The broad ax. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1895-19??, 1907-04-20
BOOKER 7. WASHINGTON WRONG
AGAIN.

4
AGAIN.
81 fear that our newspapers are al
fault because they hold up our difficLE
lies. People reading them see too
many accounts OF Negro oppression
and We do not want our race souref
by such accounts"
The above declaration is ascribed to
be the utterance OF Booker T. Wash
ington. which has gained wide cur
rency through the white newspapers
throughout the country, in which he
asserts his opposition to Afro-Ameri-
cans having their own newspapers.
In this Mr.. Washington is wrong
again. and very much so, and We re-
,, gard his attitude being inimical to
our progress, and inconsistent on the
part of Mr. Washington and his posi-
ton on things racial.
The writer has always been a great
admirer OF Mr.. Washington, and In
nearly accord with those utterances
and acts OF his which seemed to be
to the best interest Of the race, let
them be ever so remote, but we can
not consistently agree with Mr.. Wash
ington in his latest and most illogica!
condemnation OF the Afro-American
press. which in importance is equal In
value TO the work to which Mr.. Wash
Ington seems so devoted.
No agency has accomplished great
er good for the race than the Afro
American press and pulpit.
For upwards of a quarter Of a cen
tury. Mr.. Washington knows full well.
the Afro-American press has agreed
more than disagreed with him in al
most every reasonable movement he
has started or advocated, and in a
large measure is doing so at present;
then why this ingratitude?
Il is no secret that a large num-
bei Of Afro-American newspapers in
this country at the present time ar
uuder the domination and influenced
TO the fostering OF the Booker T.
Washington Industrial School propa-
ganda.
While We have no objection to Mr..
Washington as a leader along this
line. which he finds of least resistance.
so far as a large majority of the
white people OF this country are con-
cerned. We are not willing, neither
will We submit without protest. that
he arrogate 10 himself the right TO
speak for all the millions of Afro
American people in all sections Of this
country.
| We in Philadelphia object. and seri-
ously. so. for the reason We have prob
lens here that We alone can only
grapple. which perhaps do not exist
in any other locality.
Does Mr.. Washington dare to tell
us here in Philadelphia. on the basis
that he objects to Afro-Americans
having newspapers of their own. that
il is best for the race?
When as a matter of fact a few
days ago Mr.. Washington was enter
tanned in this city by body OF repre-
sentative Afro-Americans. so much OF
unit was the whitesnewspaper press
in this city TO subsidize the AFFAIR by
not giving publicity to either his pres
ence or utterances, that it became ne
cessary that a special correspondent
be brought to Philadelphia to wild
cat" the affair in a special" to GER
tain Afro-American newspapers favor
able to Mr.. Washington, in order that
il might be known and learned that
Mr.. Washington had been TO Philadel-
phia, or else the fact would not have
even been known.
And still he declares against the
use and good Of the Afro-American
press.
Surely. Mr.. Washington cannot
mean what he is credited with say
ing, or else he is looking backward.
What the Afro-American press Of
this country needs to do is to develop
character, and teach the race to do the
same, Mr.. Washington to the contrary
Notwithstanding Courant, Phil
adelphia.