The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1901-10-25

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disapproval. On the other hand, if
this is the initial of an attempt to
equalize the two classes, then it be-
hooves the people of the whole coun-
try, and more especially the South,
to rise up in their might and denounce
the act as outrageous and one that
is calculated to work vast harm to
the most promising section of this
country.
To understand this intelligently, a
short glance into Mr. Roosevelt's
past history is necessary. 1t will be
remembered that in the Presidential
campaign of 1900, our present Chief
Executive was the official mouth
piece of the National Republican
Committee, and in a number of
speeches, expressed his admiration
for the colored race. When called to
account for this, he only made the
matter worse by proudly Boosting
that his children had attended
the same school along with negro
children. The effect was almost i'm
mediate and many voters, who were
in sympathy with his fnancialviews
turned unhesitatingly to Bryan, fear
ing that the success ofthe Republican
party meant the leveling of the
standard of caste between the white
man and the negro. Some of the
more willy Republican leaders, seeing
that the arguments of the vice-Presi-
Observation-Disclosures harm,
attempted to assuage the fears of
the Southern people by saying that
he did not represent the feelings of
Mr.. Mckinley on this important
subject and that he was only the
second fiddle" as Mr. Mckinley was
the man who would be President.
This had the desired effect upon many
of the voters as they were already
aware of the fact that our martyred
President had done more to eliminate
war issues than any Chief Executive
since Lincoln. Little did they dream
that an assasin's bullet would make
the cratic subject of their criticism
the Chief Ruler of our Country in less
than six months after the Inaugural
ton. When this lamentable state of
affairs came about, the country held
it's breath to see what the creation
of Fate would do when he up took the
official reins. His few words on the
day of his solemn elevation into
Office relieved the strain, and one and
all drew a deep breath of relief when
the assurance was given that Mr..
McKinley's we'll marked course
would be pursued. One of the new
Presidents first acts was the appoint
ment of a Southern man to an I'M
portant position, and the united
press of the country expressed the
feelings of the populace that Mr.. Nc
Kinley's wishes to let the bitter
strife, occasioned by the Civil war, be-
come forgotten as soon as possible,
were being observed and strictly
carried out. Many journals pointed
with pride to this magnanimous act
as the rising of the promised star of
peace which would mark the blotting
out of the bitter past. Like a thunder
bolt from aclear sky, however, comes
the awakening to the true situation.
Ithas been argued by some that Mr..
Roosevelt's action in entertaining
Washington was at the most mat
ter of personal taste. We beg, how
ever, to differ from them. The social
life of President is as much a mat
ter of public property as his official
acts. As much ofthe social structure
of our government hinges on this as
on everyday official routine. When
a man aspires to this prominence he
voluntarily forsakes for the time be-
ing, the privileges of private life and
becomes in fact the servant of the
people, whose every action is the
legitimate subject for criticism.
Roosevelt, the man, may entertain
such guests as his tastes may dictate,
but Roosevelt, the President, cannot
expect to escape criticism ifhe allows
his personal inclinations to bring into
his household, as his equal, persons
whose color or regulations are
offensive to many of the country's
best citizens. Admiral Cervera was
a gentleman for whom the whole
United States felt sorry yet, after his
defeat at Santiago, had Mr.. McKin.
lev dared to have entertained him at
the White House, as his guest, a howl
of indignation would have gone up
from the whole country. So Booker
T. Washington deserves unstinted
praise for the noble work he has done
in uplifting his race, but social con-
ditions do not warrant the negro
being made the equalofthewhite man.
Thus it can be seen that each day
furnishes unmistakable evidence that
the Republican party is striving by
continued efforts to make the negro
the social equal ofthe white man, and
Mr.. Roosevelt, by his act, shows
that, as the head of the organization
which brought him into power, he
sees the Importance also of making
the negro feel that his partyis labor
ing for his social advancement until
the level of the white white man is
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