The Denver star., 1914-10-31
STANDS FIRM ON
/, RACE QUESTION
Or: Washington Replies to
Editor winston's Letter.
MISQUO1ED BY NEWSPAPERS

9tAtomont Doniee Ever noNtn0 "A
vissd His Race to Yield One Single
Legal Right as Citizens at Any Time
or Place. er
c. Elias Winston. editor Of the West
ern Torchlight, St Louis, recently
wrote DR.. Booker T. Washington call
ing attention to the misrepresentation
which have been published in various
newspapers regarding his speech be-
fore the recent meeting of the Nation
al Negro Business league. DR.. Wash
ington in reply to Mr.. Winston's letter
has written the following communica-
ton:
"Tuskegee Institute, Ala. Oct. 2. 1914.
"Mr. G. Elias Winston. 2726 Pine
Street. st. Louis:
my Dear Mr Winston-I regret the
delay in answering your letter owing
to the fact that l have been OF on a
fishing trip for a week. In your case
I am doing something which very
rarely do, and that is attempt to cor
rect Misrepresentation of my words.
I have found by some experience in
public life that If one spends his time
in attempting to correct false reports
he will rarely do anything in the way
of constructive work and that the time
spent in trying to make such correc-
tons could be better spent, In most
cases, in some direct effort in the way
Of progress.
II am making exception in your case
because you have been kind and
fri ~ hok oh
very few people think Of doing, and
that is to try to find out directly from
the individual himself the facts con-
corning his utterances. In most cases
persons simply hear a rumor or read
a garbled report of ones address and
then this report or rumor IL passed
from one hand to another without any
one taking the precaution to get first
hand, direct information from the per
son most concerned
you say that am quoted in both
the white and colored press as making
the following remarks: The Negro
should stop fighting segregation and
lend his forces toward beautifying the
neighborhood in which he lives Let
me say that have made no such re-
marks at any time or at any place.
On the other hand, have alwnyS op-
posed the passing Of any law to segre-
gate the Negro either in city, town or
country district. have always said.
especially when speaking to southern
white people. that such segregation is
unnecessary, unjust. unwise and, from
my point of view. illegal, and have
been often surprised at the number Of
white people in the south who have
agreed with my position.
"a few weeks ago, when an attempt
was made to pass a law segregating
colored people In Birmingham, ]. In
connection with a number of other col
ored people in Alabama. took the mat
ter up directly with the city commits
sioners and the law was not passed
"When speaking on the subject OF
railroad accommodations in Muskogee
i made the following direct remarks
to the white people. who composed
large part Of the audience: Let us urge
upon the railroads throughout this
country to provide more equal, more
Just. more clean and up to date rail-
road facilities for the black people of
this country whenever the law requires
such separation. And there Is no man
in the United States. no matter where
he lives. north or south, who will not
agree with us In the statement that
whenever and wherever Negro pays
railroad fare that is equal to that
paid by white man he should have
accommodations that are just as Just
and equal. that are just as clean and
decent, as those furnished the white
man for the same amount Of money.
You would not permit the white mer-
chants in Muskogee to sell SO many
pounds of flour to Negro customer
at a certain price and then sell better
-four and more flour to a white Gus
toner for the same money. No more
should railroad be permitted to fur
nish one kind of accommodation to the
accommodation to the white passenger
for the same money.
"Whnt I did attempt to say in Mus
kogee and what have attempted on
numerous occasions to say when speak
ing in public was to urge our people
not to become discouraged or dis
heartened in communities where they
were segregated. but, Notwithstanding
such segregation, to go forward and
make progress-in a word, to over
come evil with good; to make SO much
progress in the beauty. comfort and
convenience of their surroundings that
those who have treated them unjustly
will be made to blush with shame be-
hot
people are making. In word. try
to impress upon our people the idea
that they should keep a cheerful heart
and a strong will and not permit them
selves to be continually oD the defen.