§ 154 The Unforgivable Sin
A year or two before his death, Booker T. Washington made an address in a small town in Georgia. When he had finished, an old Confederate soldier, white-haired and white-moustached, pushed forward to the platform, his face aglow with enthusiasm.
“Professor Washington,” he declared, “I want to do now what I never thought I’d be doing—I want to clasp your hand and pledge you my support for the great work you are doing. And furthermore, I want to tell you this: that was the best speech I ever heard in my life and you are the greatest man in this country to-day!”
“I’m afraid you do me too much honor,” said Washington. “Wouldn’t you regard Col. Roosevelt as the greatest man we have?”
“Huh!” exploded the Southerner. “I’ve had no use for him since he invited you to eat a meal with him at the White House.”