The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1902-12-06
THE NEGRO IN Politics.
Southern Opposition Frankly and Phiio.
sOphlcaiiy Explained.
From the Neu Orlscn. Times Demo,

| place the Col,ectorship OF the Port at Charles
| ton. 4. C.l. feel thut ! ought TO let YOU know
clearly my attitude on the far broader CUES
| ton raised by you and Mr. $780,. an att
| from which have not varied during my term
| OF office" writes Mr Roosevelt in concluding
| a letter recently addressed to n South Caro-
| linian regarding the appointment OF negroes
| to important Federal Offices Ia the southern
States
The "far-broader question" which had been
raised nv the South Carolinian was whether
| or not il is wise, under existing conditions.
to select for public ONCE In the south mem
| bers OF the African race men who. however
worthy they may be thought to be IN charac-
ter and In capacity. are yet not accep able TO
| the white people OF the Southern states. The
South Carolini.n answered the question EN-
phat!cally In the negative; with equal en-
phasis the President has answered II In the
| Affirmative and ans wered II in the AMIR NATIVE
for the reason that II seems TO him-to aho'e
his words-"thst II Is a good thing from every
standpoint to let the colored man know that
II he shows In marked degree the qualities OF
good citizenship qualities which. in
white man, we feel are entitled to reward -
then he will not be cut OIL from all hope oil
similar reward" Il cannot consent to 'ake
the position" says Mr.. Roosevelt, "tha' the
door OF hope--the door OF opportunity 10
be shut upon any man. no matter now "of'hS'
purely upon the grounds of race and color
Now. these words OF the Presidents are all
very well IN their way They state what ne
II pleased to call "a fundamental principe
and IT ate Il In broad and general terms IL
the subject was one that could De i"sarueu
only In abstract form, II might be 'ha' lew
persons would dissent from the proposuioh
he lays dos WI: but the subject Is one tha' 20
| far at least as the white people OF the south
| are concerned can never be cohsideIeu
| merely from the abstract viewpoint lhe
problem involved is concrete In every Ihhhs,r
and d risRteouaIy unless what might be called
"the sympathetic side OF the subject pe kep'
Here we have In the South two races almost
equal in number and living side by side; lhese
two races. a. every rejecting person kn4"in a.
t true that there are certain individual! blacks
who excel certain individual whites; ouo Is, -
a mere COMMONPLACE TO state that an Over
whelmng ma Jority OF the whites are superior
to an overwhelming majority OF thc , pa, ion
President end to Northern sentiment, we
present the case temps r rscs at t6s South
, il twofold Jpon the whites rests the re-
sponsibilty not only OF saieruhrdlinet , odt
by the blacks but also OF ennhlngthe African
race to improve It's condition We Itotsea.
that though throushout ne y ,ess shdated the
ne gro and Republican demaeogues nave ms
led him. the great majority OF risht-, VI VI :
. | white citizens at the South have slnceieIy y
and constantly tried really TO help the BLACK
man. 49,. ,,.,,a- Il,
whicb ivs,io, ia tempered with mercy In
almost every court at the South--irom the
iuryman who weighs evidence and ren :
ders Judgment To TIE Judge WHO passes -
, tenco Ne point to TIL consiterateness ici
intelligence Seldom 4 ever nus 10 nt,r III,
toward iSnGrsh ,S VIZ ire p paoSle of the sout
! always h.stow upon tie negro, We ROM
to the fact that the whites esll2e tnat "a, w.,
negro Is in tlcir power and und' rstano tnh'
cowardiae takes no meaner snap. than Wen
strength oppresses "akn"ss We POM !,
the scIGe The sosin las s ofe,ffuy
10 dispoltIe cloud oil ignorance and 90 "hhmml'
: to negro to have Is chapc ~ ~ w, N
. bel ween the " ties and blacks in the felC
, of labor relations that are far more hd ,,
tageous to the ba man ,"n are ' ~ ne moor,
Nov, orr lion ~ 80 10" ~
= Toward the negro the. southern white
0 Generous The result Of il all Is now know
to the world IN sIS OF ted s sn3ne' H
' IN clevatnc the negro race Habit OF NJ
du.,ry Thrift, and mG19 rS havT n,emb be r"
0 and OF sin in evcry southern state RENT a
thinking persons me comn'ts "n't 70 'e sSro,cl
around the margin OF this negro problem
The two races are yet separated o, r eu
M enua,itv in taste In intellect or in con
duct The Caucasian is TO-DAY. even a i.o ~
even as he always has been, l. still the inferior
3 The color line" Is drawn in every relation
o. No and drawn too by an hst %9si, ,be i SM
Tho two race, in Justice to the blacks e
. he whites and 70 civilization. must. need
leT tho pds rSpio % he ace and orc NTH
5 as VOL 20 out and attempt to rub me star
0 ont of the hrua'nen! as TO nor no r IN
Vow it may he said that civil reco cnitic,l
Of the ne rro a.. illustrated in nnrHinin'nt
v 70 important voderrl offices. has LITTLE VI any
thine to do With the social reco hNioh, u
CeH thGrT are s1y " nsc th na am Sn
one who ent.rtain- such view, little under
d stands the tenper and dispo.nion OF enme ,
9 race The eject OF such APPOINTMENTS hee'
. not be concealed They ar" alNav~ 'oliowe'
nv resent pnt on tn" part OF the whites an.
=" rlr "fh. b "nsi NO, aIwavs in the latte
n case b. the black appointce, hnt b' The blacl
rot oiGs not ET' dTsw i,nTG room
Zach l. a nisco Of public business The mo
rcnt these Offices are occurred BY nerro.s
a attraction for ne 'rocs in the commurity
6 The blacks instantly berin to IMAGINE tina
S tn" custom house or ro~' on,ce N Iarrc meas oSo
pretor ship carried TO dcliriuw ,anirrates tn
ne -rocs II Is rejected In their manner !
| public plACeS, IN 'llf -tl''iN INV
| per sons con rrPgpt" " tendSt 70 MAKE thei
. | oven more truCulent than they naturally are
=, | n disturbG tho peace OF the community, lead
y TO the violation Of law and costs the whites
' in the end, not little monev-not 10 spea
e ~ the humiliation they suN"r " retard
) the progress of both races " defeats hone
purposes l. spoils well-laia plans II make
/. the more dirNCuN and uo-tronc> the ,olutio
OF the race problem FconoWicalv u Is III
wise Ethically II cannot be JUSTIFIED
I g. prrsii,ut l. wrong Sly "roni
no doubt but ncvcrtl ole - wrong III
programme Is that Of man v o desires I
W, do the Tig I inc. but " o doesnt under
!. stand tie situation. Tie race problem Tia
y e,i.,s az the South and tie rae" nrohlci
that Mr. Roosevelt has evolved from Is lime
J. cons Ciousncas are by no means idcr'icr
l. T'ey are, indeed. TOTALLY and ev"rlstiugl
different TIE President takes only tel,
scorir Wow Of TO sru0tiou. What ne need
TO do Is TO EXAMINE l. 1T close range. II !
viii do hut that 10 will understand that q
W | problem IL one that may never be solved h
" | The dootrinairc's key II IN Y be solv, q onl
% | by men NO have gone round and round II NJ
'e | examined II from every POSSIBLE roiut
h | view. by men not Of sentimcntplfy but
y | common scnsc. by men o, site the pre-
lie | tests OF th,ir emotional fellow countrym.,
p | understand tie y ilosop,y Which teacl
Is that the greater things OF HE crowd the sma
~ | Ter out
!, Mr. Roosevelt 81 ould know that II Ia NJ
~ wise In i'm. In l. EFFORT TO reward the wort b
| black men Of the South, TO udopt n poll,
r. Which, In -Iite OF Is best Intentions vi
ID result only in puuis' INK TIE. WORTHY, WI Il