Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1903-03-03
PRESIDENT RESPONDS
States Defense As to His APP
pointments in South.
PANIED AT SOUTHERN ouTcRY.
Writes Frank Letter to Clark How.
ell, of AtIanta-DecIares He will Not
SWerve from Course Marked Out.
He is Not Angry.

Washington, March 2-The full text
of President Rooseyelt's Letter to
Clark Howell, editor of the Atlanta
Constitution, regarding southern ap-
pointments, an abstract of which was
published this morning, was made pub.
lie yesterday. In beginning his let
ter, which is dated Feb. "a, President
Roosevelt says:
MY Dear Mar Howell; In view of
the high opinion of the gentlemen you
mention and If the opportunity occurs,
l shall be glad to do anything l can
for him.
Nov, as to what you cay concern,
ing federal appointments in the south.
Frankly, it seems to me that my ap-
pointments speak for themselves, and
that my policy is self-explanatory. So
far from feeling that they need the
slightest apology or justification, my
position is that on the strength of
what l have done l have the right to
claim the support of all good citizens
who wish not only high standard of
federal service, but fair and equitable
dealing to the south as well as to the
north, and a policy of consistent JUS
tice and good will toward all men"
Further along, the president says:
81 have scant sympathy with the
mere doctrinaire, with the man of
mere theory who refuses to face facts:
but do you think that in the long run
it is safe for everybody, if we act on
the motto All men up rather than
that of Some men down.?
In your own state of Georgia you
are competent to judge from your own
experience. In the great bulk of the
cases l have reappointed President
McKinley's appointees. The changes
have made, such as that in the post.
mastership at Athens and in the sur.
veyOrship at Atlanta, were, as think
you will agree, changes for the bet.
ter and not for the worse. 1t hap
pens that in one of these offices I have
appointed white man to succeed a
colored man. In South Carolina
have similarly appointed a white post
master to succeed a colored postmas.
ter. Again, In South Carolina, | have
nominated a colored man to fill va
who is now serving as collector of the
port of Charleston, just as in Georgia
I have reappointed the colored man
who is now serving as collector of the
port of Savannah. Both are fit men.
Why the appointment Of one should
cause any more excitement than the
appointment of the other I am wholly
at a loss to imagine.
eff you know of any federal office.
holder in Georgia of whom this is not
true, pray let me know at once. will
welcome testimony from you or any
other reputable citizen which will tend
to Show that given public officer is
unworthy; and most emphaticaIIy
short will be the shrift of any one
whose lack of worth is proven"
Referring to the fact that a large
percentage of the incumbents of feder
al offices in Georgia are Democrats the
president says:
'But they are supported by me in
S'SAJ "@J oS ROAS dS UuSy continue
to render good and faithful service to
the public
Il have good reason to believe that
my appointees in the different states
mentioned-and as the sum of the
parts is the whole, necessarily in the
south at large-represent not merely
an Improvement upon those whose
places they took, but upon the whole
a higher standard of federal service
than has hitherto been attained in the
communities in question"
Il am not in the least angry. and
still less will this attitude have the
effect of making me swerve one hairs
breadth, to one side or the other from
the course I have marked out"