls pup
lished by DIR. S. Becker Won Gapriii'
under the nom de plume OF huperIh
Fehnstoke. and is made up OF seven
letters written by him not originally
for publication, but their importance
seemed to demand it. When be was
about to publish them he was offered
"a, 500 not to do 80. The letters are the
only ones which have ever come from
the "inside,'' the writer having been
for several years teacher in Booker
T. Washineton's school, and North
erner by birth, who says that when be
went to Tuskegee my sympathy was
heart and soul with the poor Cypress
ed (?) negro. with naught but bitter
ness towards bis oppressor ~ the
Southern white man."
1.-THE author is the only one The says)
who has ever thoroughly investigated
the Booker Washington school
and Ills object is only to expose the de
ception practiced on the public"
This little volume contains some
startling revelations with reference to
WashingtOn's work. and shows that
be is the prince of fakirs. He has had
the Ogden party to see him; be has
pulled Andy Carnegie's leg for $780,
600 as personal fund for himself and
wife: he has dined with President
Roosevelt, and has had the president
visit his school. bold levee and behold
the immensely of his work and the
fruits of his fields. When the presi-
dent visited the institute IA floats lad
en- with sugar cane, cotton, oats, corn,
potatoes, chickens (Of course chickens)
etc., passed before him, alleg
ed to have been raised on the
grounds, when as a matter of fact
says the writer, the stnffs were
principally purchased from Ma
con county farmers. The writer for
the first time tells who Mrs. Washing
ton was before marriage. He says:
"She was known as Maggie Murray,
before her marriage was person of
VIGOROUSLY loose morals, whose Tepu-
tation was extremely bad, who was
recognized and known as a common
woman of the town, and who, while
living in ease, elegance and luxury,
with waiting maids in constant atten-
dance, permitted her poor, demented,
starving old mother 10y name Aunt
Patsy Brown to be buried pauper
only two or three years ago." IT'S
this lady who enjoys MI. Carnegie's
half million and hObnobs with New
England's most cultured and refined
society.
This Tuskegee school maintains a
strong theological department., and of
course in the % years of its existence
ought to have somewhat enlightened
and Christianlzed those in the neigh
bOrhood, but gentleman of enquiring
mind, so says the writer, interviewed
AZ negroes in the Immediate vicinity to
ascertain what Christmas implies.
The number included four cOlOred
preachers, five Institute students and
four old time "Aunties" and ''Uncles"
the rasidua uara tho oua.oro norroa.
of the neighborhood. OF the entire
number, he saws, only four knew any
thing about Christmas. They were
two ministers, one old uncle and one
bright country boy.
The questions were such as. What ia
Christmas Day? Why Is 1t called
Christmas Who was born on Christ.
mas day? Who was Christ, and what
did he do ? The answers to this last
question were as follows: He freed de
niggers. He done help mancipate de
slaves. He was President of the Uni
ted States. He was kin to Booker
Washington. He was God 3 Oldest son.
He was a big Republican, least l spec
he was, etc. We will give one more
question and the answers-Who was
his Father Answer-God. Old Mr.. |
Christ. Nebber was really sure about
dat. Joseph. Solomon. David.
In the South nobody cares how many
Northern legs are pulled, the Ogdens,
the Carnegles, the President, and any
others inclined, may give of their
means. 1t is such good Joke that
Southern people laugh. But there is
one thing at which they ought not to
laugh, and that is that this institute
Is teaching. if this writer can be believ
ed, social equality, by every known
means. 10 the world he denies it. but
within his institute Booker Washing
Ton Is teaching the same as all other
educated negroes in the South. so we
are told, that there must be an inter.
of the races, declaring that
the United States will he peo.
pied Dy new nation, in which the
african negro will be the important {
element. Says one of them: "All race
prejudice will have been eradicated.
physically the new race will be much {
'he stronger. 1t will be endowed with {
with higher intelligence and a clearer |
of God than the whites have I
aver had. The Negro Race is superior I
Intellectually. Morally and Physically f
Ind will be the ruling nation and will
conquer the white.'' If this concep-
ion which we are told is a cardinal
principle of Tuskegee. shall be realized
here will be no social equality, there
will be more. the negro will be Tri-
Our readers will find pro.
table reading in the ''Letters from |,
'uskegee.' r