The Montgomery advertiser., 1903-11-04
j; HAMMONDS VISIT TO OYSTER BAY
Some Impressions Which Left the Memphis Jur-The Pride Southern Important Public Positions

rou4h-rfde over their sentiments or even prejudices, and does not do any act with such a motive I sincerely believe him to be incapable of such motives have 6 letter from him, written before he was even thought of for the Presidency and under circumstances well known to our Memphis people. which preclude any idea of its being written for purpose, in which he refers to his liking for the Southern people, his l<inship with them and his pride in ancestral connection with the heroism of the Confederate war. But what he thinks Is right he dares to do, no matter if others think him wrong. I believe every fair-thinking man will agree that this is the touchstone of the mans character.
 The South and the Presidency. When I got chance I recurred to his praises of Wright, Dickinson and Jones, and said: Well, Mir. President, these men are all you say they are. and either, one of them Is fit to be President, would make as good a President as you or Grover Cleveland. and we have others sn the South, and yet no man south of the Ohio dares to aspire to that great office." and went on with pretty much the same speech as when told our Business Mems Club that Carmack and Ham Patterson were about as promising Presidential sap llngs as Mckinley was when he entered Congress. and closed 1t with the ques- ton, "Why the Northern people would not consent to vote a Southern man into the Presidency?'
 "Ah, Judge Hammond" he replied, there would be no trouble in voting a Southern man into the Presidency if the Southern people would change their po- litical sentiments and political methods just little bit." There was another in- lfarr1rnttAv nA lEx,ov knr <1..
 President did not file any bill of particu-
 lars with his brief statement
 The Miller case was pending and not determined as the President was waiting to see Mitchell Gompers and other labor leaders before finally writing the letter
 which he subsequently, did. refusing to dismiss Miller at the demand of the labor unions. One of his visitors said in my
 hearing that he was afraid the Miller case would give trouble. ''Yes." said the President. it may give me trouble, but can not for one moment assent to the proposition that the worshop and offices of the government shall be closed to all
 but members of the labor unions. He evidently apprehended danger in the re- fusal he was about to make, as his visitor did. but 1t illustrated his courage In politics. It reminded me that when he
 was here in Memphis at the Luke Wright
 homecoming, in which he So graciously partook, to conspicuously honor our fell loy citizen in his own home, he said to me, and believe. to others: ''I am not | in favor of negro domination and no in- | telligent man could be, but I shall never consent to close the door of the federal
 office to any American ciizen because he
 is a negro, if otherwise he be capable and
 qualified.' He afterwards published a
 letter to the same effect. if remember
 correctly. If the accusation could be
 made that. he was trying to make him.
 self solid with the negro vote In doubt
 full States. certainly he was not trying to make himself solid with the labor
 vote, a far more important electoral
 quantity. when acting in the Miller case.
 The truth Is, Roosevelt Is not that kind
 of a politician, and one must search
 for other motives than this, if one dis believes those which he avows.