The Washington Bee Newspaper, July 6, 1907, Page 4

RM THE PROGRESSIVE TEACHER. | a0 not believe in the lynching theory o = THE BEE PUBLISHED AT N. W., Washington, D.C 1109 Eye St, W.._CALVIN CHASE, EDITOR. Entered at the Post Office at Wasb- ington, D. C., as second-class mail matter. ESTABLISHED 1880. TERMS OF SUBSCRIPTION. One copy per year in advance. .$2.00 Six months ........+-seeeeeee 1.00; Three months .......sccsceees 0 Subscription monthly ....-..... 20 FOR PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES SENATOR JOSEPH BENSON FORAKER OF OHIO FOR VICE-PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES TIMOTHY L. WOODRUFF, OF NEW YORK MR. DANCY’S APOLOGY The Bee has great respect for the Recorder of Deeds, Hon. John C. Dancy; but, when he leaves his office and work to go to Baltimore, Md, ,to attend the sessions of the Afro-American Council to make an apology for the President, to the detriment of an oppressed people, be can offer no excuse to justify his action. The editor of The Bee was pres- ent when Mr. Dancy arose in the convention and stated as follows: Mr. President:—I have but a few moments to remain in the city, and I only want three minutes to speak on the paper of Editor McGirt: He said in part further: Why should we criticise a man because he has made one mistake? The Presi- dent has done many good acts for our people,” etc. If Mr. Dancy could not agree with the sentiment of the Council he should have stayed away. He seemed to carry the entire burden of the Administration upon his shoulders while in the convention, more so than any other man pres- ent. Indeed, he was the only apol- ogist and trimmer in attendance. The most surprising feature in his entire attitude was the declara- tion that he made before he left for the city: that no address should be adopted criticising or condemn- ing the acts of the President. He was told that the Afro-American Council would do as it saw fit, not- withstanding the declaration of the Recorder of Deeds; and the best thing for him to do was to return at once to Washington. Mr, Dan- cy knew what was coming, and; knew also that he could not stop it. The sentiment of the Council was a bold and positive declaration of principles, no matter who be- came offended. The Recorder of of Deeds took the next rain and left for Washington, and nothing more was heard of him till Saturday, when an explanatory letter appear- ed in the Star of this city. Mr. Dancy may impress the President of his loyalty, but the colored Am- ericans regard him as an apolo- gist and trimmer whose occupation, like Othello’s, has gone. Mr. Dan- cy’s speech is only one of the many apologies that he is capable of mak-} ing. THE AFRO-AMERICAN COUNCIL. The colored Americans ought to feel themselves highly congratulat- ed, because for once in their his- tory their representatives declared for their freedom and independ- ence. The tenth annual meeting of this council was the most representative that has ever been held. The meet- ing was not dominated by the hire- lings of the Administration. There were men present who had thoughts ssed them. There may three trimmers. The radical sentiment of . the council prevailed, and declared to The time has come The time ha scome aave been one apologist and nel action. for for action. for action. Bishop Alexander Walters made a most manly speech, He gave life and impetus to the meeting, and From the Colored Teacher. In a modern educational system there is no place for the unprogressive teach- er. She lacks the essential quality which is the distinguishing mark of her pro- iession. leflcient in ideas, lacking originality, and falls short of the required standard of culture. She becomes a fossil and is characterized by antequat- ed ideas, obsolete methods and an ever- waning enthusiasm. She marks time in the schoolroom ,drifts with her com- munity, and idly straggles along with She is wanting in inspiration, professional there is but one act to which The Bee takes exception, and that is his ruling on the report of the com- mittee on the election of officers. Bishop Walters must learn that a presiding officer must leave his chair if he wants to discuss or op- pose a measure that doesn’t meet A presiding officer of any deliberative body is in the ca- pacity of a judge upon the bench. He must be impartial in his rul- Aside from this his decisions his views. ings. were fair and just. He wanted Hart, and to get him the Bishop courted him like Southern Crackers courted our Republicans a few ago. However, The Bee congratulates the council on its address to the country. years NOT CAPABLE? The Hon. Hoke Smith, who was cecently inaugurated governor of Georgia, among other things said in his inaugural message that the colored man was incapable of high- er education. What the colored man is fit for, thinks Mr. Smith, is manual labor. There are more ignorant white men in the South today than colored men, who are too ignorant to learn. The Bee feels confident that there are colored men more capable than the Honorable Hoke Smith. I would not like to see the honor- able gentleman measure arms with Professor Du Bois. Professor Du Bois has forgotten more than Mr. Smith ever knew. . All that the colored man, South, asks, or anywhere else in this coun- try, is to be given an opportunity. He is capable of measuring arms with anyone, notwithstanding the opposition with which he is meet- ing. Mr. Smith is wrong again. INDUSTRIAL MEETING. Rev. Lampkins is to be congrat- ulated on the success of his meet- ing last Sunday afternoon at Con- vention Hall. While the colored \mericans do not want to make in- lustrial education the direct object of his educational pursuit, he must be able to do what other national- ities do when they have become powerful in the body politic. The Bee congratulates Commis- sioner Macfarland on his excellent speech, which should be read by every American. This new that has been launched by Rev. Lampkins should be supported by everybody. The colored Americans must be doing something. He should give his support to this worthy cause, strong enterprise whereby they will become and powerful. THE NEGRO IN BUSINESS. It is gratifying to see-so many Afro-American citizens enter into business. In every State in this Union men of all classes are doing something in business that will tend to raise them in the estimation of the more fortunate of the American people. There is every reason for the oppressed to look forward for better days. There is yet hope, no matter what others may think . The Afro-American made a hit last week. Council There will be some sensations in the schools in a few weeks. Race prejudice continues grow ; ments. SERS WILL COME. From the Caret. The Washington Bee, edited by the} by his chief or resign from the Cabinet. able Mr. W. Calvin Chase, is making] That is a great deal to ask or expect of But sure-jany public man. ly “The Bee” found a big field of flow-] would William Calvin Chase have stood ers before the timely editorial was writ-| by his chief or resigned from the Cab- im |inet? That is the only fair way to look Every pulpit, whether white}at the question. or black, wil! come to it, or remain] President and the Secretary for the or-| io and their attitude on it, be much honey without nectar. ten under date of May Crowism.” 18 on blasphemous. to|ciative of what it has afd is accom- in the government depart-| plishing her profession. She receives nothing} new, imparts nothing new, and is per- fectly contented with her present condi- How otherwise when she lives in an atmosphere of past culture and | rather than forward. It is not so with her progressive sis- She in the present. She reads books, magazines, newspapers and other periodicals. She subscribes to professional journals, reads profession- al books, and is ever on the alert for She is present at institute meetings, attends summer nor- nals, and in heart and soul with her State association. She is alive; and what surprises her unprogressive sisters, she is constantly growing. SECRETARY TAFT AND THE JEANES FUND. New York Age. It is of general interest that Secretary William Howard Taft felt that he could not well shirk the duty imposed upon him by the request that he serve as a trustee of the Jeanes fund, that he will devote much of his time to the proper work of the board, and that he has a good opinion of the Afro-American peo- ple and the progress they have made since the war. In order that our read- ers may get at the views of Secretary tion. could “she do backward ter. lives progressive ideas. From the Taft on this whole matter we reproduce in another column of the Age today ar interview with him given to the New York Evening Post through its Wash- ington correspondent. As this is the first pronouncement by Secretary Taft of any sort on the Afro-American ques- tion that he have seen it will have add- ed interest, especially in view of the t that he is a conspicuous aspirant for the Presidential nomination to suc- ceed President Roosevelt A few Afro-American have newspapers dissatisfaction at the se- lection of Secretary Taft as a trustee of the Jeanes fund, as we have already in- timated; taking the ground that he is unfriendly to the Afro-American people and accusing Dr. Washington of playing politics in the the Washington Bee has the following to say on the subject: expres making selection, “A man who has no thought of his own is unfit to be at the head of anything, Mr. aft not excepted. Any man who acted as Mr. Taft has is not the man to disburse funds to colored people. Mr Washington knows, as well as the editor of The Bee, that the Presideot and his Secretary of War colored are inimical to the Mr. Washington knows that Secretary of War Taft is objectionable to the colored Americans. ever, Mr. Washington will discover ‘ore long that the appointment of Mr. Tait is not appreciated by the colored Americans, no Americans. been de the custodian of the funds to be distributed matter if he has for. educational purposes among the Southern colored people. The Bee has a right to criticise the acts of Mr. Washington as well as anyone else, when he does something to warrant criticism. The Bee has said heretofore that it will “support Mr. Washington when he is right and condemn him when he is wrong. The Bee wears no man’s collar, small or great, rich or poor. The Bee wants it distinctly understood that it commends the educational work at Tuskegee, but it will not be a party in defending who attempts to humiliate the colored Americans, no mat- ter if it is the king.” It is unfortunate that politics should be brought into this question of the Jeanes fund. All fair-minded persons will believe that in selecting the trustees Dr. Washington and Dr. Frissell acted for what they thought best for the in- terests concerned. “ Secretary Taft is, after Dr. Washing-; ton, the most conspicuous member of the board. If anybody thinks that Sec- retary Taft does not think for himself he thinks so in ignorance of the man; if anybody thinks Secretary Taft is “in imical to the colored Americans” he is badly mistaken. We know that Presi-! dent Roosevelt is just as good a friend to the Afro-American people as he ever was, and Secretary Taft, in consenting to act as a trustee of the Jeanes fund and in the published expressions of his reproduced in The Age today, shows that far from being “inimical,” he is highly interested in the race and appre- any man We believed at the time that Presi- dent Roosevelt made a mistake in the Brownsville order, but there was noth- ing for Secretary Taft to do but stand In a similar position We condemned the punishing the guilty with the innocent and we stand by all that we have said on the question; but we do not believe that the President or the Secretary acted as they did because the soldiers in ques- tion k::ppened to be Afro-Americans in- stead of some other hyphenated sort of of Americans; believe either of them guilty of any such ‘inimicable” feeling. And the Afro-American people will approve of the trustee board of the Jeanes fund as Dr. Washington issell have constituted it, and candor compels the expression that the board is as strong in its several units as it was possible to make it TdE AFRO-AMERILAN COUNCIL it would be ignoble to we believe Continued from ist page. press, against our enemies and oppress- ors, and whenever we can we will indi- cate our position at the polls -- smite them in municipal elections, in state elections and next year at the national election. Let us show no quarter to our foes, who, in obedience to American colorphobia, preach to the colored peo- ple patience and submission to intoler- able conditions and wrongs. “At great peril—at the peril of his political life—Senator Foraker has cham- pioned the cause of the black battalion against the enormous and unexampled injustice and abuse of executive author- ity. Let them repay him a part of this debt by standing as bravely by him in his fight for his political life as he stood by the black battalion on the floor of the Senate, ih the Senate committee on military affairs and on the platform and in the press. We also record our sense of deep gratitude to the Constitu- tional League of the United States for its brave and effective defense of the black battalion and othe organizations which have assisted in its defense, and to such individuals as ex-Gov. Northen, Fleming and Rev. ex-Representative Quincy A. Ewing. Cali President Autocrat. “In politics we must learn to love our friends and serve them, at whatever cost of personal or party sacrifice and loss ,and at the same time to punish our enemies and seek their destruction at the polls, regardless of any ill conse- quences to party or self. With a free ballot in our hands in the North, if _we have the manly independence and the will to wield it as a weapon of defense and offense, we can punish our enemies and reward our friends, and advance, at the same time, unselfishly the inter- ests and the rights of the race north and south alike. We can make this vote 2 terror even to so powerful and auto- cratic a ruler as the present occupant of the White House and to Secretary Taft and to politicians like Seantor Lodge of Massachusetts and Senator Warner of Missouri, who have vied with each other to do the bidding of President Roosevelt in relation to the black battalion. Let colored men unite, organize, concentrate everywhere in. the north to defeat at the polls the enemies of the race, and in the South to defeat those same enemies. Justice, liberty, ty before the law we desire for rselves and posterity above all things, and with nothing else, God helping us, we will be content as American citizens.” Dr. John R. Francis of Washington, D. C., in speaking at the morning ses- sion of the council upon the death rate among colored people, said that in adults the ratio white and colored people was about the same. He said that proportionately more colored children and youths than white. Dr. Francis declared that the high death rate among young Negroes was due to bad sanitation, lack of good food, bad housing ,bad clothing and general lack of knowledge of the laws of health. BOOKER T. NAMED “JUDAS.” Afro-Amrican Council Has a “Red-Hot Finish.” free men and between there were IRISH IN POLITICS A THEME. Many Favor Division of Race With Two Great Parties to End “Tyranny of White House.” From the Baltimore Sun, June 29. The tenth annual meeting of the Afro- American Council, which began Wed- nesday in Bethel African Methodist Episcopal Church, Saratoga, near Gay street, was ended last night at Sharp Street Memorial Church, Dolphin and Etting streets. It abotinded in redhot debates and oratory which would have made Daniel Webster hide his face. The morning session was devoted to the elec- tion of officers. The feature of the night session was the reading of a paper addressed to the country by the commit- tee. The committee decided to hold the next session in Columbus, Ohio. The officers elected were: President—Bishop A. Walters, of Jer- sey City. Vice-Presidents—Reyv. William Alex- ander, of Maryland; J. C, Napier, of Tennessee; Rev. George Bragg, of Mary- land; Bishop A. S. Williams ,of Geor- gia; JC Fernanders, of Maryland; S. L. Corrothers of Washington, and Wil- liam A, Sinclair, of Pennsylvania. Secretaries—A. L. Gaines, of Balti- more; Fannie Williams, of Illinois, and Rey. L. J. Jordon, of New York. Treasurer— John W. Thompson, of Kentuck | seated, inherited for g : Chaplain—J. F. Robinson, of Balti-| gencrations through hue ‘ more, | Education and Idleness 7 The election of W. H. H. Hart, of! ~The large majority Washington. incapable of anything | ie The electios of W. H. H. Hart, of Washington, to the important position of counsel-general to the association, created much comment and was vigor- ously opposed by W. Calvin Chase, edi- tor of the Washington Bee. Mecting Warms Up. The auditorium became from a lamb- like gathering a place of hot debate. Bishop Walters repeatedly attempted to soothe the troubled waters, but in vain.i “I speak for peace,” he said, but peace seemed to be on the missing list. Editor Chase, in a striking address, asserted that Hart was not a fit candi- date because he was ashamed of being a Negro, “which all of you are proud to be called.” His indictment of Hart howed that the editor had the decision of Court of Appeals at his fingers’ ends and was versed in the legal commen- taries. “You are a set of pygmies,” he said, “to be trodden on by a fellow like that Hart.” | This assertion inflamed the feeling of the audience, and Dr. Kelly Miller, of’ Kittrell College, N.C., sprang from his/ seat. He declared the editor’s remarks} were due to personal feeling. He spoke of the race attitude in Maryland, and; said: | “I will not say anything derogatory to Maryland, for my wife is from Mary-! land, and she will not let me.” H The ballot and its evils were the sub-' ject of a learned talk by Joseph H.! Stewart, of the Washington bar. The general theme of Lawyer Stew- art’s address was the position of the Irish in American politics. He did not} say why he gave them his consideration in preference to other nationalities. He discussed their position from the time they lived in the Emerald Isle to their arrival in this country. In an oratorical burst he said: “The Irish people are a mighty part of the population by reason of their skill in using the power of the ballot. They are weak in their own Ireland, but the great power in this country. That the} Irish are free to do whatever-they feel} like is due to the manner in which they | have used their votes. The Irish vote} secures for that people the highest per- fection of liberty for every one of them| whose foot touches these shores.” ! Booker T. Washington Denounced. Most of the delegates denounced Book- er T. Washington as a “Judas to his race.” They said he was looking for the “almighty dollar” rather than the| education of his people. Many favored | the division of the Negroes into two} parties—Democrat and Republican—and said that would do away with the “tyr- anny of the White House.” Bishop Walters said that the follow- ing words included in his speech to the Council Wednesday were not his own; language, but were a quotation from a recent magazine article by Thomas Nel- son Page: “Whatever social equality may signify to the white, to the ignorant Negro and, apparently, to many who are not ignor- ant, it means one thing—the right to stand on the same footing with a white woman as that on which a white man stands with her.” The bishop denounced as a “lie” what} he termed “the new propaganda, that every Negro wants to marry a white woman.” } | SOUVENIR NUMBER. The June issue of Alexander’s Mag- azine was the “Catholic Souvenir Num- ber.” The information concerning the Catholic Church and its work among the offspring of American slavery is con- cise. The work at Galveston, Texas, and Rock Castle, Va. is given much space. An article by Mr. Archibald Grimke deals with the work in Wash- ington. Rev. Joseph A. Shorter has an interesting article concerning the church work in Kansas. There are oth- er writers whose articles have to do with the work being done in other sec- tions of the country. There is no doubt but that the work being done by the Catholic Church for the oppressed citizens is of very great importance in bringing about good results, AGAINST HIGHER EDUCATION. His Head Is Cracked. Atlanta, Ga. June 29—In his inau- gural address today Hoke Smith, who was sworn in as governor of Georgia, declared that slavery improved the Ne- gro, that the race had ceased improving sicce he became free, and that few bene- fited by education. Gov. Smith said, in £3 Any plan for the Negroes which fails to recognize the differeence between the white and black races will fail. The honest student of history knows that the Negro had full opportunity for gen- erations to develop before the days of slavery; that the Negro race was im- proved by slavery, and that the major- ity of the Negroes have ceased to im- Prove since slavery. Few have been helped by learning from books. All, have beeen helped who have been taught] or made to work. “It is not the difference of environ- ment; it is the difference of race, deep- par and many taught from | and live in idleness ) willing to work beyond the of the barest necessities “The Negro child id manua] labor and how to live, gro teacher should be book than by The Negro school, to be less books and more work complete change in the ex teachers for the Negro them a different plan o would have the school not injure him. “T will not discuss fully at present, but | w tinctly understood. | sec gent treatment of the Negr end the radical differer white and th Negro races in view. Should Ignore ( “Racial differences cannot by misguided should not be disregarde ever much c character philanth ticism may source upon us.” The oath of office was admi Governor-elect Smith by Chief Juste William H. Fish, of the Suy rt before the joimt S Pi branches of the legis’ Vv began its annual gathering this y The feature of the s the parade of troops and citizens, escorting the governor-elect from his hor capitol. The Fifth Georgia and two troops of the First Cay Side numerous “Hoke S all parts of the St: citizens joined the p Clement A. Evans, Gen. Evans wore dier general of the Conf which he wore at the the close of the To the Colored Voters oi West ginia: We the members ored Personal Lit p ing over six hundred thousand rs in the United States rember- ship in the State of West Virg d who have always to the Republican party, and w lone some effective d State ,take great pl ‘ to the voters of West Virg of the Honorable Charles W. S work i thperesent retary of choice for Governor of West \ in 1908. B ter select time, when the Republican part the lieving, as we do, can not be ma eve of a national elect we believe the future prosperit Republican party united support of the colored this country; and as Mr. Swis always been a true and uncompr Republican an da true friend we believe that his 1 depends upon ored race, tion would have a tendency tc all the factions in West Virginia m 1908. Mr. Swisher’s record as Secretary of State speaks for itself. And tion as Governor of West \ would mean a great deal not only t colored voters of West Virgir of the entire country, as s - known fact that West Virgi e only Southern State in which the Negro has not been denied the elect fran chise and subjected to the “Jim Crow Car” law. The coming national elect one of the most important since the war, and it beho American citizens to see that such a man as Mr. Swisher t e sent us at this time. When the Democratic all in its power to take from t the rights given the Constitution, and we theref to you in conclusion and unite with our League in sec g the nomination of Mr. Swisher i that you make a house among every Republic: trict, both white and colored g them to give their undiv t to the Honorable C. W. Sw fr Governor in 1908, and we that his nomination will be e election and you will ‘have best governors that West ever had. And we also desire you send your name to be er an honorary member of the } voters \ Colored Personal Liberty Leas we will from time to time s a certain literature that will k posted as to the political the country. Hoping that you will give t careful consideration, we remait Respectfully yours, H. C. Hawkins, West Virgi President L. A. Wiles, Iowa, W. B& Everett, Penn Chairman Executive ( Charles C. Cur Tow National Organization, 494 “ Avenue Northwest. Mr. Cortelyou, the Sphin: ministration, is now regarde idential possibility in the coming ©