The county record. [volume] (Kingstree, S.C.) 1885-1975, 1902-12-04
PRESIDENT EXPLAINS
Writes a Letter Showing His Posi-
ton Regarding Negro Appointments.

ton Regarding Negro Appointments.
Washington. Special.-The President
has sent the following communications
to a prominent citizen Of Charleston
S. c.:
Personal.
white House. Washington, Nov. 70.
1902.
NV Dear Sir: | am in receipt OF
Eyour letter Of November 10 and OF one
! from Mr.. ---, under date of Novem-
Der II. in reference to the appointment
! Of DIR. Crum as collector of the port OF
/ Charleston. In your letter you make
| certain specific charges against DR..
fCrum. tending to show his unlitness in
several respects fo- the office sought.
| These charges are entitled to the ut
most consideration from me and shall
so over them carefully before taking
anv action. After making these charges
you add. as a further reason for OPPOSE
ton to them. that ne is q colored a
and after reciting the misdeeds that
followed carpet bag rule and negro
domination in South Carolina, you say
that we have sworn never again 10
| submit, to the rule OF the African and
| such an appointment as that OF Or.
| Crum to. any such office forces us to
protest unanimously against this insult
to the white blood, and you add that
you understood me to say that would
never force a negro on such a commu-
nifty as. yours.
"Mr. - puts the objection of color
first. saying: First, he is a colored
man and that of itself ought TO bar him
from the office In view of these last
statements | think l ought 10 make
clear to; you why | am concerned and
paiped by your making them and what
my attitude is as regards all such ap-
pointments. How any one could have
gained the idea that had said would
not. appoint reputable and upright col
cred men to office when objection was
made to them, solely on account OF
their color I.confess | am wholly IN
able to understand. At the time Of my
visit TO Charleston last spring | hal
made, and since that time have made.
a number of such appointments from
several States in which there is a cen
siderable co!o:ed population. For ex-
.mpue. / made one such appointment in
Mississippi and another in Alabama.
shortly before my visit to Charleston. |
had at that time appointed two colored
men as judicial magistrates in lne Dis
trict of Columbia. have recently an
bounced another such appointment for
New Orleans, and have just made enc
from Pennsylvania. The great majority
of my appointments in every State
have been of white men. North and
South alike, it has been my sedulous
endeavor to appoint only men of high
character and good capacity, whether
white or black. But it has been my
consistent policy in every. State where
their numbers Warranted it to recog-
nize colofed men of good repute and
standing in making appointments to
office These appointments of colored
men have in 10 State made more than
a small proportion of appointments. /
an unable 10 see how ] can legitimate
iy be asked to make any exception for
South Carolina. In South Carolina to
the four most important positions in
the State | have appointed three men
and continued in office a fourth, all
.. them white men-three of them orig
lnaIly gold DemocratS-tWo OF them, as
am Informed. the son OF Confederate
soldiers. have been informed by the
citizens OF Charleston whom / have
met that these four men represent a
high grade of public service.
Il do not intend to. appoint any unfit
Men 20 office. So far as | legitimatelv
can. | shall always endeavor to pay re-
gard to the wishes and feelings OF the
people of each locality, but | cannot
consent to take the position that the
door o. hcps-that the door of oppor-
~tGnity-is 10 be shut upon any man. &c
matter nov worthy, purely upon the
grounds of race or color. Such an atti-
tuce would. according to my convic-
tons. be fundamentally wrong. If, as
You hold. the great bulk of the colored
people are not yet fit in point of char
a"ter and influence to hold such posi-
tons. II seems 10 ME that it is worth
while putting a premium upon the CT
fort among them to achieve the char
acter and standing which will fit them
The question OF negro domination
does not enter into the matter at all.
1t might as well be asserted that when
| was Governor Of New York | sought
TO bring about negro domination in
that State because | appointed two COL
o.2G men Of good standing and char
attel to responsible position-one OF
them 10 a position paying a salary
twice as large as that paid in the Office
new under consideration-one Of them
a director Of the Buffalo Exposition.
The question raised by you and Mr..
- in the statements to which | refer,
IS simply whether it is to be declared
rnat under no circumstances shall a
man Of color, no matter how upright