Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1902-12-01
BY ROOSEVELT
DOOR OPENS
TO NEGRO
PRESIDENT TELLS SOUTH CAR
0LINA MAN THAT DOOR OF
OFFICE WILL NOT BE CLOS
ED TO NEGROES.

~ -
WASHINGTON, Nov 29-The president
has sent the following communication to a
prominent citizen of Charleston, S. c.:
Personal.
white House, Washington. Nov. 26, 1902.
Ny Dear Sir: 1 am in receipt of your let
ter of November 10th and of one from Mr..
-, under date OF November 18th in refer
ence to the appointment of DR.. Crum as
collector Of the port of Charleston.
''In your letter you make certain specific
charges against DR.. Crum, tending to
show his unfitness in several respects for
the Office sought. These charges are en-
titled to the utmost consideration from
me and shall go over them carefully be-
fore taking action. After making these
charges you add as a further reason for
opposition to him that he is a colored man,
and after reciting the misdeeds that fol-
lowed carpet bag rule and negro domina-
ton in South Carolina, you say that we
have sworn never again to submit to the
rule of the African, and such an appoint
ment as that Of Dr. 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 1 would never force a negro on such
a community as yours Mr.. - puts the
he is a colored man, and that of itself
ought to bar him from the office.
Roosevelt Is Panied.
'In view of these last statements I think
I ought to make clear to you why am
concerned and panied by your making
them and what my attitude is as regards
all such appointments. How any one could
have gained the idea that l had said
would not appoint reputable and upright
colored men to Office when objection was
made TO them solely on account OF the col
or, confess that I am wholly unable to
understand. At the time OF my visit to
Charleston last spring 1 had made, and
since that time 1 have made, number
of such appointments from several states
in which there is considerable colored
population. For example, 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
the District of Columbia. I have recently
announced another such appointment for
New Orleans, and have just made one for
Pennsylvania.
1.-The great majority of my appointments
in every state have been Of white men.
North and south alike, it has been my
endeavor to appoint only men of high
character and good capacity, whether
white or black. But 1t has been my con-
sistent policy in every state where their
numbers warrantedit to recognize colored
men of good repute and standing in max
ing appointments to office. These appoint
ments of colored men have in no state
made more than small proportion of the
total number of appointments.
Can Make No Exceptions.
Il am unable 10 see how ]. can legit-
imateIy be asked to make an exception
for South Carolina. In South Carolina
to the four most important positions in
the state, I have appointed three men
and continued in office a fourth, all OF
them white men-three of them original
ly gold Democrats-two of them, as am
informed, the sons of Confederate sol
diers. have been informed by the cit
liens of Charleston whom have met
that these four men represent a high
grade of public service.
IT do not intend to appoint any unfit
man to Office. So far as 1 legitimately
can shall always endeavor to pay re-
gard to the wishes and feelings of the
people OF each locality; but 1 cannot
consent to take the position that the
door of hope-the door of opportunity
is to be shut upon any man, no matter
how worthy. purely upon the grounds OF
race and color. Such an attitude would
according to my convictions be funda.
mentally wrong. IT, as you hold, the
great bulk of the colored people are no.
yet At in point of character and infiu-
ence to hold such positions, it seems tc
me that IL is worth while putting a pre-
MUM upon the effort among them tc
achieve the character and standing which
will fit them.
The question Of negro domination
does not enter into the matter at all. II
might as we'll be asserted that when
was governor of New York 1 sought ia
bring about negro domination in that
state because I appointed two colored men
Of good character and standing to re-
sponsible positions-one of them to a po-
sition paying a salary twice as large as
that paid In the office now under consider
ation-one of them as a director of the
Buffalo exposition.
Won't Bar Negroes.
1.-The question raised by you and Mr.
- in the statements to which refer
is simply whether 1t is to be considered
that>under no circumstances shall any
man Of color no matter how upright and
honest, no matter how good citizen, no
matter how fair in his dealings with all
his fellows. be permitted to hold any
Office under our government 1 certainly
cannot assume such an attitude and you
must permit me to say that in my view
ii is an attitude no man should assume
whether he LOOKS at it from the stand
point of the true interest of the white
man of the south or the colored mar
of the south-not to speak on any o,neI
section Of the union. 1t seems to me that
IL is a good thing from every standpoint
to let the colored man know that If he
SHOWS in marked degree the qualities OF
good citizenShiD-the qualities which in =