Staunton spectator and vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1896-1916, 1902-11-21
Entered atthe Postottce at StGunton
Va. ,assecond class mail matter.
ROOSEVELT AND THE NEGRO.

ROOSEVELT AND THE he6kU.
Our bantam President is again ap-
preaching the negro question. Ii there
Is anything he knows absolutely
nothing about it is the negro question,
but he thinks he does. Our bantam
President has a way of thinking ne
knows equally as much as he knows,
IL not little more. Some heads have
gone off in Alabama because the for
mer owners of those heads were under
taking to GUST the negro from the Re
publican party in that State and build
up a white party. A white party does
not suit our little president. He took
dinner with Booker L. Washington
some time ago and he has actually
gone into exstacies over the negro ever
since. He is determined to throw
little color into Southern politics and
he is welcome to 1t. Nobody envles
him that pleasure who votes the Dem
ocratic ticket anywhere In these United
States. Nothing holds white men 30
close together in the South rs an at
tempt to place negroes in positions
over them. 1t Is of course humiliating
to those Office holders who have been
booted out of their positions because
they chose to have views on the negro
question different from those Of our
little president, that their places have
been filled with Gold Democrats. We
will guarantee that the Gold Demo-
Gratis will fill the bill for our bantam
President, if they can only find out
what be wants. The Gold Democrats
of Alabama, we take it. If they resem-
BILE those of this section, will accept
any Office rendered and out Herod
Herod in their efforts to be up to date
In all that makes Republicanism glo-
rious to the heeler. the time server,
the turncoat and the spokesman, and
odious to the rest Of mankind.
Another phase Of the Alabama stu
alton which gives pleasure to the de-
cent people Of the South is that our
bantam President will not ask any OF
the white politicians Of Alabama to
endorse the applicants for office, but
will appoint only such as shall be en-
dorsed by bis friend and chum Booker
Washington.
There is more In the rising storm
than most people are prepared to ad-
NIT. An attempt to do what no other
President has done Is about to be con-
summated. The attempt will disclose
less judgment and good sense than
have ever yet been attributed to the
President, but there is before the peo-
pie of the Southern States new con-
dition. Negroes are to be appointed
to Office In many localities, and are to
be appointed in the hope that some OF
them will be killed or roughly handled.
Nothing would give the bantam Pres
ident more real enthusiasm than to
send to Congress a message advising
that body of the sudden taking off OF
one or more of his trusted officers
whose color was against him. All this
the bantam President would gladly
bring about. 1t would add zest and
strenuousness to his official existence
and enable him to cut a few capers
and do few stunts be has not yet at.
tempted. But those poor officers in
Alabama who have lost their heads,
and whose places have been filled by
Gold Democrats endorsed by Booker
T. Washington, are objects OF pity
sure enough. How mean and con.
temptible they must feel, in what alb
florence they must hold themselves.
AS underserving and as measly as some
Of our federal Office holders in Virginia
are, we should genuinely sympathize
with them II their places were ever
filled by Gold Democrats endorsed by
Booker T. Washington. In our most
spleenful moments, just when some
new political outrage had heen rubbed
under our very nose, we could not see
such humiliation visited on any federal
officer Of our acquaintance no matter
how distasteful personally he would be
to US, nor how undeservedly he holds
his position, and not heave a sigh.
Such humiliation would be worse than
death.