The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1902-10-31
scHINGTOy AND TIKI:
PRESIDENT.

There is still much talk ard specula-
ton as to how President Roosevelt
stands on the negro question. The
white republicans of the south try to
make it appear that ne favnrs casting
them out of the party in his section.
On the other hand the republicans of
the northern states. where the negro
voters hold the balance Of power, de-
clare that he is opposed to this move.
In this Connection the following letter
to the president from Booker Washing
ton. written just before he appointed
Hon T. J.. Jones as Judge of the fed
eral court in Alabama nearly a year
ago is interesting:
President Theodore Roosevelt.
Washington, D. c..
My Dear Mr.. President: 1 send you
the following Information through my
secretary. Mr.. Emmett J. Scott. whom
you can trust implicitly.
Judge Bruce, the Judge of the mid
die district of Alabama. jied yesterday.
There is going to be a very hard scram-
Die for this place. l saw Ex-Governor
I. G. n yesterday, as I promised,
and he is willing to accept the judgeship
OF the middle district IF Alabama. I
" III CsCI Nldl
he Is the proper man for the place. He
has until recently been president of the
Alabama state bar association. He is
Il gold democrat, and I3 a clean, pure
man in every respect. he stood I'D in
the constitutional convention and else
where for a fair election law. opposed
Iylching, and has been outspoken for
the education Of both races. He is
mead and shoulders above any of the
other persons who I tnink will apply
60 you for the position.
Il viii give you more detailed infor-
nation regarding other southern ap-
pointmentS when I see YOU which will
he within a few days.
Yours truly.
T. WASHINGTON.
P 81 do not believe that in all the
south o could select a better man
hrOu whom to emphasize your idea
OF the character Of a man to bold office
than YOU a do through Ex-Governor
Jones'"
1t must be borne in mind that Mr..
Jones is a democrat and an
of the state. Another peculiar fact is
that right recently the president an
pointed Mr.. Roulhac, a democrat. as
United States district attorney in the
same state against a republican incum-
bent He also was endorsed by Booker
Washington.
N Nr. Roosevelt succeeded to the
presidency he has cleaned cut nearly
al the negro ~postmasters in this state.
AT the beginning of his term there were
a good many negroes holding this office
In our state. Now there are Cnly two
or three. All the the have been sent
10 the penitentiary for einbezzlement
of government funds or been sunersad-
ed by white men.
whether President Roosevelt ap-
proves or disapproveS Of the Pritchard
movement in the souta-whether the
charge of Inconsistency IN this matter
is true or not. there is one thing which
seems to be perfectly plain. and that
IS that the negro. Booker T. Washing
ton seems to be his chief adviser and
most trusted assistant in the matter of
making appointments IT tie southern
states and also that Washington pre-
fers gold bug democrats to negroes
or white republicans WHEN It comes to
appointments to federal offices.
Mr.. Roosevelt, of course is playing a
game. He is after carrying the national
election this hall and getting control of
the republican presidential convention
An 1904 and he will use the negro in
which ever way he finds It TO his best
advantage for obtaining 5nese two
greatly desired ends.