The Washington bee., 1911-04-08
WHAT ONE SILLY WOMAN DID.

WHAT ONE SILLY WOmAN OAD'
Edna K. Wooley, a white woman,
who is a writer on The Cleveland
Daily News, under the above caption,
had the following to say last We'd
nesday on the assault on DIR. Wash
ingtOn:
A senseless woman's suspicion, and
a senseless mans sudden use of his
fists engendered by that suspicion,
have put into a New York hospital
one of the best-charactered men IN
the United States.
Booker T. Washington is a negro.
At the same time he is a gentleman,
and his whole appearance bears out
the term.
He carries himself with dignity.
HIS intellect and character are stamp
ed on his face. No person OF rea-
sonable discernment would brand him,
even at first glance, as a skulker or
a Jack the pepper"
But because he IS a Negro, and
because some women are silly, and
because some men are easily moved
by silly women, Booker I. Wash
ington was beaten up by muscular
individual twice his size, the husband
of a woman who had Historically IN
formed him that a Negro was lurk-
ing about the hall of the fiat build
ing in which the couple lived.
The woman had been out eXercls-
ing her dog. Upon returning to the
building, she found Mr.. Washington
peering at the names under the letter
boxes in the hallway, where he was
waiting for a man in the building,
with whom he had an appointment.
The woman Immediately jumped to
the conclusion that, since the stranger
was a Negro, he could be no good.
Having so informed her husband, he
sailed forth and, without asking an
explanation, knocked Mr. Washington
down.
Washington claims that his assaIl-
ant had some kind of a stick with
which the attack was made. At any
rate, the celebrated Negro, who has
perhaps done more to morally and IN
dustrially elevate his race than any
other single man, was so badly beaten
that ne had to be sent to a hospital.
This happened in New York, where
race feeling runs high. Perhaps it
could not happen in Cleveland. And
yet it is a possible happening any
where.
Because a mans skin is not white,
has too often been made the excuse
for assaulting and even killing Ne
groes. There is too much prejudice
against the Negro because of his col
or He is, as d rule, the most peace
able and gentle of individuals, a good
citizen, and usually an example of
courtesy which many a white man
could do we'll to emulate.
There are bad Negroes, of course.
But that IS no more reason why we
should suspect every Negro, on sight,
than every white man, because there
are many-very many-had white
men.
The colOred man has his faults.
But when you start matching his
faults with those of the white man,
you will find that the Negro hasn't
begun to learn. And, nine times out
of ten, you will find that the bad
Nigger" is what the white man has
made him.
The Negro initiates his white broth
er, as nearly as he can. And whether
he is good or bad depends largely
upon the example which is set be
fore him.
In the just-cited case of Mr.. Wash
ington-had he been a white man,
and so evil that he polluted the at
mOsphere about him, he in all proba-
bility would have passed muster with
the foolish woman who melted her
husband to go forth and beat up an
innocent cOlored man. And more
than one race riot has had just as
unreasonable and unjust a beginning
More than one lynching of a Negro
has covered the crime of a white
man.
In the South the race problem has
to be handled differently than III the
North, it is true. But it is also true
that here in the North the average
Negro, in spite OF his often evident
sense of Importance, is a pretty de