Portrait of a Scientific Racist: Alfred Holt Stone of Mississippi

11 SEVERE AND DISCRIMINATING CRITICISM

185 1. The quotations in this and the next two paragraphs are from Stone to Wilcox, December 3, 1906, WFWP. As far as Stone’s desire to secure severe criticism was concerned, W. E. B. Du Bois’ sharp letter in response to Stone’s article “Italian Cotton-Growers in Arkansas” and Booker T. Washington’s admonishment in his letter agreeing to work with Stone were yet to come. Du Bois and Washington’s letters were dated April 13 and 19, 1907, respectively. 11 SEVERE AND DISCRIMINATING CRITICISM Alfred Holt Stone’s appointment as division head for the Carnegie Institution brought him attention, funding, and requests for his work. Stone was becoming well known as a racial theorist, and he wanted to take advantage of his standing. “During the past few weeks I have received a number of inquiries for copies of various papers of mine,—none of which I can supply,” Stone wrote to Willcox in early December 1906 from his A Street address in Washington. “Since leaving you the other night,” he continued, “the idea occurred to me that it might not be a bad scheme to bring these papers together in the shape of a small volume,—provided I could find a publisher. I wish you would tell me frankly what you think of this suggestion. It seems to me that I might at least thus secure what I would very greatly value,—some severe and discriminating criticism.”1 Stone did not think that pulling together some of his papers for a new book would interfere with the one he was obligated to write for the Carnegie Institution. “This scheme would mean no delay in my other book,” he wrote. “The matter is practically all in print, and could be easily assembled. I could have it indexed at small cost, and without drawing upon my own time. The criticism which I might get would be useful to me in my present work,” he added. Stone had the papers he wanted to publish in mind, and he listed ten of them for Willcox. His plan was to reprint the papers exactly as they appeared when he initially offered them to the public. “My purpose would be to give PORTRAIT OF A SCIENTIFIC RACIST 186 2. True to his word, Stone added a footnote to the paper when it appeared as a chapter in Studies in the American Race Problem. “Writing to-day, 1908, it would be necessary to modify this statement somewhat—certainly for some parts of this territory,” he noted in reference to the sentence, “Yet there is no more feeling of fear on the white man’s part whether for himself or his children, than in the days of slavery,” in the text (91). 3. Willcox to Stone, December 5, 1906, WFWP. 4. Stone to Willcox from Washington, DC, December 8, 1906, WFWP. 5. Willcox to Stone, December 10, 1906, WFWP. the date at which each of the papers was written,” he wrote, “explaining that each represented my views at that time, or described then existing conditions . For example, I would not re-write any part of the paper on the negro in the Delta,—though I would state that I could not give the same description of conditions there, particularly as regards to race relations.”2 However, Stone was still struggling with the title, and “The Negro and the Race Problem: Miscellaneous Papers” was the best he could come up with. Willcox liked the idea of the book, but not the title. “I am heartily in favor of your suggestion to bring together and publish at once your papers dealing with the negro question,” he replied. “I cannot see how the publication of such a book could affect unfavorably the book you are now working upon, unless indeed you are planning to incorporate in that [the book for the Carnegie Institution] large fragments from your papers already published.” As far as the title was concerned, “How would ‘Negroes and Whites in the South Since the War—Addresses and Studies’ do?”3 Encouraged by Willcox’s response, Stone thought that it might be a good idea to have Willcox write an introduction for the new book. However, he did not think much of Willcox’s suggestion for a title. “What do you think of this?” Stone asked: “‘The Mulatto Factor in the Race Problem: And Other Papers.’”4 Willcox readily agreed to write an introduction, but he passed up the opportunity to suggest another title, probably because...