Booker T. Washington, Builder o - African American History

Booker T. Washington, Builder of a Civilization. 229
24.03.2006
the countenances of the people. But Mr. Washington appeared unruffled. On the
contrary, his heavy jaw was hard set and his eyes danced in a merry measure. It
was a time to keep one's temper and wits, and he did so, as usual. Without
betraying any feeling in the matter, and when everybody expected him to
announce the next speaker, he said:
"'Ladies and Gentlemen: I am sure you will agree with me that we have had
enough eloquence for one occasion. We shall listen to the next speaker at
another occasion, when we are not so fagged out. We will now rise, sing the
doxology, and be dismissed.'
"The audience did so, but it was the most funereal proceeding I had ever
witnessed upon such an occasion. Mr. Washington's imperturbable good nature
alone saved the day."
Page 314
Some time after President Roosevelt had begun to consult Booker Washington
on practically all his appointments and policies which particularly affected the
relations between the races, and after several Southern white men had been
given Federal appointments on Mr. Washington's recommendation, the
bitterness against him grew so intense, especially among the "Talented Tenth"
element of the Northern Negroes, that he decided to meet a group of their
leaders face to face, and have it out. Accordingly, through Mr. Fortune, he
arranged to meet a number of these men at a dinner at Young's Hotel in Boston.
Mr. Fortune thus describes what took place:
"At the proper time, when the coffee and cigars were served, I arose and told the
diners that Dr. Washington had desired to meet them at the banquet table and at
the proper time to have each one of them express freely his opinion of the race
question, and how best the race could be served in the delicate crisis through
which it was then passing. Each of the speakers launched into a tirade against
Dr. Washington and his policies and methods, many of them in lofty flights of
speech they had learned at Harvard University. The atmosphere was dense with
discontent and denunciation.
"The climax was reached when William H. Lewis, the famous Harvard football
coach, told Dr. Washington to go back South, and attend to his work of
educating the Negro and 'leave to us the matters political affecting the race.'
Every eye was upon Dr. Washington's face, but none of them could read
anything in it; it was as inscrutable as a