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The criticism that has hitherto met Mr. Washington has not
always been of this broad character. In the South especially
has he had to walk warily to avoid the harshest judgments,
--and naturally so, for he is dealing with the one subject of
deepest sensitiveness to that section. Twice--once when at
the Chicago celebration of the Spanish-American War he
alluded to the color-prejudice that is "eating away the vitals
of the South," and once when he dined with President
Roosevelt--has the resulting Southern criticism been violent
enough to threaten seriously his popularity. In the North the
feeling has several times forced itself into words, that Mr.
Washington's counsels of submission overlooked certain elements
of true manhood, and that his educational programme
was unnecessarily narrow. Usually, however, such criticism
has not found open expression, although, too, the spiritual
sons of the Abolitionists have not been prepared to acknowledge
that the schools founded before Tuskegee, by men of
broad ideals and self-sacrificing spirit, were wholly failures
or worthy of ridicule. While, then, criticism has not failed to
follow Mr. Washington, yet the prevailing public opinion of
the land has been but too willing to deliver the solution of a
wearisome problem into his hands, and say, "If that is all
you and your race ask, take it."
Among his own people, however, Mr. Washington has
encountered the strongest and most lasting opposition, amounting
at times to bitterness, and even today continuing strong
and insistent even though largely silenced in outward expression
by the public opinion of the nation. Some of this opposition
is, of course, mere envy; the disappointment of displaced
demagogues and the spite of narrow minds. But aside from
this, there is among educated and thoughtful colored men in
all parts of the land a feeling of deep regret, sorrow, and
apprehension at the wide currency and ascendancy which
some of Mr. Washington's theories have gained. These same
men admire his sincerity of purpose, and are willing to
forgive much to honest endeavor which is doing something
worth the doing. They cooperate with Mr. Washington as far
as they conscientiously can; and, indeed, it is no ordinary
tribute to this man's tact and power that, steering as he must
between so many diverse interests and opinions, he so largely
retains the respect of all.
But the hushing of the criticism of honest opponents is a
dangerous thing. It leads some of the best of the critics to
unfortunate silence and paralysis of effort, and others to burst
into speech so passionately and intemperately as to lose listeners.
Honest and earnest criticism from those whose interests
are most nearly touched,--criticism of writers by readers,
--this is the soul of democracy and the safeguard of modern
society. If the best of the American Negroes receive by outer
pressure a leader whom they had not recognized before,
manifestly there is here a certain palpable gain. Yet there is
also irreparable loss,--a loss of that peculiarly valuable education
which a group receives when by search and criticism it
finds and commissions its own leaders. The way in which this
is done is at once the most elementary and the nicest problem
of social growth. History is but the record of such group-leadership;
and yet how infinitely changeful is its type and
character! And of all types and kinds, what can be more
instructive than the leadership of a group within a group?--
that curious double movement where real progress may be
negative and actual advance be relative retrogression. All this
is the social student's inspiration and despair.
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