June 27, 1908 (Saturday)

TIMES WONDERS WHY CONVENTIONEERS USE A CIVIL WAR SONG TO PROMOTE ANOTHER SHERMAN: Today's New York Times points out that a controversy has erupted recently through the playing of the song "Marching Through Georgia" (right) which you can listen to here. For one thing, anti-drinking groups are using the tune in that state (with lyrics changed as needed) to support efforts of prohibitionists. In addition, the song was played at the recent Republican convention in Chicago, when delegates touted the candidacy of James Sherman for the vice presidential nomination. (That's him above, at a baseball game in 1912.) The Times calls that use of the song "reprehensible."
The "once stirring air" was played in Chicago at the convention
while the banner inscribed with the name of Mr. James S. Sherman of Utica, this State, was carried down the centre aisle. Such a CONFUSION OF HISTORICAL IDEAS [emphasis added] is calculated to make the bronze horse of the Central Park Plaza rear on its haunches, to the imminent peril of the tall lady who perpetually strides beside it.
That last part refers to a statue of the Georgia-bashing Gen. William Tecumseh Sherman, which you can see here.

June 26, 1908 (Friday)

YALE HITS BOTTOM IN CREW RACE VS. HARVARD: Yale's multiple losses to Harvard in yesterday's annual crew race on the Thames in New London made history, according to today's New York Times. The paper says Yale has "never suffered so crushing a blow in its history of intercollegiate athletics." The highly vaunted Yale varsity eight-oar crew lost by THREE MINUTES in the four-mile race. One reason: Yale's stroke, D.T. Griswold, collapsed early in the race and had to be removed from the boat, leaving his team one rower short. Harvard also won the freshman race (which is pictured above).
Today's Times put the story on the front page, on the far right column -- as the lead story of the day. (It's the same spot it put the story of President Cleveland's death the day before.)

AN ODD VOICE FROM THE SOUTH: Today's Times has an editorial about a message from the Rev. James W. Lee of Atlanta titled "The South of To-Morrow." In addition to discussing the incredible economic growth of the region, Lee turned to what is referred to as "the Negro problem." Here's an excerpt (from the editorial):
"The negroes will continue to be a source of irritation and friction and riot in proportion to the number of illiterate white people among us. Whatever of opposition there is to the negro in the South is found among uneducated people. The educated classes OWNED THE NEGRO before the war, and they WERE then, and CONTINUE TO BE, his BEST FRIENDS. The negroes understand them and they understand the negro. Education of the white people is the solution of the so-called negro problem."
What?
Any help with the logic? He linked OWNERSHIP and FRIENDSHIP! And he touts the education of whites with no mention of the education of blacks.

June 25, 1908 (Thursday)

GROVER CLEVELAND IS DEAD: Former U.S. President Grover Cleveland, who was elected to two non-consecutive terms as the nation's chief executive, died at about 9:30 a.m. Wednesday, according to today's New York Times. [The paper printed no photograph on the front page. It devoted three inside pages to Cleveland; the photograph above showing the former president with one of his sons was on Page 3.] The coverage in the Times includes an article about his speechmaking, referring to his "trenchant utterances." That article refers to Cleveland's celebrated phrase: "innocuous desuetude," which William Safire discussed in this article. The article hints at how presidential campaigns have changed in a MASSIVE WAY. Consider this sentence:
During one of the two brief speeches which he delivered in the campaign preceding his first election to the Presidency, he had something to say regarding the tariff...
He delivered only TWO BRIEF SPEECHES during the entire campaign????!!!! These days, of course, that's done before lunch on any given campaign day.
Another interesting item in the coverage notes that Cleveland left only a small estate for his family. The article began, "Contrary to popular belief, Mr. Cleveland was a poor man."
He and his wife shared a post-Presidential income of about $10,000. In today's money, that's about $200,000, so "poor" really doesn't fit. Still, his situation contrasts with that of more recent former presidents. A friend told the Times, "He would not accept anything from his friends; he was extremely proud on that score, but those who knew him best knew that his circumstances worried him not a little."
He was 71.

IMMIGRANT STUDENTS TOLD THEY MUST THINK OF THOSE WHO FOLLOW THEM TO THESE SHORES: The Baron de Hirsch Preparatory School for Immigrant Children graduated 52 students yesterday. All students, according to The New York Times, "number their residence in this country by months only." The paper notes that the graduation exercise at the school (named for Maurice de Hirsch, right) "showed the proficiency they had attained in the English language by essays and recitations."
One of the speakers, Dr. David Blaustein, former director of the Educational Alliance, posed a rhetorical question to the students:
In Russia you have to serve eight years in the army, here eight years in the schools. Which is better?
The students answered on cue with "School."
He continued:
"Well, if you are better off here remember that in every session for the last ten years, Congress has had the subject of immigration before it. They say there are too many immigrants, and if ever a single immigrant becomes a criminal agitation begins to shut out all immigrants. So a responsibility rests with you to behave as not to shut out from the country the millions who may yet come here."

June 24, 1908 (Wednesday)

ROOSEVELT SEEMS MORE INTERESTED IN THE HARVARD CREW TEAM THAN THE KILLING OF BLACKS IN EAST TEXAS: The front page of today's New York Times includes a story about a dispute over Harvard College's decision to kick two rowers off its crew team -- days before the big annual boat race against Yale. [The poster above shows the top college crews of 1908.] It also has a story -- building on yesterday's reports -- about blacks FLEEING their homes in Sabine County, Texas, after five blacks were hung and four blacks were shot on Sunday night.
One story mentions the President of the United States THREE TIMES.
Which story is it?
Well, the one about the Harvard crew team.
Roosevelt has reportedly pleaded with Harvard's President Eliot to reinstate the two rowers. Eliot has refused. And the alumni back him.
The Times itself also seems more interested in the crew-team dispute than in the lynchings and terror in East Texas. Today's paper has an editorial that condemns Roosevelt for sticking his nose into an academic matter. There is NO editorial asking Roosevelt to stick his nose into the race-terror in Texas. The editorial quotes Roosevelt this way:
"It seems to us, and we feel sure to the great body of graduates it is, unfair and unnecessary to make all of us suffer for an offense of this kind for which some other punishment might surely be found."
Evidently, this has something to do with the students' taking a book from the school library.
Harvard's Presdient Eliot countered:
"Each man did a dishonorable thing. One violated in his private interest and in a crooked way a rule made in the common interest, while the other gave a flase name and did not take subsequent opportunity to give his own."
Honesty is, I think, important to TR. According to this site, he said [in the North American Review in August 1890]:
Character is far more important than intellect in making a man a good citizen or successful at his calling- meaning by character not only such qualities as honesty and truthfulness, but courage, perseverance and self-reliance.
Where's his courage regarding the lynchings, one wonders.

June 23, 1908 (Tuesday)

SIX BLACKS ARE LYNCHED IN EAST TEXAS: Six black men were snatched from the county jail in Hemphill, Texas, on the night of June 21 and killed by a lynch mob of about 150 people. Five of the prisoners were hung from one tree; another was shot while trying to escape, according to today's New York Times. The victims were Frank Williams, 20; Jerry Evans, 22; Will Johnson, 24; Moss Spellman, 24; Cleve Williams, 27; and Will Manuel, 25. (The deaths are included in the chart above, which shows lynchings and racially-motivated killings in the US from this site.)
All faced a murder charge in the death of Hugh Dean, a white man, of Geneva, Texas.
Other shootings have erupted in the region according to the report, which has a Houston dateline. The story says,
Many pistols have been taken from negroes, and loaded shotguns and rifles are found in nearly every house. Excitement is intense throughout East Texas. Many negro houses have been burned, and reports of negroes being killed are coming in from all parts of the country around Geneva, Sexton, Milam, and other points. Up to the present time only negroes are known to have been killed.
The negroes have been up in arms since the Dean murder. They are densely ignorant and easily led. Telegraph and telephone wires have been cut and communication with the seat of trouble is very difficult.
The lynching was photographed, as described here.

JOURNALIST SAYS NEWSPAPERS ARE THE BEST "DETECTIVES": Lincoln Steffens writes in the July issue of American Magazine that people like New York Police Commissioner Bingham are totally wrong in their contention that police news should be kept from newspapers until an arrest has been made. According to today's New York Times, Steffens (shown above) says:
"The police everywhere warn citizens not to let anybody but the police know of such troubles. They say if the newspapers get hold of the news they will publish it; this will frighten away the thieves and prevent the police from recovering the stolen property. This is only a police trick to avoid criticism. They give to the press all their successes; they suppress their failures and thus keep up the appearance of efficient service.
The first thing the victim of a robbery should do is to telephone to the newspapers -- all of them. That would soon show what a small proportion of the reported cases a detective bureau like that of New York 'detects' and it will make the police work on your case."