Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1903-03-02
THE COLOR LINE
Will Not Be Drawn in Pres.
Roosevelt Appointments.
Straightforward and Plainly Worded
Letter to Atlanta Constitution.
President Will Continue to Follow Plan
Regardless of Talk.

Atlanta. Ca, March 1.-Following
are extracts from a letter from Presi-
dent Roosevelt to Clarke Howell, ed
itor of the Constitution, in reply to a
request for an exposition concerning a
recent letter from Harry Stillwell Ed
words of Macon, with reference to the
matter of federal appointments in the
South:
I'm making appointment I have
sought to consider the feelings of the
people of each territory SO far as 1
could consistently do so without sacri-
ficing principle. The prime tests have
applied have been those of character,
fitness and ability, and when 1 have
been dissatisfied with what has been
offered me in my own party lines I
have without hesitation gone to the OPP
Dosite party-and you are of course
aware that l have repeatedly done this
in your own state of Georgia. l GER
tainly cannot treat mere color as bar
to holding Office any more than l could
so treat creed or birthplace-always
providing that in other respects the APP
plicant or incumbent is a worthy and
Well-behaved American citizen. Just
as little will l treat it as comforting
right to hold office. l ask you to judge
not by what / say but by what during
the last II months 1 have actually done.
In South Carolina l have appointed
white postmaster to succeed a cOlored
postmaster. Again in South Carolina
/ nave nominated q colored man to fill
Il vacancy in the position of collector
of port of Charleston, just as in Geor-
gia | have re-appointed the colored
man who is now serving as coored
collector of the port of Savannah. Both
are fit men. Why he appointment of
one should cause any more excitement
than the appointment of the other [
am wholly at a loss to imagine. AS l
am writing to q man of keen and
trained intelligence | need hardly say
that to connect either of these appoint
rnents or any or all my other appoint
ments or my actions in UNFOLDING the
law at Indianola with such questions
as social equality and negro domina-
ton is as absurd as to connect them
with the nebular hypothesis or the the
DRY of atoms. / have consulted freely
with your own senators and congress-
men as to the character and capacity
of any appointee in Georgia concerning
whom there was aqueStiOn. My party
advisers in the state have been Maj.
Hanson of Macon, Mr.. Walter Johnson
of Atlanta-both of them ex-Confeder-
ate soldiers-and Mr.. Harry Stillwell
Edwards also of Macon. A large per-
centage of the incumbents of federal
offices in Georgia under me are, as /
understand it, of your own political
faith.
This is true of your own states; and
by,app4ying ste-==Mf.=~-T hsfaas-~Nelson
Page of Virginia, to Gen. Basil Duke of
Kentucky, TO Mr.. George Crawford OF
Tennessee. to Mr.. John Mc1lhenny of
Louisiana. to Judge Jones of Alabama,
and Mr.. Edgar S. Wilson of MISSISSIPPI
pi, all of them Democrats and all of
them men of the highest standing in
their respective communities, you Will
find that what | have Gone in Georgia
stands not as the exception but as the
rule for what l have done throughout
THE South. | may add that the proper
tor of colored men among the new APP
pointees is only about one in hum
-tlred.
I'm view of all these facts l have
been surprised and somewhat panied at
twhat seems to be the incomprehensible
.outcry in the South about my actions-
IAN outcrv apparently started in New
York for reasons wholly uncOnnected
with the question nominally at issue
l am concerned at the attitude thus
taken by so many of the Southern peo-
pie: hut l 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 in the
course l have marked out-the course
/ have consistently followed in the past
and shall consistently follow in the flu
ture.'