The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1902-12-25
AS TO rlR. ROOSEVELT SINCERE.
TY.
Wilmington Messenger.

wilmington Messenger.
Mr.. Roosevelt, in his letter to cit
izen of Charleston, S. c.. regarding
the cOllectorship appointment refers
to his having appointed to office one
negro in Pennsylvania and two in
New York. This he mentions to
show that in making such appoint
ments he is not influenced in favor of
or against any locality. He wants
to create the impression that negroes
at the North stand as good chance
for appointment to office by him as
those of the SOuth-three out of the
many thousand negroes of education
and wealth in these two great States!
How about the States of Indiana
and Ohio where negroes are still more
numerous? Among all the colored
men in these States are there none
qualified to fill the position of post
master? If President Roosevelt is
sincere in his statement that it is his
consistent policy in every State,
where: their numbers warrant it, to
recognize colored men of good repute
and standing in making appoint
ments to office" why is it that these
two States are SO barren OF negro
officeholders? When we see cOlOred
pOstmasters waiting Oh ladies and
directing the work of ladies as clerks
and other employees in some of the
towns of Ohio and Indiana and some
other Northern States then we will
believe that Mr.. Roosevelt is not
talking simply forpolitical gain when
he says he will make no distinction
between the two sections of the
country in the matter of appoint
ment of negroes.
We do not believe Mr.. Roosevelt is
going to appoint any negro to office
at the North if he thinks it will
arouse serious opposition from the
white people of his own party; and
at the South he is going to appoint
only enough to keep the negro from
thinking that he has been entirely
cast off by the Republican party
The policy of his administration has
been to greatly reduce the number of
negro Otfice-holders in this section
A score or more pOstmasters of this
race have been supplanted by white
men. His conduct in this respect has
not been consistent with his declara-
ton ofpolicy inhis letter Between the
present time and the meeting of the
Republican national convention we
may look for an increase in the num-
Der OF negro Office=holders in the
South, but this will not be from a
fixed policy to recognize the negro to
that extent, but will be for the pur-
pose OF counteracting the effect of
the recent movement for the forma-
ton of white Republican party in
| this section and securing for himself
the support of the negro vote in that
convention. This course will not
prove the Presidents sincerity in his
declaration. Such a course i'm North
ern States would be of no aid to Mr..
Roosevelt in securing the nomina-
ton, for there the negroes have no
voice in the management of party
affairs. In fact, many appointments
OF this kind would ieopardize rather
than aid his cause. Therefore the
test OF his sincerity in declaring his
determination to give the negro
equal showing with the white man in
all appointive offices is his future
action as to appointments in those
Northern States where there are large
numbers OF negroes. His record in
the past has certainly been against
him.
The Presidents letter, it's publica-
ton at least by him, was entirely un-
called for. There was no reason for
1T from the standpoint of an act by
the Chief Executive of the land. Hi
record on the subject should have
been allowed to speak for him and he
should have considered that suffic-
, lent. 1t was not the act of the Pres.
ident, but of a candidate for the nom
nation for the presidency. This
matter smacks more of political
scheming than anything Mr.. Roose.
welt has done since his accession to
the presidency.