The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1903-02-04
What's the Matter ?

New York Mail and Express:
Maybe it is not good manners for
some of the southern newspapers and
politicians TO retort to what they are
pleased to call the presidents negro
policy" by declaring that they viii
have nothing to do with him socially,
and by urging their section to treat
him as IAN honest negro officiaI' and
leave his entertainment to the colored
people. the next time he enters Dixie.
But the only criticism we care to make
on the attitude these declarations out
line is that It shows a complete and
unexpected absence of humOr. We inn
agine the rest of the country is as
much surprised and puzzled at the out
cries which have been coming from the
south as Mr. Roosevelt is represented
to be himself. What is it all about2"
is the question everybody is asking; no
lucid answer seems to be forthcoming
With all due respect to the sensibil-
ties of the south the rest of the country
the north the east. the middle west
and the far West-must be excused If
it refuses to take serit usly the talk
of the danger or possibility of negro
domination" That section must make
out better case than is framed by
the fact that the president appointed
a negro collector at Charleston, that he
followed the example Of Mr.. Cleveland
in entertaining negro at the White
House and the example of all presi-
dents since Lincoln in inviting negro
officials to the public receptions there.
and that he refused to be dictated to
by a mob in a Mississippi village when
1t forced out colored postmistress
who for years had performed satisfac-
tory service 1t is noted that in all
these instances the agitation of race
feeling was prompted by no aggressive
act of the president, but by distinct
aggression on the part of the southern
white He has stood by the precedents
ana the records his appointments of
Fr.-r.a
those of his predecessors, and the out
cry has been occasioned simply by his
refusal to do what even a Democratic
president was never asked to do. The
only exception to his purely defensive
attitude is perhaps sthe case of DR.
Crum. and here Mr.. RooseveIt's own
explanation stands: he is unwilling to
close absolutely the door of opportuni-
ty on the intelligence of the race.
Were the president wrong in every
one of these instances instead of right
in each Of them. as we believe him to
be. it would still occur to most people
mat there was nothing to get excited
about Surely the +ascendency' of
the white race, about which southern
politicians profess to be so much con-
cerned, must be an uncertain and brit
lie thing If it can only be maintained
by croWding the negro out Of every
position in the federal service and if
1t IS really endangered by the appoint
ment of mail carrier here and there
II it is not uncertain. but instead. the
copper-riveted and sufficiently forrni ].
dabie fact that the ordinary demeanor
Of the southern politician argues it to
be- then we must infer either that the
southern people have no sense Of HUI
NOR or that they credit the rest of the
country with having none A brutal
Saxon of British blood would set this
phenomenon down as evidence of the
political femininity'' of the south:
but shrewd Yankee would inquire.
What's the game?''
Why all this throwing Up Of dust.
this crying out and collaboration? Is
IL rank theatricalism. or is it merely
another instance of the mental inffa-
ton and self-deception that suffuse so
much of the country fair stump-speak-
ing IN the south and make one brand
Of IT'S 0ratory a thing of joy when
transcribed in cold type?