Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1903-01-29
Roosevelt misguided"

PRESIDENT southern pollcy, as iuul-
Gated in the appointment of DR.. Will
liam D Crum as collector Of the port
of Charleston against the protests of
the people of Charleston. Mr.. Hey
ward is conservative Southern busi-
ness man. he employs many negroes,
many on his plantations being the de-
scendants of his fathers and grand
fathers slaves. He said:
II think President Roosevelt has
made mistake that will shake the
faith of many people, North and South,
in his wisdom and Judgment. Mis-
guided, and viewing the situation from
but one side, he has done much to dis
turb that good feeling and faith in
Justice that President Mckinley
caused to spring in Southern hearts.
Was not the Southern policy Of the
martyrsd President good enough to
continue
"Mr. Roosevelt thinks we are pref
udiced against the negro, and to cure
us he adopts the expedient of making
him more obnoxious. To heal antag-
onism between men, parties or races
he would increase the irritation. To
encourage the negro to attain scholar
ship and wealth he would raise him
to responsible places above the whites
the whites OF the South who have
in their poverty taxed themselves to
give the negro some education who,
other things being equal, give en-
ployment to the negro in preference
to the whites.
"The white people of South Carroll
ma are today educating more negroes
than white children in the common
schools. The negroes are cared for IN
almshouses, hospitals aud asylums,
and in all this State not one who Is
willing to work is out of employment.
None dies from want. Every oppor-
tunity for material, moral and intel
lectual advancement that the negro
has had has been given him by the
whites of the South.
1--WE of the South do not hate ne
groes. We have, as people, Infinite
ly kindlier feelings for negroes among
us than is entertained by the whites
in the Northern and Western States
for the negro who lives among them.
But we are opposed, strenuously op'
posed, to our wards, but one genera
ton removed from bondage, and with
the masses little, if at all, improved
in morals, being given the same rating
with us in the national Governments
books.
"In view of all the circumstances
where such an appointment is made
as that of DR.. Crum we are forced to
ask ourselves whether the President
is sincere in a desire to uplift the ne
gro by this method, or is, perhaps, I'M
consciously Influenced by a prevailing
Northern antagonism to the South
an an:agonism unmodifed even when
the conquered South, devastated, was
preyed upon by the thieving alien
and the benighted black.
"Are our wishes opposed, our feel
ings disregarded, our prejudices ig-
nored because we fought and were
fought by the Presidents party 40
years ago2
"When will our opponents let the
war end2 We will never accept their
view of the negro from a distance !;
nor can we be 90 hard upon the negro
as is the man from Massachusetts,,
Ohio or Maine when be comes TO live
in the South. We are not opposed to
the negro holding ofice-in communi-
ties where he represents the people.
the people who vote, who do business,
who pay taxes. If it is good to en-
courage the negro, to give him ambi-
tion by putting him in high official
places, let those who think so make
room for him. Give him a chance in
indianapolis, Boston and Pittsburg.
1--WE of the South know that ne
gro would not be appointed to such
an Office in a Northern State against
the protests Of the people. We know
that, despite the large negro popula-
ton of Cuba, with negroes Of higher
degree of intelligence and higher
standing than the negroes Of this
country, a negro consul-geDersl would
not be sent there. Why2 The Gu
ban whites would object, and while
they have none Of our strong reasons
for prejudice their views are respected.
For the same reason negroes are not
sent in diplomatic or consular capaci-
ties to Central or South American
Governments.
"The South and Liberia seem to be
the only fields which the Administrs-