The advocate. [volume] (Charleston, W. Va.) 1901-1913, 1907-02-07
FORAKER, TYLER AND OHIO.

Advocate 3 great deal of joy, for
we delight to welcome each mani
festatibn of appreciation of the abil-
ity Of black men, and ec-:. OppOrtu-
nifty opened up to them to show how
deep in them is planted the spirit
Of America; with what ability and
carriage they are able to conduct
themselves in high once, and with
what skill they can acQuit them.
selves whenever and wherever they
are called upon to perform duties,
howsoever eXacting they may be-
We confess that the Presidents de-
clared purpose to appoint Ralph
Tyler Surveyor of the Port, or Col
lector of Customs, at Cincinnati
gives us no little concernment, for
with the avowal Of this purpose
there arises a situation the COM
plexity Of which is of far-reaching
import, and is not to be solved as
easily as stated. We say the Presi-
dents aVOwal gives us Government,
and we say this with no malice to-
wards Mr.. Tyler, whose ambition for
political preferment We have no
right to question or limit, and who,
as he himself says, should not be
declared incompetent, until that in
competency has been shown beyond
every reasonable doubt With this
phase of the question we are not
very much concerned. All things
being equal none were louder in the
demand for his appointment than
we would dare to be. That all things
at this moment are equal we have
many reasons to doubt.
In the first place, if, as claimed
by some of the leaders Of the Negro
race, President Roosevelt is prepar-
Ing to atone for his outrageous con-
duct towards the discharged soldiers
of the TWenty-fifth Infantry, by ap-
pointing a Negro to a Federal job,
We hasten to assure him that atone
ment for that unnecessary, ihexcus-
able and grevious error, cannot be
|
of the Negroes, once his admirers,
are writ in bloody letters, the DOOM
to which with the braggart's aban-
don, he flung those soldiers. An
hundred such appointments as he
promises to make in Ohio would not,
could not, can never atone forhis crime
III he desires to set himself Alright
with the Negro, the Republic and
brave to admit and correct his err
ror, as he has partially done, as he
was nasty to commit it. Those who
have advised Mr.. Roosevelt that by
appointing Negroes to office he could
cover up his crime or blind them to
his folly, were true neither to them
selves nor to the President
In the second place, we see what
we wish we did not see, that is, an
eTort in this promised preferment
TO embarasS the senior Senator from
Ohio, who, we regret to acknowl-
edge, for the first time since he has
been Senator, has not been con-
suited with reference to Tyler's
availability and fitness. That SEN
ator Foraker, by his victory in the
Senate against the President. en-
deared himself beyond the power
OF terms to describe, to the Ameri-
can Negroes, is evident to those who
read and whisper to the President;
chat the President is anxious to be-
little and embarrass Senator Foraker
for his defense of the Negro soldiers,
came. Enthusiastically out at dinner in
washington few nights ago, when
to the statement by Senator Foraker,
who was explaining his position
with reference to his now famous
resolution, that "all men look alike
to me-" the President replied n
heated fashion, and all coons look
Z anke 10 me" Immediately after
y wards came the announcement of
what the President intended to do
In Senator Foraker's state. reason
ing, subtly we admit, that if the
2A~DN"'" dHNop|6u 1yleT ne would
lose influence in Ohio, and If he op-
poses him, the Negroes would for
sake him. AS to the first part Of
: the Presidents premise, we will not
engage ourselves; but as to the sec
ond, we beg leave to say q word
we Negfoes are not really crazy
nor stupid; nor silly. Upon the
~ her hand, they are awake, both to
= ar own condition, and to the serv.
s#os gloriously rendered their cause
r by Senator Foraker, when none 9th.
.l.er had courage to stand up for right
ana justice. Where the Senator
~ so. u I. . =.