The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1904-11-25
Gm hesSangrr.
~RoosEjErr AND THE SOUTH.

course rTard this SECTION has never
been hdhiIe in Our opinion and we be-
fieve TIT the south will come to real
1ze lt Tthin theh next four years. South
ernr Rliticfans) vastly exaggerate the
C Gestion fnd ~needlessly infane
the 9ople against the republicans on
acc1nt of it,
II above Is from a democratic paper
pu1he ini South Carolina, the Spar
taHturg Jo3rnal.
Ye mus9say that we agree with the
s3ement in the above on the presi-
DTS attitude toward the south-tak-
1g this section as a whole. He has
tone one or two things for which we
think Re should be censured, but they
could apt be taken as evidence of hos
tile filling toward h south or as an
attempt to humiliate the white people
I of or part Of the country. The chief
of tnese was the closing of the post5f-
ficesat ~IndianoIa. There he took upon
himself the duty of Furnishing an entire
community composed chiefly of ace
aEe and l~aw-abiding citizens be-
Use a few persons among them
kok what he considered unwarraat-
" ~ Liz IClIS-
|{ment as postmaster OF a negro woman.
The next most serious charge made
against him by southern people
was his appointment of Crum as collec-
tor Of customs at Charleston and his
persistency in his appointment after
repeated and vigorous protests by the
people OF that city and the refusal Of
- p -111%1
We are opposed to negroes holding
office in the south. We had much rather
see a republican president confine his
appointments in this section to the
white race, but we cannot see why the
appointment of Crum by Mr.. Roosevelt
was any more an outrage pom the
people of Charleston and All indication
hat the president wished to humiliate
them than was the appointment of
John G. Dancy as collector in this city
by President Mckinley to be so consid-
cred with regard to our citizens, nor
more SO than were many other appoint
ments of negroes to office in the south
by the latter president. In our opinion
both of these appointments were wrong
and should never have been made, but
we lave never been able to understand
why such a row was made over the one
when the other was not considered SO
much of an outrage.
Another sentence in the above article
we think is true-'The southern poll
ticians vastly exaggerate the race ques-
ton and needlessly infiame the people
against the republicans on account of
it" Not hat we approve of the ap-
pointment of these negroes but for this
reason: The government is in the
hands of the republicans. If the presi-
dent hooses to appoint negroes to Of
flee we cannot help it. Why then not
make the best of bad conditions and let
the matter alone? We cannot help mat
tiers by constant abuse of the president
for such action. We are to ave Mr..
Roosevelt for president -four and a half
years longer. Is not the most senst-
BILE course for us, to pursue one which
will not irritate him and keep this con-
slant friction before his eyes. There
are many other things of far greater
Importance to the south than the ques-
ton as to whether a few offices shall
be held by negroes. Let us turn OUR
attention to these things Let us show
the president that while we do not dp-
prove of his part of his conduct, we
still look upon him as the president of
the whole country and hat if he does
not so feel and act. it will not be be-
cause of any excuse given him by the
people of the south.
We do not think a single act of the
president since his Inauguration can be
considered as evidence of personal ami
mostly against the south or as a desire
to humliate our people. He has done
things of which our people did not and
could not approve. Do our peoples dis
approval of such justify the president
in thinking we have personal animosi-
ty against him? 1t should not do so,
but We are afraid the violent personal
attacks that some of our political or
gans have made on him are calculated
to warrant him in such belief. but it is
not So The people have not this feel
ing and we believe are ready to meet
him halfway in showing to the whole
country that there is no such mutual
feeling. but on the contrary that there
is esteem and respect on both sides.
There is another course the southern
press is taking of late of which we do
not approve, and that is speculations
as TO whether or not Mr.. Roosevelt is
going to be good to the SOUTH" OF will
treat the south fairly" or will show
kindness to the SOUTH The southern
people ask none Of these things of the
president OF these United States, of
which the south forms an important
part. She should not feel that there was
any occasion for speculation Upon what
will be the attitude of the president to
this section. She should take it for
granted that all will be treated alike.