The broad ax., 1908-04-04
BOOKER I. WAsHINeToN's LOGIC.

Mr.. Booker T. washington is without
a peer; as a vitalizing moralist he is
second only to President Roosevelt;
as a preacher Of the everlasting gos-
pei of honest, earnest toll there is
none other who Yields so wide and
wholesome an influence. But as a pol
itical economist Mr.. Washington has
so far proved to be a dismal failure;
a sophist Of the most pronounced or
der; the high priest of a new and
strange doctrine, designed by MIN es-
peciaIly for the Colored race, ana,
withal, the most dangerous and per-
versive known to modern times. Not
only this, but because of his position
as an educator, no less than his rare
powers of persuasion, he is unques-
tionably inoculating the masses Of
both races who do their thinking by
proxy, especially when it comes to
questions respecting the Just status
of Negroes, with the belief that his
Industrial policies, destined especial
" for Negroes, are, IN fact, not only
best for the race, but the ideal toward
which the Nero must constantly
strive and to which the country is
justfhed IN pushing him
WINE the masses OF an races nave
ever been throughout the receding
ages l0wIy workers for wages, Deepen
dent for living upon whoever would
give them an opportunity to work,
with Mr.. washington every Negro,
but yesterday ont of the jungles OF
Africa has within him me making OF
a captain of industry. What has the
average Negro in common with the
average man of any other race, that
he should ask or expect to be allow
ed to share, as a wageearner, the
common opportunities of a common
country? Let the masses of all other
races be allowed to work for wages,
and consequently for others. But as
for the masses Of Negroes, they are
of such a superior tribe that they are
to create their own opportunities,
and, consequently, work for them
selves. If this palpable impossibility
is not forced upon Negroes, Mr..
Washington has another madeto-or-
der alternative, equally preposterous.
This is a demand that Negroes so far
surpass other men in any line Of Ia
Dor sought that employers will be
forced to employ them because Of
their superior worth. There is no
race prejudice about the American
Dollar" exclaimed Mr.. Washington
at Atlantic City. when it is profit
able to employ Negroes; when Ineir
work is superior to that of other
races, they will be employed" There
Is not a branch Of any industry which
has not been brought, by those who
have had thousands Of years for pa
tent training, to the highest degree
of perfection ever known Yet Mr..
washington dumfounds and discour-
ages his race by saying to them and
to the world that they must not only
equal, but must surpass this labor
with the cumulative skill Of centuries
before they should even expect or
hope TO share with sucn labor the
common opportunities of a common
country. II Negroes appeal from such
a bHghting decree they are whining"
and complaining.
Representatives Of 1900 local Ia
Dor unions. are now in Washington
with @LAbor's Protest to Congress"
against The most grave and momen-
tous situation which has ever con-
fronted the working people of this
country" Who. beside Mr.. Washing
toon, would proclaim that the situa-
tion confronting white wOrkmen, who
share without let or hindrance every
Advantage accruing from American
industries. is more grave and momen-
tus than is the situation confronting
Negro Workmen? None. Yet there
is not soeiologist or political econ
omist, aside from Mr.. Washington,
who does not know and readily al
NIT that labor has a Just cause for
complaint, ana the trend Of legisla-
ton Is ostenzibly. II reluctantly. to
ward widening Of the opportunities
Of the toiling masses The ReDubli-
cans VIII have plank to this effect
n their national platform; the Dem
ocrats make it q special issue; the
PopniIsts have little other excnse for
existing: the Socialists no other az