The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-09-24
DR.. EAVES REPLIES
ON HENDERSON CASE
Hopes Controversy Will
Focus Attention on Need
for Suitable Provisions
70 the Editor of rhe Age-Herald:

nence given my communication in to-
days paper regarding the tuberculous ne
gro. Henderson. Just as heartily l thank
you for the invitation to reply to certain
definite questions propounded by Mr.. Sill
YER. l merely preface my answer with
the expression of great regret that 50
much time has to be taken to settle be
fore the public something that might have
been attended TO Just as effectively by
the blessed fraternity of those who let
not their left hand know what dheir)
right hand doeth."
There are two elements in this and
every such case. First, the principle of Or
ganization for effective work as against
emotional impulse, and. second Nthe spc-
cihc facts and rights or wrongs of the
case before us. l shall confine myself to
the case before us, but | may be per-
mitted to draw attention to something
which l am trying to illustrate elsewhere
in writing, viz, the contrast between he
emotional side of cur humanity and the
intellectual side Sensationalism is TO
my thinking very poor and unworthy
concession to the weak things of the
world and We all, both men and women,
are striving to get our feet onto solid
ground. A large section of the public,
however, still thinks with its emotions,
instead of using its emotions SUD-
ject for thoughtful and intelligent action.
In the long run it does not prove worth
while to close our eyes on the mass of
statistics, which tell of large numbers Of
tuberculous sufferers, while we concen-
trate and feel deeply upon the sufferings
of a single individual so dramatically
portrayed. as my good FRIEND Mr.. Silver
| knows so well how to portray them. |
am sure it would be a godsend il this
association and the Associated Charities
both could turn over TO him every week
one or more typical cases being handled
| by us. and secure through him the gen
erous response which his portrayal Of
! them also would certainly evoke, as 1T
| has in this case.
With the accompanying letter, will you
please print in full that of the Rev. Willis
G. Clark, which, inclose, and which fur
nishes valuable data for the discerning
| to pass judgment upon2 l have occasion
| to refer to this letter in the answer to my
good friend, Mr.. Silver.
| Perhaps | ought TO add that Mr.. Nc
Grath's absence from Birmingham in the
| service of the American Red Cross for
! sufferers by the great fire at Hot Springs
Ark made it imperative that some one
acquainted with the facts should correct
a distressing impression deriyable from
what Mr. Silver wrote,
Now, with regard to Mr.. Silver's ques-
| tions. He asks
/. by whom have | been imposed
! upon?" In the light of what follows 1t
! appears that the unfortunate negro. b.
! f. Henderson, was driven to other than
candid methods ~ dealing with MIR. Sii-
| yer, and so imposed upon him. Particu-
| lars concerning this will be found under
! the answer to Question No. Q, and III the
| facts furnished by kev. Willis q. Clark
| letter
| 2 AS to the second question. How
| have | done incalculable damage to the
| poor29 | answer that the discouraging OF
| gifts to the Associated Charities is the
| surest way of limiting the relief work
| done in this city. The careful reading Of
| the report of that organization Will prove
! that with very limited funds indeed, they
| reconstruct a very large number of lives
and homes. And the cost of doing this Is
certainly much less than is given in un-
organized charity. by individuals,
churches and other institutions, and
which tends to pauperize, even side by
side with this organized work. Cut away
the income of the Associated Charities
and you do incalculabe damage to the
poor.
g. am asked ''How do you know that
Henderson ever worked at Jasper | an
swer that this is the story that Hen
l,;t, t1tut n
nurse. But on the 2Sth he told the Asso-
ciated Charities that he had worked at
| Palos.
| A. Question: How do you know that
| Henderson, father ever ran a hotel and
saloon?H Again the answer is that the
| informa tion came from the boy himself
and is duly entered in our records of the
| case. But he told the Rev. Mr.. Clark
| that his father was sexton.
| D. Question: why has the alleged fact
| in question been mentioned at al"'
| This is a question that hardly needs an
| answer, since | was giving what infor-
nation | could ON a subject which Mr.
Silver has done his best to give in detail
| to the people of Birmingham. Now it
seems that the father is both sexton and
hotel man, or one and not the other. we
know not which.
| G. Question: "How do you know that
Henderson, father sent him a railroad
| ticket?" | do not know it. | know that
Henderson so reported to our nurse, ON
or about August 27, when applying for
| lunch and help. But when he said SO
| he lied as can be seen from Mr.. Clark S
| facts for he showed Mr.. Clark our let
| ter which he had not even mailed
| l. Question: "Why do you insinuate that
Henderson sold his ticket for s5?" l do
not insinuate; | simply state the facts
and probabilities, inasmuch as the said
ticket apparently was not in Henderson S
possession at the time of Mr.. Silver's in
vestigation. 1t now is clear that the
negro never mailed our letter to his
father and never got the ticket from
| him.
| s. Question: How do you know that
| information was not asked of the wholly
| trustworthy acting head of the Associated
| Charities?" / know this on the word of
| a lady But. Mr. Silver does not tell all
| the information actually furnished him by
the Associated Charities. Why not?
! 9. Question: How do you know the
Rev Willis Clark ever gave Henderson
transportation to Jacksonville or enough
money to buy such transportation
know this ON the testimony of the Rev
| Willis G. Clark, who secured ticket ahd
| gave the man SO. Go to add to the S. he
already said he had placed with the rail
| road agent. This was enough to get n
second ticket.
| 10. Question: why do you challenge
the Negro Business Mems league and no
reference to this organization why was
ti@..