The Tupelo journal., 1903-03-06
Roosevelt is Panied.
At This Outcry From Southern
People.
Originated In New York.

1 AViAO"iHS lO1tcT lTOIu L TtSlu0Ut
Roosevelt to the editor of the
Constitution Is reply TO request
for an expression concerning the
recent letter from Harry Still.
we'll Edwards of Macon, in which
Mr.. Edwards made "a state me n
of the Presidents position i n
the matter of Federal appoint
ments in the South, holding
that the president had been mis-
understood. The president writes:
white House, Washington,
Feb. "a, "Hon. Clark Howell
Editor Of the Constitution, Atlanta,
Ca,
"Dear Mr.. Howell-As to Fed.
real appointments in the South,
frankly, it seems to me that my
appointments speak for them
selves and that my policy is self
explanatory. SO far from feeling
that they need the slightest apology
of justification, my position is
that on the strength of what
have done | have the right to
claim the support of al good citi-
zens. who wish not only high
standard of Federal service, bnt
fair and equitable dealing to The
South as we'll as to the North, and
a policy of consis cut justice and
good will toward all men.
COLOR No BAR.
'1n making appointments | have
sought to consider the feelings of
the people OF each locality SO far
as | could consistently do so with
out sacrificing principle, The
prime tests l have applied have
been those of character, fitness
and ability, aud when | have been
dissatisfied with what has been
offered within my own party lines
[ have without hesitation gone to
the opposite party, and you are,
of course, aware that | have re-
peatedIy done this in your own
State OF Georgia. certainly can
not treat mere color as a perma-
nent bar to holding office, any
more than / could so treat creed
or birthplace-always provided
that in other respects the applicant
or incumbent is a worthy and we'll
behaved American citizen. Just
as little will | treat it as confer
ring right to hold office. 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 safer for everybody if we
act on the motto, All men up
rather than on that of Some mem
down.
NEW YORK POLITICS.
"Thls is true of your own State;
and by applying to Thomas Mel
son Page of Virginia to Gen. Basil
Duke of Kentucky, to George
Crawford of Tennessee, TO John
McInhenny.,of Mississippi, to Judge
Jones of Alabama. and Edgar S.
Wilson of Mississippi, all of them
Democrats and all of them men
of the highest standing in their re
spective communities, yon will
find that what | have done in
Georgia stands not as the excep-
tlon, but as the rule for what |
have done throughout the Soutl
| have good reason to believe that
my appointees in the different
States mentloned-a and as the sum
of the parts il the whole, neces-
sarily in the South at large-re.
present not merely an improve
ment 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. | may
add that the proportion of colored
men among these new appointees is
only about one in a hundred.
''In view Of all these facts |
have been surprised, and some
what panied, at what seems to mo
the incomprehensible outcry
in the South about my actions
an outcry apparently started in
New York for reasons wholly un-
Connected with the question nomi.
nally at issue. | am concerned at
the attitude thus taken by so many
ofthe southern people; bat | am
not in the lest angry !; and still less
will this attitude haye the effect
of making me swerve one hairs
breadth, to one side or the other,
from the course | have marked
out-the course l have consistent
ly followed in the past and shall
consistently follow in the future.
With regards. Sincerely yours.
"1HEoDRE RooREoELT''