Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1903-03-07
is THE PRESIDENT WEAKENING,

PRESIDENT THEODORE ROOSEVELT has
written letter to Mr.. CLARK HOWELL,
editor OF the Atlanta. Georgia, Constr
TUITION, in which he makes statements
which will put the conservative citizen
OF color to thinking We confess that
, we do not like the letter. 1t seems IN
show that he feels keenly the criticisms
to which he has been subjected and he
unconsciously places himself in the at
tltude of arguing that he has done OK
actly what the southern Negro.haters
wanted him to do, so far as he could
without violating his oath of office.
1t seems that the colored and white
people of the south have misunderstood
the President; the one admiring him
because they presumed that they had
another President ULYSSES S. GRANT in
the White House and the other con-
demnlng him for the same reason. Both
were mistaken in their conclusions.
i 1t seems that President ROOSEVELT
had begun policy that was and is rev.
olutlonizing southern appointments and
which will ultimately result in virtual
ly excluding colored men from all polit.
lcal offices in the southland. In other
words, the offices held by them will be
SO few in number as to practically re-
suit in their total elimination.
That this is true is proven by the as.
sertions of his own Secretary of War and
certified by himself over his own siana-
ture In his letter to Mr. HOWELL. It is
evident to our mind that the colored
vote In the North is the only factor
which prevents step even more radi-
cal than the one now marked out bv
the Chief Executive of the nation. In
the hue and cry over the Indianola,
Miss, Post Office affair and the CRUM
appointment, the dust raised has blind
ed the average colored brother, proceed
ed as it was by the BOOKER T. WASH
INGToN dinner at the White House.
But what does Mr.. ROOSEVELT say?
Here it is:
I'm making appointments I have
sought to consider the feelings of the
people OF each territory so far as could
consistently do so without sacrificing
principle"
According to this theory, where will
the colored brother land? 1t looks to us
that it will be upon his head instead of
! mon his feet
And again:
''The prime tests have applied have
been those of character, fitness, and
ability, and when have been dissatis-
fed with what has been ordered within
my own party lines, 1 have without
hesitation, gone TO the opposite party
and you are, of course, aware that I
have repeatedly done this in your own
state OF Georgia / certainly cannot
| treat mere color as bar to holding Of
nee, any more than L could SO treat
creed or NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. provided
That, IN other respects, the applicant or
incumbent is a worthy and ell-behayed
| American citizen. Just as little will
treat it as comforting right to hold Of
| fice.''
The above is straight-forw state
ment and yet, from party stand point,
it is open to criticism. Under its pro-
visions, he might say that even where a
colored Republican was qualified to
hold Federal position, that because a
white Democrat was better qualified
that he will give the position to the
white Democrat, or his ruling might
apply with equal force in eliminating a
white Republican.
Down here, the Democrats will APP
point white man to Office over a high
ly educated, respectable, property-own-
ing colored man, even though the white
man is ignorant, disreputable and
doesn't own the bed in which he sleeps.
In plain language. Mr.. ROOSEVELT tells
Mr.. HOWELL that he will give the
Southern Negro haters every thing he
can give them without violating his
oath of Office, and even with this assur-
ance, they are still bowling
The most significant portion of the
entire letter is COL tanned in the follow
ing assertion.
'I ask you to judge not by what 1 say,
but by what during the last seventeen
months have actually done"
| We know what he has said, but what
has he done? We would not be willing
to believe that Mr.. ROOSEVELT wrote
those words, were it not for the fact
that they appear over his own signature
and stand uncontradicted. They may
be suited to politician, but are entire
ly out of place for use by the President
of the United States.
Why should he not be judged by
what ne has said and done rather than
by what he has done? Should not his
actions square with mis- words and his
words square with his actions? If not,
why not?
President ROOSEVELT answers the
question himself and here is what he
says:
"In South Carolina have appointed
a white postmaster to succeed a colored
DOstmaStar pain i'm SOuth Caroline