The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1903-03-05
BAMBERG s c., THURSDAY. MARCH 5. 19|
PRESIDENT STATES POSITION
In Regard to Southern Appointments
in Personal Letter TO Editor How.
ell, Of Atlanta Constitution.

The following, in part, Is q letter
from President Roosevelt to the edi-
tor of The Atlanta Constitution, in re-
ply to a request for an expression con-
corning the recent letter from Mr..
Harry Stillwell Edwards, of Macon,
Ca, in which Mr.. Edwards made a
statement of the presidents position
in the matter of federal appointments
in the south, holding that the presi-
dent had been misunderstood. Presi-
dent Roosevelt writes:
Dear Mr.. Howell: AS to federal
appointments in the south, frankly, it
seems to me that my appointments
speak for themselves and that my pol
icy is self-explanatory. So far from
feeling that they need the slightest
apology or justification, my position is
that on the strength of what [ have
done have the right to claim the sup
port Of all good citizens who wish not
only high standard of federal SER
vice, but fair and equitable dealing to
the south, as well as to the north and
a policy of consistent justice and good
will toward all men. In making ap-
pointments 1 have sought to consider
the feelings of the people of each To-
cality so far as I could consistently
do so without sacrificing principle
The prime tests 1 have applied have
been those of character, fitness and
ability, and when l have been dissat-
isfed with what has been offered with
in my own party lines, I have, without
hesitation. gone to the opposite party
and you are, of course, aware that
have repeatedly done this in your own
state of Georgia. 1 certainly cannot
treat mere color a permanent bar to
holding office any more than could
so treat creed or birthplace always
provided that in other respects the ap-
plicant or incumbent is worthy and
l-behaved American citizen. Just
as little will treat it as comforting a
right to hold office.
81 will welcome testimony from you
or from any other reputable citizen
which will tend to show that a given
public officer is unworthy; and, most
emphatically, short will be the shift
of any one whose lack Of worth is
proven. incidentally 1 may mention
that large percentage of the incum-
bents of federal Offices in Georgia un-
der me are, as l understand it, of your
own political faith. But they are sup
ported by me in every way as long as
they continue to render good and
faithful service to the public.
Panied at Outcry from South.
"This is true of your own state; and
by applying to Mr.. Thomas Nelson
Page, Of Virginia; to General Basil
Duke, of Kentucky; to Mr.. George
Crawford, of Tennessee; to Mr.. John
McIlhenny, of Louisiana; to Judge
Jones, of Alabama, and Mr.. Edgar s.
Wilson, of Mississippi, all of them
democrats and all Of them men of the
highest standing in their respective
communities, you will find that what
I have done in Georgia stands not as
the exception, but as the rule for what
1 have done throughout the south. l
have good reason to believe that my
appointees in the different states men
homeland as the sum of the parts
in the whole, necessarily in the south
at large-represent not merely an i'm
provement upon those whose places
they took, but upon the whole high
er standard of federal service than
has hitherto been attained in the COM
munities in question. l may add that
the proportion of colored men among
these new appointees Is only about
one in a hundred.
I'm view of all these facts, have
been surprised and somewhat panied
at what seems to me the Incompetent
sible outcry in the south about my ac-
tions-an outcry apparently started in
New York for reasons wholly uncon-
nected with the question nominally at
issue.
81 am concerned at the attitude thus
taken by so many of the southern peo-
pie: but I am not in the least angry;
and still less will this attitude have
the effect of making me swerve one
hairs breadth, to one side or the 9TH
er, from the course I nave marked out
the course / have consistently fol-
lowed in the past and shall consistent
ly follow in the future.
with regard, Sincerely yours,
THEODORE ROOSEVELT"