The Norfolk weekly news-journal., 1909-06-11
REopENs nRowNvrLLE CASE.

negro and the relation of the colored
people to politics in the south are
things which are being discussed a
great deal among the members of con-
gress and the government officials
nowadays, writes Raymond, Washing
ton correspondent of the Chicago Tri-
bune, to his paper.
In the first place, Mr.. Taft has been
in the south good deal since his
election. He has had great deal of
experience with the Filipinos, who are
not negroes, of course, but who pre-
sent many similar race problems for
solution. When on the bench Mr..
Tafts circuit included not only Ohio
but Kentucky and Tennessee, and
thus he acquired the point of view of
border state and one which may
fairly be considered as distinctly
southern. Soon after his election as
president he retired to Hot Springs,
Va, where he was surrounded by an
original and almost uncontaminated
negro element. Later in the winter
he went to Augusta, and thus in the
heart of Georgia was able to get at
first hand the southern point of view
on the perplexing question
Mr.. Taft has intimated to the south
ern white men that he proposes in n
way to avoid giving offense by the UNI
necessary appointment of negroes in
the large cities, and he has recently
recognized in Louisiana, in distinct
fashion, the lilly white" faction of the
republicans down there.
In conference with. Booker T..
Washington the other day President
Taft expressed his opinion in pos
tive manner that an industrial educa-
ton was the best thing, and, in fact,
the only thing for the negro at the
present stage of his racial develop
ment. This was entirely in accord
with DR.. Washington's views, mas
much as the education he furnishes
at Tuskegee practically is all indus
trial, or is, at least, framed on a
technical basis.
The Presidents hearty Endorsement
of teaching the negro how to work
with his hands was not received with
enthusiasm by the colored politicians
and the advocates of higher education
for the negro. Too many of the col
ored people have become imbued with
the idea that education is means to-
ward life without hard work
Most of the students who go to the
literary colleges for the black men
want to be preachers, doctors or law
yers. Practically all of them are pol.
iticians and advocate continued agita.
ton to secure the political rights of
the negro in the south, which is exact
ly the opposite plan of campaign
adopted by Booker Washington, and
heartily Endorsed by President Taft
The result is that the radical political
agitators among the negroes are ex'
tremely distrustful of the president
and are afraid he intends to turn over
the political fabric in the south to the
democrats and the white republicans
exclusively.
AS if to furnish complete refuta
ton to this charge President Taft has
gone ahead to give the Brownsville
black soldiers chance to return tc
the army, practically in their old pc
sitions and with the same privileges
in regard to retirement and longevity
pay. This is something which Presi
dent Roosevelt never would have
agreed to of his own motion. The dis
charge of the Brownsville battalion by
Mr.. Roosevelt caused so much criti
cism throughout the country that the
colonel, who was naturally friendly
sort of man and who took lunch with
Booker Washington without hesita
ton, conceived a great dislike to any
proposition to restore the black sol
diers to their place in the army.
President Taft, on the other hand
had a different record. When the
Brownsville matter first came up i
was he who suspended the order fol
the discharge of the soldiers, pending
another appeal to President Roose
welt, who was then on his way to the
isthmus of Panama. Mr.. Taft ther
was the secretary of war and was as
much bound by the order of discharge
as the humblest soldier. The officers
of the army, who were accustomed tt
silent obedience to every order from
a superior officer, were astonished a
this action of the secretary of war
, and yet he did it because he felt, as
a judge, that there was not evidence
enough to convict the men of any per
sonal offense against the military reg
ulations.
The suspension of the order amount
ed to nothing because Presiden
Roosevelt by cable and with some ex