The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1904-11-10
The South's Interest in Roose-
welt. .

The SOuth'S Interest IL A\oooS7
welt.
The peopIe Of the South have not ap'
proved President Roosevelt's course a'le
thev look occasion to express their sen
.iments In the election Of Tuesday. Whlie
Mr.. Roosevelt carried the North ana ives
nv storm. he failed to carry single state
In the South. The South is solid asa1ns'
him and the States of the South neither
expect nor ask favors from the Reruoil'
can administration. But they do ask fo'
"a square deal No matter what was
s their attitude in the COS no matter Wha'
Ia their present attitude toward Presl'
ao,4$ ROOSEVELT and tho Republican party
they are sovereign States of this Union
and are entitled TO the same rights ana
immunlties and consideration to which
other States Of the Union are entl'led.
when they came back into the Union
fter the war was ended, they returned
in good faith, and they should have peet'
received in q spirit of kindness ana
hrotherly love. Whether or not they were
received in that spirit let the record SPEAK
for itself. The terrors and horrors OF
y reconstruction fairly stated by a truth
mi historian would form the blackest
pages OF American history. me south
was treated with vindlctiveness and cruel-
~ and all reconstruction legislation was
conceived. enacted and enforced as meas
i ures punitive and revengeful. me negro
81 w.s exploited in politics not for his own
sake but as means Of distressing. mar
< RAISING and hu1nillating the Southern peo-
NC The North has shown beyond a per-
adventure that 1t has no love ior tfe
negro and no use for hin, except as
n,nniaI IL does not want him In It's So
cial life. in its political life or In its
business life. Its protested friendship LOT
him was hypocriucal. It used him as
means I, an end. It used him as though
~ instrument Of torture with which to
punish the South.
There are many things about President
Roosevelt which We do not aomlre, Dut
We have always conceded that he Is q
man Of honesty and courage. not TO say
a man Of chvniry and magnan1mlty -
is greatly TO be hoped. therefore, that IN
his dealings with tho South during his
next administration he viii be govern
ed by none Of that spirit which moved
the leaders OF reconstruction, and which
manifested itself IN acts Of hostility and
spite, but that he vii, be governed by
his sense OF Justice and fairness. and,
! :, ho n,ill
give the South "a square deal"
The race question Is peculiarly the bur-
den Of the South The great mass OF ne
groes are here, and likely TO remain here.
We have to deal with the negro ~ race
snd not merely as an Individual as IL
largely tho case at the North. We have
to deal with negroes en- masse, while
the North deals with a few individuals
or at worst with q few negro colonies
here and there. The race question in the
South has not been settled. We have
for the most part removed Objectionable
negroes from our politics. and IN SO do
Ing we have greatly simplifed tho Sit
uation, but the problem In many Of IT
phases remains. President Roosevelt ha
1t within his power to make serious trou
BILE for both races In the Southern States
IT is also within his power to aid iii,
Southern whites and tho Southern black
In establishing an amicable relationship
The negro Is at heart e. nationalist. II
has very little respect for local govern
ment. Bad negroes are always at wa
with the local authorities. and 1t is al
So most Of daily occurrence that they def
the law and resist and fight the off
GERS OF the law They were taught !
the early days Of their freedom to re
special friend and protector. and TO r.
81 gard themselves as wards OF the ma
ton. They have always affiliated wit
;6j the Republican party and sti! look ,ipo
that party as thcir friend, protector AN
champion, II Is proyerbal that the
have been most offensive aggressive an
8M mischief -maklng when tie Republca
party has been IN power. and least .
when the Democratic party has been
power. The negroes have been taugl
TO believe that President Roosevelt e
pedaliy Is their friend; that he is wilir
10 blot out The color lino and TO ire;
them as the political and social equai
the white man. President Roosevelt Ii;
no conception. we feel sure Of the n
gro's utter misconception OF his attitu,
towards thai race, nor does he begin
comprehend the evil and misclievous /
fluencs or his declarations on this su
ject and of his attitude toward q CO
tain class Of negroes, He does not reali
that In the negro race at the South the
arc no lines OF demarcation such as d
tingush class from class among the viii