The semi-weekly messenger., 1904-07-15
Friday July is. 1904.
PARKER AND ROOSEVELT.

ward the white people of the South
of the two men whom the Democratic
and Republican parties have CHOSEN as
their candidates for President Both
arc men qualified by mental ability
and studv of the situation for the past
thirty-nine years to grasp the sltud-
ton and to thoroughly understand the
conditions which exist in this secuon.
They know equally we'll what IS Ihe
hest course for the national govern
ment to pursue regarding TINS phe-
nonoenal condition which has existed
in the South since the emanclpatloh
and enfranchisement of the negro al
ter the close of the war between the
states. They both know that the
nroper course for the federal author
tiles and the citizens of the Northern
states to take is to let the matter Sc
yereIy alCne-to leave the South 10
work out the problem for herseh'
that the Southern white people are
better able to do this than any one
else-and they know that these white
men Of the South are anxious to solve
this difficult problem in manner
beneficial to both races.
Judge Parker, the nominee of the
Democratic party, has only recently
occupied such a position before the
public as to make Of any importance
to the South his views on this ques-
ton
The action of Mr.. Roosevelt since
he has become President, regarding
the negro in the South, has created
desire among the Southern people to
know how this other presidential can
didate from New York stands on the
negro question. Judge Parker has not
hid his views on this question. He has
defined them as clearly and as con-
cisely as he did his position on the
money question in his famous tele
gram to d member of the st. Louis
convention, and these views are just
such as the South has for years been
insisting that every Northerner should
hold. Judge Parker recently thus de-
fined to personal friend his position
on this question. Speaking of the
Southern people, he said:
They are a great people; they are
the countrymen of Washington and
jefferson and Madison and Jackson
and Lee. Their courage and their
constancy have never failed. They
have changed velvet for homespun
and endured the pinch of honorable
poverty, and are just now beginning to
reap the reward of their great sacri-
fees. / have implicit faith in then
ability to solve rightly and righteous
ly the difficult problems with which
they are confronted. and 1 believe it
is the duty of their countrymen at the
North to permit them to solve those
problems unmolested by irritating po-
Iitical interference from the outside"
No one not even his bitterest po-
iitcal enemy Che has no personal enc
mies) can accuse Judge Parker of
dupiicity or of stopping to trickery for
gaining personal or political ends. If
he is elected President, the white peo-
pie of the South can depend upon his
adherence to the views above an
nounced.
With Judge Parker's declared posi-
tion on this question contrast the
words and actions of Mr.. Roosevelt.
As to his actions showing his position
on the Southern question, they are too
many to enumerate here-his evident
determination to humiliate the South
ern white people by the persistent ap-
pointment of negro as collector at
Charleston, after having promised not
TO do so: his action in the Indianola
postOffice affair, and then his social
equality proclivities as shown in en-
tertaining negroes at receptions, lunch
cons and other social functions at
the White House. He has never let
an opportunity pass for showing by
his deeds that he was determined to
champion the cause of the negro, po-
htically and socially, as against the
white people OF the South.
The last act of the party dominated
and ruled completely by Mr.. Roose-
welt. performed for the purpose of
showing the social equality views of
Its boss. was the bringing forward and
seating on the rostrum at the Chi
gro child, side by side, accompanied
by tumultuous applause.
Mr.. Rooseve!t's latest declaration on
the Southern question was made
through the platform of his party,
adopted at the Chicago convention last
month 1t is well known that this
platform was submitted to and ap-
proved by him before the meeting of
the convention. 1t makes a direct
threat to lessen the representation of
this section in congress and in th>
presidential electoral college. because
Ct the action of the Southern states
on the negro franchise matter. ans
the Republican party indorsei that
threat through the following declara- !
ton in its platform:
I'VE favor such congressional ac-