Milford chronicle., 1905-02-17
ON
RACE PROBLEM
Mr.. ROOsevelt's Speech at Lincoln
Dinner in New York.
SOUTH NOT ALONE RESPONSIBLE

New York, Feb. 14.-As the guest
of honor at the Lincoln dinner of the
Republican club in this city, President
Roosevelt made a speech on the race
problem. Following the president
Senator Dolliver, of Iowa, responded
to the toast, abraham Lincoln;
George A. Knight, of California, spoke
on "The Republican Party" and James
NJ. Beck, former assistant attorney
general of the United States, on THE
Unity of Republic"
President Roosevelt said in part:
In his second inaugural, In speech
which will be read as long as the memory
of this nation endures, Abraham Lincoln
closed by saying: with malice toward
none: with charity for all; with hrmness
In the right as God gives us to see the
right let US strive on to finish the work
we are In: . to do all which may
achieve and cherish a just and lasting
peace among ourselves. and with all ma
tions."
coin sought to bind up the nations
wounds when its soul was yet seething
with fierce hatreds, with wrath, with
rancor. with all the evil and dreadful
passions provoked by civil war. Surely
this is the spirit which all Americans
should show now, where there is so little
excuse for malice or rancor or nalred
when there is so little of vital conse-
quence to divide brother from prother.
All good Americans who dwell IN the
ugrth must, because they are good Amer
leans. feel the most earnest friendship
for their fellow-countryme who dwell IN
the south a friendship all the greater
because it is in the south that we nnd IN
its most acute phase one Of the gravest
problems before our people; the proniem
of so dealing with the man OF one color
as to secure him the rights that no one
would grudge him II he were Of another
color. To solve this problem, it's, OF
course, necessary to educate him to per-
form the duties, a failure to perform
which will render him a curse to himself
and to all around him.
Neither I nor any other man can say
that any given way of approaching that
problem will present in our time even an
approximately perfect solution, Out we
can safely say that there can never be
such solution at all unless we approach
If with the effort to do fair and equal
Justice among all men; and to demand
from them in return just and fair treat
ment for others. Our effort should be TO
secure to each man, whatever hts Color
equality of opportunity, equality OF treat
ment before the law
I,aziness and shiftlessness, these, ana
above all, vice and criminality OF every
kind. are evils more potent for harm TO
the black race than all acts of oppression
Of white men put together. The eolored
man who fails to condemn crime In an
other colored man. who falls to cooper
ate in all lawful ways in bringing colored
criminals to justice, Is the worst enemy
of his own people, as well as an enemy
to all the people. Law-abiding black men
should, for the sake of their race, be fore
most in relentless and unceasing warfare
against law-breaking black men. II the
standards of private morality ana indus
trial efficiency can be raised high enough
among the black race, then its future on
this continent Is secure The stability
and purity of the home Is vital TO the
welfare of the black race, as It is 70 the
welfare Of every race
In the next place the white man, who
II only he is willing, can help the col
ored man more than all other White men
put together, is the white man VINO Is
his neighbor, north or south. Each OF US
must do his whole duty without nlncnlns,
and If that duty is national 1t must be
done in accordance with the principles
above laid down. But in endeavoring
each to be his brothers keeper 1t IS wise
to remember that each can normally 90
most for the brother who is his imme-
diate neighbor. If we are sincere Irienos
OF the negro let US each in his own local.
ity show it by his action therein, ana ieL
MS each show It also by upholding the
hands OF the white man, in whatever To-
cality. who is striving to do justice TO the
moor and the helpless, to be shield to
those whose need for such shield Is
! great -.
to the ministers, the judges and law ON
GERS. the grand juries, the public men,
and the great daily newspapers IN the
south who have recently done such eitec-
five work in leading the crusade against
lynching in the south; and am slad 70
raw that during the last three months
the returns, as far as they can be gain
cred. show a smaller number OF lynchlngs
than for any other two months during
the last 20 years.
| Let us be steadfast for the right Du'
let US err on the side Of generosity rather
| than on the side of vindictiveness TOWARD
those who differ from us as to the meth
cd OF attaining the right. Let us never
| forget our duty to help in uplifting th'
/ Iovly to shield from wrong the humble
| and let Ms likewise act in spirit of the
broadest and frankest generosity toward
ALI our brothers, all our fellow-country
| men: In a spirit proceeding not IRON
| weakness but from SUcuBthf sPitA
which takes no more account OF LOCALITY
than it does of class or of creed; spiri
which is resolutely bent on seeing tha
the Union which Washington founded
and which Lincoln saved from destruc
tion shall grow nobler and create
throughout the ages.
The southern states face difficult PROB
lenns: an so do the northern states
Some of the problems are the same TO
the entire country. Others exist In great
er intensity in one section; and yet other
exist in greater intensity in another sec
tion. But in the end they will all b.
solved; for fundamentally our people ar
the same throughout the land; the sam
IN the qualities of heart and brain an'
hand which have made this repunllc VIVA
It Is In the great today; which VIII max
It what It is to be in the infinitely create
tomorrow.
pINEp IN "LITTLE HUNGARY"
President Roosevelt Revisited th'
Heart Of New Nork's East Side.
New York, Feb. <15.-For the frs
| A.. .s-,o 4ha daxyc -rugnau he WAS no