The Washington bee., 1907-02-02
OPEN LETTER
To Theodore Roosevelt President 0i
the United States:

To Theodore Roosevelt, President OI
IN. United States:
1f- President-Not being actuated
, ,ov malice, l desire to ask you a
.,. orrr,tions which hope may be
~,or,Iv considered. You claim to
w. president Of the people OF the
United States, irrespective OF color
.,odirion. Your declaration for a
~.,rare deal has become household
.~4s In your Cabinet you have
~.,oonized certain nationalities which
claim to be political factors in the
American body polite, and ignored
,-r-~, who have been loyal and faith
-F not only to the republic, but TO
.r- present party IN power.
Won have recognized the Jews, have
,,,, mott What have the Jews done
IN ,amDarison with what the colOred
americans have done, both in war
and in peace? You have recognized
rhr Irish. have YOU not? What have
the Irishmen done in comparison
NTH what the colored Americans have
done
Tn diD}omatic service you have rec
.,r;zed elements that have been men
,res to the party in power and to
rbe republic, have you not? There
are in this country over eleven mil
linn. af coI0red Americans who have
received scanty recognition and YOU
have boasted to the South that you
have made less appointments from
this race than your late predecessor,
President Mckinley. VIII you kindly
explain what you mean? Do you
want the South to understand that
YOU have made certain colOred ap-
uointmcnts and you do not intend to
make any more? You made this state
ment two years ago and since that
time YOU have made no additional col
0red appointment. | mean to new
places. You, of course, appointed
Mr.. w. T. Vernon to succeed another
colored man, which does not count.
There IS no Office of a national char
acter to which you have appointed a
,olored American in recognition OF
the eleven million colored Americans.
You are aware Of the voting strength
of the colored Americans; why then
have YOU not appointed few OF
them TO positions commensurate with
their voting strength? Your son-ln-
law. Representative Longworth, has
published to the world that 1t Is not
YOUR intention to be a candidate again,
but he believes that Mr.. TAFT is the
best man 10 succeed you. You may
think so. Mr.. President, but the
American people do not. You have
wrongcd the faithful blacks in this
country. You have demonstrated by
Your recent order of dismissal that
You have no faith in the colored
americans.
Mr. Longworth, your son-in-law.
may echo your sentiments, but the
colored Americans will bid farewell
to the Republican party if YOU thrust
upon them a man like Secretary Taft
OF any other man in your administra-
uon or any man who holds to your
views or named by you. The chains
that once held the COlored man have
been broken and today he walks the
public streets a fine citizen, although
he NAV be restrained to some extent
IRON exercising freely his civil and
political rights. 1t is true he intends
TO join the army, Notwithstanding the
dismissal of his brave comrades. 1t
Is his right and constitutional privi-
lege. He loves his country although
You may be opposed to him. He will
defend the flag, although he is dis
eliminated against He will continue
his loyalty and patriotism to his coun-
try although he is disfranchised and
IN many parts of the country he IS
compelled to Jim Crow it. In almost
every department of this government
he is made to feel that he is not want
cd among his white fellow citizens,
man. Of whom are inferior to him
intellectually. There may be one eX-
ee9uon, under the present admins
Taoon, where the colored American
Is treated as a man and a citizen. It
Is not necessary for me to name that
department In the department OF
commerce and Labor there is not