Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1902-11-28
Good oitissnship and Sterling Worth Are
Sole Considerations
DOMINATION OF BLACKS NOT AN ISSUE
Real Question is Whether Africans Have
Equal Rights
TROUBLE ARISES IN SOUTH CAROLINA
President Gives ColOred Man Post
which whites object 90 and Re-
ceive stin ReJoinder from
white House.

WASHINGTON, Nov. 27.--The president
has sent the following communication to
q citizen OF Charleston, S. c.
MY Dear Sir: ] in receipt of your
letter of November 10 and of one from
MIR. -, under date Of November IL, in
reference TO the appointment Of Dr. Crum
as collector of the port Of Charleston.
In your letter you make certain specific
charges against DR.. Crum, tending to show
his unhtness in several respects for the
Office sought. These charges are entitled
10 the utmost consideration from me and
] shall 90 over them carefully before taking
any action.
After making these charges you added
as q further reason for opposition TO him
that be is a colored man. and after re-
citing the misdeeds that followed carpetbag
rule and negro domination in South Caro-
lima, you say that we swore never again
10 submit to the rule of the African, and
such an appointment as that of Dr. Crum
TO any such office forces us to protest
unanimously against this insult to the
white blood, and you add that you un
derstood me to say that ] would never
force a negro on such community az
yours.
Objects TO COlOred Man.
Mr. puts the objection of color
first, saying he is a colored man, and
that of itself ought to bar him from the
Office In view of these last statements, ]
think ! ought to make clear to you why
] am concerned and pained by your making
them and what my attitude is as regards
all such appointments. How anyone could
have gained the idea that l had said !
would not appoint reputable and upright
colored men to Office when objection
solely on account of their color, ! confess
] am wholly unable TO understand. AT
the time OF my visit to Charleston last
spring ] had made, and since that time
have made a number Of such appointments
from several states in which there is a
considerable cOlored population. For ex-
ample, ] made one such appointment in
Mississippi and another in Alabama shortly
before my visit TO Charleston ! had st
that cline appointed two colored men az
Judicial magistrates in the District OF Co
lumbiR. ] have recently announced an
other such appointment for New Orleans
and have just made one from Pennsyl-
vania.
VIII Recognize Negroes.
THE great majority of my appointments
in every state have been of white men.
North and south alike, II has been my
endeavor TO appoint only men of high char
acter and good capacity, whether white
or black. But it has been my consistent
policy, in every state wherL their numbers
warranted II, TO recognize colored men OF
good repute and standing in making ap-
pointments TO ONCE. These appointments
of colored men have in no state made
more than q small proportion of the total
number OF appointments.
mately be asked to make an exception for
South Carolina. In South Carolina, to the
four most important positions in the state
have appointed three men and continued
in offce a fourth, all of them white men
three OF them originally gold democrats
two of them, as ! am informed. the sonb
Of confederate soldiers. have been in
formed by the citizens of Charleston whom
have met that these four men represent
q high grade of public service.
Il do not intend to appoint any unfit
man to ofhce. So far as ] legitimately can
{ shall always endeavor TO pay regard to
!he wishes and feelings of the people of
Bach locality, but cannot consent TO take
he position that the door of hope the
Ioor OF opportunity is to be shut on any
man. no matter how worthy, purely on
the grounds Of race or color Such an
attitude would, according to my convie-
tions be fundamentally wrong
III, as you hold, the great bulk OF the
iolored people are not nj in point OF char
Ieter and influence 20 hold positions II
Ieems 10 me that II is worth while putting
a premium the effort among them to
achieve the character and standing which
sill ht them.
Negro Domination Not I'm Question.
"The question OF negro domination does
iot enter into the matter al all. 1t might
as well be asserted that when ! was gov
rnor OF New York ] sought TO bring about
Iegro domination IN that state because I
appointed two colored men of good char
Ioter and standing TO responsible positions
me Of them TO position paying a salary
wice as large as that paid in the office now
Inder consideration, one of them as a
ureetor OF the Buffalo exposition.
The question raised by you in the
statements TO which / refer is simply
Fhether II is TO be declared that under
10 circumstances shall any man of color,
10 matter how upright and honest, no
natter how good a citizen, no matter how
air In his dealings with all his fellows
e permitted 10 hold any once under our
overnment-
Il certainly cannot assume such an at
ltude and you must permit me TO say that
my view II Is an attitude no mar
hould assume, whether he looks at Il frou
be standpoint OF the true interest Of the
Thite man Of the south OF the eulored man
the south not 20 speak Of any other sec
Ion OF the union.
1T seems TO me that II is a good thinE
rom every standpoint 10 let the colored
tRn know thar II he shows IN marked de-
ree the qualities Of good citizenship, the
ualities Of which in q white We feel art
ntitled TO reward then he viii not be
Ut on from all similar reward.
without any regard as 10 what my de-
lsion may be on the merits OF this par
soular applicant for this particular place
feel that ! ought 10 let you know clearl!
~ attitude on the far broader question
aissd by you, an attitude from which
ave not varied during my term Of once
hithfully yours.
THEODORE ROOSEVELT"