The weekly Iberian. (New Iberia, La.) 1894-1946, 1903-03-07
SIMPLE JUSTICE,
SINCE ALL SORTS OF FOOLISH
RumorS Have Been Put in Cir
CuIation
In Relation to President Roosevelt
and His
Disposition to Force Social Equality Upon
the People Of the South, it is but
Just to Give His Side Chance.

Ever since the memorable day
when President Roosevelt invited
Booker L Washington TO dine al
the White House, the papers of
many sections Cf the country have
fairly bris,led with denunciations
of the President, and all kinds of
ridiculous rumDrs have been given
circulation. Later came recep-
ton at the White House to which
some negroes holding high office
under the government were invited.
according TO a custom IN vogue for
many years, and this gave the men
whose duty it is to single out
things, magnify them and make a
partisan howl over them. chance
to spread themselvts, and they did
it with vengeance. They not
only overdrew the picture, but drew
on their Imagination to supply the
colors and fniShings. All these re
ports were sent out by especial
correspondents" and not by the
Associated Press. or course they
were made to order and were
framed for a purpose.
Since that time the Remuneration
of the President and his reported
desire 10 force social equality upon
the South have been roundly, con-
tinually and bitterly denounced by
the Southern press, until the thing
has become tiresome. 1t is strange
indeed that intelligent people should
be so gullible and that they should
waste so much energy and time in
palaverlng over an utter impossible
ty, even If the President should be
blamed fool enough 10 attempt it.
We hardly believe anybody will
charge Roosevelt with being fool.
Of course from the newspapers
and intelligent people the, hollow
talk spread TO the ignora..t and
vicious, and the longer it travelled
The worse it got. Roosevelt and
bis whole family were charged with
all sorts of monstrous absurdltles
and foolish things, and hen there
was talk of his fair, winsome and
accomplished daughter coming
down to witness the carnival, sug-
gestions were made TO ignore,
slight and offend her, and this vile
and contemplate suggestion had
the opposite effect from what 1t was
intended, since it tended to stir up
the manhood and chivalry of this
section, and some of the papers
which had been the most viru!ent IN
denouncl, g the glrl's father consti-
tut d themsl4 yes her champions and
denoul ced, with q the vigor they
could commani, the cowardlY pro-
posal to make war on an nnoffend-
,rg, pure and iuac cent girl. Men
fight their political battles IN the
South like men, but the man who
proposes to war on woman for a
relatives shortcomings IN politics,
will reckon without his host. In
the South the name of woman is
sacred and every true man will
SHIELD it with his life.
So much for one side, now let's
give the other show, IN order to
be fair and manly. The Plcayune
of las. Sunday contained an Article
sent from its bureau In Washington,
wlch dealt with the Roosevelt mat
ter, and gave the Presidents side ot
the question as it came from the
lips of high Official, who is near
the President and Is familiar with
his ideas and motives. He denied
that the President has any such mo-
tives as have been attributed to him,
aud produced a list Of appointments
made by President Mckinley and
President Roosevelt Referring to
this, said:
ssThe Administration, up to the
time Mr.. ROOSEVELT took office,
made sixty slg original appoint
ments of negroes TO office. Eight
of these men he has reappointsi
The colored Manister to Liberia was
remove for cause and another ne
gro was appointed IN bis place
The colered Recorder Of Deeis o
the Dlstr4't Of colamb'a retired ane
] another colored man was named tt
succeed him. These two offices