The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-03-02
Outlines His Attitude Toward Federal
Appointments in the South and
Gives His COgent Reasons.
INTEGRITY AND ABILITY RULE
CHARACTER THE KEYSTONE TO THE
ARCH OF PREFERMENT.
President Is PcrpIexed and Panied
by the Southern Attitude-Wil
Not Change His Course.

ATLANTA Ca, March 1.-The following
letter from President Roosevelt to the edi-
tor of the Constitution is reply to a re-
quest for an expression concerning the re-
cent letter from Mr.. Harry Stillwell Ed
wards, of Macon, in which Mr.. Edwards
made statement of the Presidents po-
sition in the matter of federal appointments
in the South, holding that the President
had been misunderstood. Under date of
Feb "a, President Roosevelt writes
Dear Mr.. Howell-As to federal appoint
ments in the South, frankly, it seems to me
that my appointments speak for them
tory. 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
support of all good citizens who wish not
only a high standard of federal service,
but fair and equitable dealing to the South
as we'll as TO the North, and policy of
consistent good will toward all men. In
making appointments L have sought to con-
slider the feeling of the people of each To-
cality so far as l could consistently
do so without sacrificing principle.
| The prime tests 1 have applied have
been those of character. fitness and abil-
| ity and when have been dissatisfied with
what has Deen offered within my own
| party lines L have without hesitation gone
to the opposite partymand you you are % OF s, course Sc
your own State Of Georgia. l certainly
cannot treat mere color as per-
moneh' more than nar coud 'o SO ee treat crees es
or birthplace-always provided that
in other respects the applicant or incumbent
! is a worthy and well-behaved American
citizen. Just as little will / treat it as
comforting a right to hold office. 1 have
scant sympathy with the men of mere
| theory who refuse to recognize facts; but
do you not think that in the long run
it is safer for everybody if We act on the
motto all men up rather than on that
| of some men down?
| but by what during the last seventeen
months have actually done. In your own
State of Georgia you are competent to
great bulk of the cases l have reappointed
President McKinley's appointees. The
changes L have made were, as think you
will agree, changes for the better, and not
for the worse. 1t happens have appointed
white man to succeed colored man as
postmaster at Athens, and as surveyor at
Atlanta. In South Carolina / have SIM
ilarly appointed white postmaster to sue
ceed colored postmaster. Again, in South
Carolina L have nominated colored man
| to fill a vacancy in the position of collector
| of the port of Charleston, just in Geor-
gia L have reappointed the coored man
who is now serving as collector of the port
| of Savannah. Both fit men. Why the
appointment of one should cause any more
excitement than the appointment of the
| other L am wholly at a loss to imagine.
need hardly say that to connect either of
these appointments. or any or all my other
appointments, or my actions in upholding
the law at Indianola, with such questions
| as social equality and negro domination
is as absurd to connect them with the
nebular hypothesis or the theory of atoms.
II have consulted freely with your own
senators and congressman as to the char
| acter and capacity of any appointee in
Georgia concerning whom there was ques-
| ton NV party advisers in the State have
| been Major Hanson of Macon, Mr.. Walter
Johnson of Atlanta-both of them ex-Con-
federate soldiers-and Mr.. Harry stillwell
of Il holi love
, will agree with me that in no State would
il be possible TO find gentlemen abler and
more upright or better qualified to NIL tbs
positions they have filled with reference to
me- In every instance where these gen-
: tlemen have united in making recon-
: mendation 1 have been able to follow their
advice Am / not right in saying that the
, federal officeholders whom 1 have ap-
: pointed throughout the State are, as 6
body. men and women of high order OF
efficiency and integrity? IL you know OF
: ! any federal Office holder in Georgia oi
whom this is not true pray let me know al
, once. l will welcome testimony from 20.
will tend to show that given public Off
: Ger is unworthy and, most emphatically
short will be the shrift of any one whose
lack of worth is proven. Incidentally
n may mention that large percentage OF th'
: incunbents of federal offices in Georgis
Z under ne are. as | understand 1t. 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 serv
ice to the public.
This is true of your own State, and b.
| applying to Mr.. Thomas Nelson Page. o
| Virginia: TO General Basil Duke. of Ken
= tucky; to Mr.. George Crawford. of Tennes
see: TO Mr. John McIlhenny, of louisiana
| 10 Judge Jones. of Alabama, and Mr. Edga
: s. Wilson. Of Mississippi all Of them Demo
Gratis. and all of them men OF the highes
standing in their respective communities
y you will find that what 1 have done II
n Georgia stands. not as the exception. bu
/. as the rule for all have done Throughout
the South. have good reason to believ
a that my appointees in the different State
= Northumberland as the sum of the part
: is the whole necessarily In the South a
= large-represent not merely improve
= ment upon those whose places they took
:, but upon the whole higher standard Q
a federal service than has hitherto been al
= | tanned in the communities in question.
may add that the proportion of colored me