The Washington bee., 1911-01-21
Public Men AndThinDs
(By the Sage of the Potomac.)

(By the Sage OF the PotOmdC.)
| dropped in the office of The Bee
Tuesday, as has been my custom, to
look over the exchanges and see what
the colored press is doing and saying.
noticed in two or three a Wash
ington letter from which l quote the
following: Henry Lincoln Johnson
IS now often seen vending his way
in and out of the big Government
departments, where he COnfcrs with
men of national prominence, and
where often he goes to intercede in
behalf of some Colored brother Nh
] JohnSon'S interview at the White
House is an indication that the Presi-
dent desires to confer" When | came
to this | turned to Chase and laugh
ingly remarked; Say, Calvin, here's
one of those old bids for favor as
Senator Bruce use to call them"
yes" Chase replied, that's been
handed every new Negro who came
to Washington to hold office"
| recall one time when | fixed up
about the same dope for the news
paper for which | used to correspond,
making Bruce the principal dramatis
personae. | took it around and
showed it to him He had but recently
been made Register of the Treasury.
Now Senator Bruce was one of the
most divining and far-seeing of men
sometimes | think he was the most as
tute and fertile politician the race
ever produced. He did not know that
i wrote it-I had not led up to it,
though | expected to, as | really
meant to work him for his influence to
get me a promotion. Imagine the
shower bath he gave me, when finish
ing reading it; he turned to me and
remarked, in that smooth, persuasive
style of his, and with a merry twinkle
in his eye: "My dear boy, that's a
bid for favor. The fellow who wrote
that wants something, I'll wager he
will be in to see me mighty soon,
too"
Referring to leaders" I want to
rise to remark that when man, white
or COlored, accepts an appOintive of
fee, his ability to lead is dissipated.
| get awfully sick and tired of this
prating about leader" by a few
dopesters. If Booker Washington, with
all his prestige and influence and fol-
lowing. should accept an appOintive
office today, he would, perforce. lay
down the sCepter of leadership. Lead
ers have a following; appointees have
sycOphants. Leaders 90 out on the
battlefield and lead; appointees
never give an utterance until the
cockoo makes a noise. Leaders are
never afraid of a storm, they sail
their ship in all weathers. An ap-
pointee sets his sail to catch every
passing breeze You never hear OF a
real leader trimming his sail because
some one speaks. A leader can &C
cept an office to which he has been
elected by the people without destroy
ing his leadership-such an election
really makes him more of a leader.
But when a leader accepts an ap-
pointive office he destroys his leader
ship, because he has to obey the or
ders of a man higher up then he, and
must conform to the policies of the
administration under which he serves,
He can't be loyal to his administra-
ton and still be the leader he was
before | wish some OF these dope
sters would give us a rest on this
leader" business. Rev. COrrOtheTs
and Rev Waldron, without vote, and
without a voting constituency, are
more of leaders than any one or all
of the men holding appointive ottlces
in Washington. Just ring the changes
on this leader" business, and remem-
Der that leaders are commanding OF
hcers, not subalterns, and that
leader never has to set his sail TO
catch passing breeze, nor trim II to
save his ship from a blowing wind.
Such dope as the above IS what
Carlisle philosophically styled bar
tering away Hattery for tangible
substance br,T what exu DOcksfa-