The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1903-02-03
TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 8. 1908
ROOSEVELT AND M'KINLEY--A
CONTRAST.

In the Sunday Times-Dispatch x. John
& Temple Graves brought tho race Issue
= fairly and squarely TO the attention of
President Roosevelt We hope the Pres
itent will. read the article and take it
to heart. II he were capable Of taking
gndvice he would mend his ways and not
attempt to apply an impracticable theory
Ito q practical condition. No statesman
+ does such a thing. No statesman makes
4 such blunders as Mr.. Roosevelt has made
In this matter. No statesman attempts the
impossible That is the difference be-
tween Roosevelt and Mckinley. NTcIiin-
ley was conscientious and kind. and he
/ undertook to discharge his duty to the
whole people. But he did not attempt to
put absurd theories into practice. He did
not fly in the face OF the laws Of nature.
He did not defy the sentiment and tradi-
ftions of n whole section OF the people
and set their teeth on edge.
But, says Mr.. Roosevelt, Mckinley up
pointed more negroes to Office In the
South than ! have done. That may sbe;
we do not know. The fact is we heard
very little about these appointments at
the time. for they were made in such q
discreet way that the whites were not
offended. Mckinley did not, so far as We
know, appoint negroes to office in cases
where there was serious objection on the
part OF the whites There was no such
case as the "Indtanola incident" or the
"Crum appointment In NIckinley's ad-
ministration, so far as we can remember.
There was certainly no Booker Wash
!ngton Incident and that was the be-
ginning OF Mr.. Roosevelt's troubles. He
Invited a negro to dine with him, and
from that time the people Of the South
began to watch him closely. Since then
he has forced negro appointments in de-
fiance of the whites, and he has, to all
lntents and purposes. proclaimed that he
purposes to recognize the negro both po-
atically and socially. He has come very
near saying in word and act that he will
mot draw the color line anywhere; that
he will take no note of the color OF a
mans skin in making official appointments
or In issuing invitations to social func-
lions at the White House.
There is no use In arguing the Ques-
ton If that is Mr. Roosevelt's idea and
& II he believes it to be his duty to carry
III into practice, he must go his own way
But he should have sense enough to know
that it is a revolutionary idea and he
should have sense enough to see that he
3 Is making trouble for himself-putting
nischievous notions into the head of the
black man and making race antaGonism
thereby so much the worse.
Has the President read the account Of
the negro meeting III Washington the
other night? Has he read the speech Of
James II. Hayes? Has he been Informed
that the mention Of his name awakened
great enthusiasm and has he been told
that one of the negroes present talked
about the return uf.ier his administration
of the palmy days OF reconstruction? Has
he read the comments of newspapers In
oil partssef the country on Hayes speech,
ana has he heard Of the protest from
& conservative negroes in Virginia, who
know how much that sort of thing Is In
jurlng them? II not. he should inform
himself, and If he still persists in his
revolutionary course. let him not be sur
prised and shocked If the revolution which
he provokes and invites shall come by
and BY