Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1902-11-28
TEDDY ON COLOR LINE
CONTINUED RON FIRST PAGE

think onsat 10 make clear 10 YOU why
am concerned and panied by your MAX
Eng them, and what my attitude is as re-
CARDS al such appointments. How any
one could have gained the !dea that I had
sa:i ! would not appoint reputable and
upright coio.ed men TO Office. when OBJ
3oci:oa was made TO them solely on nc
count OF their color, ] confess ] m,
wholly unable to-undeystaad AT the time
o. my visit 10 Charleston. last spring. /
llad made and since ysat time have
made number OK such appointments
from several States in which there is a
considerable coiored population. For ex-
ample ] made enc such appointment in
Mississippi, and another In Alabama.
shortly before my v!si; 10 Charleston. I
had al that time appointed two coiorcd
mon rs judicial magistrates III the Dis
5rict of Columbia. have recently an
nouncod another such appointment for
New orleans. and have just made one
from Pennsylvania. The great majority
of my appointments in every State have
been OF white men. North and South
alike. il has been my seGuious cndeayor
10 appoint only men of high character and
good capacity. whether white or black
But il has been nay consistent policy in
every State wne-e their numbers war
Tarte3 1t TO recognize colored men of GOOD
repute and standing in making appoint
ments 10 office. These appointments Of
Coiored men have in no State made more
than n small proportion OF the total mum
Der Of appointments. / am unable to see
now l can lesitimately be asked to make
an exception for South Carolina. IN
South Carolina. to the four most impor-
tent positions. l have appointed three men
and continued IN Office a fourth, ali Of
them white r?en-three OF them originally
gold DecnocTats-two Of them, as I am
Informed, the sons OF Confederate SOL
6isvs. / have been informed by the citi-
zcns OF Charleston. whom / have met
that these four men represent a high
grade Of public service 1 do not intend
10 appoint any unfit men to office. So
far as / legitimately can. I shall always
enGeavor to pay regard to the wishes and
feelings of the people of each locality
but / cannot consent TO take the posi-
ton that the door Of 7ope-the door Of OPP
portun.ty-is to be shut upon any man,
no matter how worthy, purely upon the
ground OF race or color Such an attitude
would, according to my convictions be
Fundamentally wrong II, as you hold
the great bulk OF the colored people are
not yet fit in point Of character and IN
luence to hold such positions, It seems
10 me that It is worth while putting
premium upon the effort among them 10
achieve the character and standing which
Will ht them.
Negro Domination.
The question of negro domination
does not enter into the matter at all. 1t
might as we'll be asserted that when
l was Governor Of New York l sought
to bring about negro domination in that
State because ] appointed two colored
men of good standing and character to
responsible positions-one of them TO
position paying a salary twice as large
as that paid in the Office now under con-
sideration-one of them a director of the
Buffalo Exposition. The question raised
by you and Mr.. in the statements
10 which / refer, is simply whether it is
TO be declared that under no circum-
stances shall any man of color no matter
how upright and honest. no matter how
good a citizen. no matter how fair in his
dealings with all his fellow-nen, shall be
permitted to hold office under our gov
eminent. ! certainly cannot assume such
an attitude. and YOU must permit me to
say that in my view it is an attitude
no man should assume. whether he looks
ut il from the standpoint of the true in
tcrcst Of the white man of the South, or
of the coIored man of the South-not to
speak of any other section Of the Union
1t seems TO me that it is a good thing
from every standpoint to let the coloreG
man know that If he shows in a marked
degree the qualities of good citizenship
The qualities which in white man we
feel we are entitled to rcward-tl1en he
viii not be cut off from all hope of SINH
lar reward.
Without any regard as to what my de
Cision may be on the merits Of the par
ticular applicant for this place, feel that
] ought to let you know clearly my al
titude on the far broader question raised
by YOU and Mr.. -: an attitude from
which l have not varied during my term
of office.
Faithfully yours.
.'THEODoRIal ROOSEVELT.
ITO Hon -= Cha Teston. S. C"