The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1908-04-16
MIR. R. L. Durham's Book.

to the Forthcoming novel OF Mr.. X.
l.. Durham, of Charlotte:
Senator Tillman, President Roose-
welt, the Booker Washington lunch
con at the White House and a purely
imaginary South Carolina newspaper
man, together with some interesting
South Carolina and national politics.
form the basis of a thrilling novel,
whose theme is the race question, is
being published by l.. c. Page 4 Co.,
of Boston. The book which is named
The Call Of the South" is written by
Robert Lee Durham, now an attor-
ney at Charlotte, but who lived for
several years at Spartanburg. Ad-
vanced copies have been received in
Washington and are beginning to
create sensation. Tillman is not
specially a prominent figure in the
book. The name given to him is
"Killam" and his identity is unmis
taxable. :.
The imaginary newspaper man is
a Washington correspondent whom
the go 7ernor OF South Carolina ap-
points to an unexpired term in the
United States Senate and who after
wards runs for the Senate against
Tillman. This is merely an incident,
however. President Roosevelt, whose
identity is artistically revealed
through the heack but not opaque
veil, is the centraLfgure.
He lunches several times with ne
groes and expresses what ISL the
south thought to be the typical north
ern view of the race question, which
is that the color of ones skin should
no more bar social aud political rec
ognition than the color of his hair or
eyes. The President comes to a diff
ferent conclusion when he finds that
his daughter has secretly married a
negro who is a highly cultivated oc-
toroon and q graduate Of Harvard,
and when the first offspring OF this
marriage shows q reversion to Il re-
mote ancestor and is black, the Pres
ident's heart-strings- crack and he
dies.
The name of the president is Hayne
Phillips. His boast is that he is all
American. "My mother was a South
Carolinian and my father was from
Massachusetts," is a favorite way OF
his putting it.
Rutledge is the name OF the journ-
alist,senator and makes the principal
speech in the senate in opposition to
the Presidents race views, which
views, however, are not extreme
enough for the fiery and picturesque
'Killam."
A campaign meeting at Spartan
burg is described ond the hot time
which often characterizes the Gaffney
meetings is referred to.
Mr.. Durham shows power of de-
scription and of dramatic presenta-
tion truly wonderful, and in artistic
finish his book beyond question sur
passes anything yet written on the
race question. He does not present
a succession of the incoherent thrills
so noticeable even to the non-critical
reader of Tom Dixon's melodramas;
1t is one artistic sensation. 1t is also
free from the sectional bias, SO char
acteristic of writer's on that subject,
while at the same time it presents in
the most powerful way yet presented
the Southern white mans views of
the matter of social equality Of the
races.
1t is being recalled in connection
with this book that Mr.. Durham, who
is a trhstee of Trinity College, North
Carolina, was one of those who voted
against the expulsion of Prof. John
Spencer Bassett who made some ex-
travagant and quite ridiculous re-
marks about the superlative great
ness of Booker Washington. Durham
was living at Spartanburg at tht
time, and he told his friends there
that while OF course he did not agree
with Prof. Bassett that Booker Wash
ington was the greatest man nex1
to General Lee the South had pro
duced since the revolution, but he die
not believe it proper to put a colleg'
professor out of his job for entertain
ing or, if he wish. expressing such 4
view.
Durham is a young man OF versa
tile accomplishments and many-sidet
interest. His book shows it, though
| his friends who know OF his compre
hensive mind, his prowess on the
football field as well as on the gol
links and OF his bearing as captain
in the Spanisli-American war knew j
| already.
The book will be out some tim
during the coming week. Meantim
it is being read here with avidity b,
a number of prominent public mel
who have secured advanced copies @
the book.