The Appeal. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. ;) 1889-19??, 1902-11-29
.R00sE Vel | 4 MANI
THE PRE- slDENT MAKES
CLEAR HIS ATTITUDE.
In Reply to SRemonsfrances A.ainst1
Appointment Of DR.. Crum, He
Says He bat Places =: Pre-
s...r. Effort.

sent the following communication to a.
prominent citizen Of Charleston. s.. c.:
Pa Personal: White House Washington,
Nov 20, 19O2.-My Dear Sir: am in
receipt of your letter of November 10
and OF one from Mr.. 49, -, under date Of
November II, In reference to the appoint
ment OF DR. Crum as collector of the
port of Charleston. @s s5i5S8 5S $3.50
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-f
titled to the utmost consideration from
me and | shall go over them carefully
before taking any action. After making
these charges you add, as "a further reason
for opposition to him, that he is colored
man, and after reciting the rnisdeeds that
domination in South Carolina, you say
that ...s, a. IS :yz
awe Have Sworn 81 IS
never again to submit to the rule of the
African, and such an appointment as that
Of DR.. Crum to any such Office forces us
to protest unanimously against this in.
suit to the white bloods," and you add
that You understood me to say that i
would never force a negro on such a
community as yours. "a e "a
:. Mr.. --- puts the objection of color
first, saying that. first. he is a colored
man, and that of itself ought to bar
! him from the Office. In view of these last
statements I think I ought to make clear
to you why I am concerned and panied
by your making them and what my at
tltude is as regards all such appoint
ments. @. .#
II How any one could have gained the
idea that had said would not appoint
reputable and upright colored men to Of
flee, when objection was made to them
solely on account Of their color, I con-
fess. I am wholly unable TO understand.
At the time of my visit to Charleston
last Spring had made and since that
time have made a number Of such ape
pointments from several states in which
/ there is a considerable colored popula-s
ton 49, ,-.2sl%
For example, I made one such appoint
ment in Mississippi, and another In Ala
bama. shortly before my visit to Charles.
ton. l had at that time appointed two
colored men as judicial magistrates in
theSDistrict of Colunn bia. I have recently
announced another such appointment for
New Orleans and have just made one from
Pennsylvania. - "
~ $- me Great Majority < ~
of my appointments in every state have
been of white men. North and Soutl,
alike, it has been my sedulous endeavor
to appoint only men Of high character
and good capacity, whether white or
black. But it has been my consistent
policy in every state where their num-
bers warranted it to recognize colored
men of good repute and standing in maxi
ing appointments to office. :~ ~ &
These appointments of colored men have
in state made more than a small pro-
portion OF the total number Of appoint
ments. | am unable to see how l can
legitimately be asked to make an excep-
ton for South Carolina. In South Caro-
lima. to the four most Important posi-
lions in the state, I have appointed three
men and continued in Office fourth, all
of them white men-three of them orig
inally gold Democrats-two of them as
soldiers. l have been informed by the
orrizc.:. a wi1u.ii. / ;lsE7e met
that these four men represent q high
grade of public service. Ssa4 r 4,
do not intend to appoint any unfit
men to Office. So far as I legitimately
can, shall always endeavor to pay re-
gard to the, wishes and feelings of the
people of each locality but L. cannot
consent to take the position shat the
door of hope-thes door of opportunity
is to be shutsupon$ any man. no matter
how worthy, purely upon the grou I. /;
! race or color. Such an attitude would,
according to my convictions. be 3
fundamentally Wrong.
H. as you hold the great bulk Of the
colored people are not yet fit; In point
of character and influence to hold such
positions, It seems to me that 1t !s worth
while putting a premium upon the effort
among them to achieve the character and
standing that Will fit then. s:s.z 4: .[s s3
The question of negro domination" does
not enter into the matter at all. It might
as we'll be asserted that When IS was
governor Of New York / sought to bring
about negro gdopina .lon in & that stateibe-
cause | appointed two colored men Of
good character and standing to RESPONSE
Bile positions-one or them to a position
| paying "a, salary twice as large as the
pay in the Office now under consideration
-0ne Of them as director Of the Buffalo
exposition. The question raised by Mr.
- the .st tenents ito which Iirefer
| is simply whether it is to be declared
that under no circumstances shall any
man Of color, no matter how upright and
honest. no matter how good citizen, no
natter how fair in his dealings with his
fellows, be permitted to hold any Office
under our government.
/ certainly cannot assume such an at
t.tude land you must permit me 20 SAY
that In nay view it is an attitude 40 man
should assume, whether it Is from the
standpoint a.of the true lint crest of the
white man of the South or Of the colored
| man of the South-not to speak Of
! Any other Section
af the Union. It seems to me that it is
Ia GOOD thing from every standb6ittt Is
let the cOlored man know that IL h.
shows In marked degree the qualities OF
good citizenship, the qualities i'll a, Wkite
I man we feel are 5entitled to reward, then
he Will not be cut off from all .hopeI sf
similar: reward. ss ID = = Il.
Without any regard as to what my de
cision may be on the merits of this par
ticular applicant for this particular place,
III feel that 7 ought to let you know clearly
my attitude on the far broader question
t5raised by You and MI. -------, an attitude
] fFon which j sba We, not varied dur Ing my
term Of Office. Faithfully yours, & ~
Theodore Roosevelt
Hon. - ------. Charleston, S. c.
iNSTITUTE NOTES,
/ The excavation for the foundation
Of the. Coils P. Huntington Memorial
Ibui1ding is nearly completed, and the
brick masons are preparing to work
on the foundation.
The landscape department is beau
tifying the school grounds They
Iare repairing roads and making side
walks: also arranging flower beds.
The hrick maSOTlS are now at work