Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1903-03-07
MR.. ROOSEVELT
STANDS PAT
President Writes Letter on tho
Question Of Southern
Appointments.
he DEFENDS HIS COURSE
Hints at the Impression That tia
clamor Of Opposition Comes, Not
From the South, but From
New York Influences.

Atlanta, Ga, March 3.-The follow
ing letter from President Roosevelt tc
the editor of the Constitution In reply &c
a request for an expression concerning
the recent letter from Harry Stillwell
Edwards OF Macon, in which Mr.. Ed
wards made q statement Of the presi-
dents position in the matter of fed
erai appointments in the south, holding
that the president had been misunder-
stood.
The president writes:
white House, Washington, Feb. Is,
l903.-Hon. Clark Howell, Editor Of the
Constitution, Atlanta.-Dear Mr.. How
ell: As 70 federal appointments IN the
south, frankly, 1t seems to me that my
appointments speak for themselves. so
far from feeling that they need justiAca-
ton, my position IS that have the rlSht
to claim support of all good citizens who
wish not only a high OF ser
vice, but equitable dealing to south
as well as north, II justice n good
will toward an men. l have sought To
consider the feeling Of each locality
The prime tests | have applied nave
been those Of character, fitness ana
ability, and when dissatisfied with what
has been offered within my own party
| have gone to the opposite party-re"
p%eatedly, in your own Georgia. | GER
tainly cannot treat color a bar to hold
ing office, any more than creed cl
birthplace-provided in other respects
the applicant is a worthy and wei be-
haVed American.
Just as lIttle will I treat It AZ comforting
a right 10 hold office. have Scant sym
pathy with the man who refuses 10 race
facts; but do you rot think II - safer II
VIC act on the motto. \ men up, rstGe'
than on that Of Some men down"
Should Judge by Acts.
I ask YOU TO Judge by what during the
! last seventeen months | have done. IT
experience. IL the great bulk OF the cases
I have ~rcappOiuted President Mckinley
appolntecs. The changes have maze
were, / think, changes for the better,
have appointed a white man TO succeed 2
COlored man as postmaster at Athens, an1
a surveyor at Atlanta. In South Caro!in.
j nave similarly appointed q white post
master TO succeed a co.ored ~post'naSt-r
Again, i'm South Carolina ! have nomi
mated a COlOred man TO I'LL \ Vacanc% o.
collector of Charleston, as In Georgia
have reappOinted the colored man nov
serving a. collector Of savannah. Bon
are tit. Why appointment of ono shult
! cause any more excitement than the ap
pOintment of the other / am at q loss u
Imagine. need hardly say that TO con
meet either Of these appointments, or an!
or all my other appointments, or my &c
.tions in UNFOLDING the law at Indiamola
with suCh questions as social GGuaity
and " negro domination" Is as absurd al
to ConucC them with the nCbular hypotn
esis or the theory Of atoufs.
| have consulted your own senator's an
congressman as TO the character of an,
appointce concerning whom there wa
question. My party advisers have bee
Major Hanson of Macon, Walter John
son of Atlanta-both Of them ~eN-confeG
crate soldiers-and Harry Stillwcll Ed
wards. also of Macon. ! believe In n
state would it be possible to find gentle
mon ADLER and better qualified to al IN
positions.
LARGE Percentage Are Democratc.
In every instance these gentlemen haT
united | have been able 70 follow tntl
advice. Am l not right in saying that IN
federal ofticeholders whom | have al
pointed throughout your state are G
know Of any federal oficchOlder i'm Georgi
of whom this is not true, pray let IN
know at once. | will welcome testtmOn
from any reputable citizen which WI
show that a public officer Is unworthy
] may mention that a large percentage q
the inCumbents OF federal offices In GcoI
gia are of your political faith. Eut tne
are supported by me as long as the
render faithful service.
This is true of your WI state; and b
applying to Thomas Nelson Page {
Virginia.; to General Basil Duke Of kcr
lucky, ana to George Crawford OF Ter
nessee; to John NCliheney of Louis
lana, to Judge Jones OF Alabama, and EC
gar S. Wilson Of Mississippi, all demo
Gratis of the highest standing, you wi
find Georgia the rule for what | hay
lone throughout the south. ! believe IN
appointecs represent an improVCmeI
upon those whose places they TOOK.
may add that the proportion Of Colore
men is only about one In a hundred.
In view Of all these facts | have bee
surprised and panied at the incCmpr,
hensiblc cutlery about my actions-an Gu
cry apparently started in New York fC
reasons wholly u"nCOnneCtcd with II
question at issue. | am concerned at II
attitude of the southern people; but | al
not In the least angry; and still less Wi
this attitude make me swerve from Y
course marked out-the curse have TO
lowed i'm the past and shall follow in ii
future. With regard, sincerely yours,
Theodore Roosevelt.