The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1903-05-11
LET THE SOUTH ALONE.

When President Roosevelt emerges
from the Yellowstone park he will
find the door Of opportunity open to
him for another pronunciamento on
the race question. Since he secluded
himself In the wilds discussion OF Il
has been actively renewed. The oc-
casion for this renewal was the sd-
dress of ex-President Cleveland at the
Booker washington meeting in this
city last week, In which he agreed
unreservedly with the stand nrst Ia
ken by the American" months ago.
when Mr.. Roosevelt, as q bidder for
colored delegates to the next nation
al Republican convention. set the
whole South aname
1t will not surprise the president
to learn that the Southern press en-
dorses MT. Cleveland's speech with
the same heartiness that Il has en-
dorsed the utterances OF this Journal
on the same subject.
But there is something else which
will give concern TO Mr.. Roosevelt,
because of its political significance.
Not a few Northern newspapers, clas-
sified as Democrats, which were for
time disposed TO support him in
forcing negro officials upon hostile
communities, have taken the back
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aware that the American" and not
they, spoke fol the Democratic senti-
ment OF the nation, and that silenced
them. The appearance of Mr.. Cleve-
land on the Americans" side has
emboldened them to fall into line.
And more: On entering the Yellow
stone the president already had had 1t
borne upon him that many Northern
Republicans regretted his attempt to
resurrect sectionalism. When he
comes out it will be to face the fact
that the number Of such Republicans
has greatly increased. The intelli-
gence Of his party knows that he has
made a mistake-and so does he.
Among the scores of speeches which
the president has yet to deliver be-
fore his tour shall END it is not un-
reasonable to expect that at least one
will be devoted to the race problem
at the South and his relation to it.
And this speech may well prove to
be novel as well as important Ev-
erybody knows in advance what Mr.
Roosevelt will say when his theme is
the tariff, or the trusts, or the duties
OF citizenship, or the army and navy,
or Cuba, or the Philippines. But this
is not the case when he has the race
question for his topic. On that he
has changed ground repeatedly, or
rather, at different times he has given
different reasons for doing the same
thing.
In November last, for example, he
declared that 1t is, and should be, my
consistent policy. where the numbers
warrant it, to recognize colored men
of good repute and standing in max
ing appointments to office
That is, where negroes are few and
the recognition of them would pro
duce neither trouble nor delegates,
they must not look for office, whereas.
where their numbers are large and
trouble follows II they are recognized.
there they will get office.
Thus spoke Mr.. Roosevelt frankly
as a politician.
But in March last. in his letter to
MIR. Clark Howell, editor of the Allan.
Ia Constitution, he said:
II can not treat mere color as
bar to holding office any more than I
could 80 treat creed or birthplace
always providing that in other re-
spects the applicant or incumbent is
worthy and well-behaved American
citizen"
That was Mr.. Roosevelt, the friend
OF mar. the opener of the door of hope
and opportunity, the voicer of high
and noble opinions, who cares nothing
about numbers and recognition"
The American" declined to accept
Mr.. Roosevelt in his second and finer
aspect. 1t saw in his actions not the
doctrinaire loyal to a principle regard
less of consequences to himself or
others, but the political maneuvering
for a nomination, who, in order to
achieve his purpose, set race against
race in section of our common coun-
try which carries a great load but
nevertheless is steadily bringing its
social life under safe and lovable con.
ditions. Therefore the American" re-
buked Mr., Roosevelt, rebuked him
strongly, rebuked him frequently. And
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