East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current, 1908-09-23
ROOSEVELT To
STUDY THE NEGRO
Il. II. WANTS TO KNOW
NATIVE CONDITIONS
il Is Rumorcd That President Is Not
Going 10 Africa to Hunt-SOlutiOn
Of the Race Problem Is Considered
u job Big Enough for the Presl-
dent.

:.
No story concerning President
Roosevelt in long time has aroused
so much interest as the one sent out
from Washington recently to the ef-
feet that the main purpose Of his pro-
tected visit to Africa Is not big game
at ALL but to study the negro on his
native soil. We are told that Mr..
Roosevelt believes the race question
is the gravest one confronting AM
erican craftsmanship today, and that
a study Of the negro in Africa may
go a long way toward solving the
problem Of the negro in America.
There is an intimatiOn that Mr..
Roosevelt is convinced that, upon re-
firing from the presidency, he can
devote his time no more profitably
than to study of this question.
Here lies field of endeavor with
possibilities Of achievement vast
enough to satisfy the stupendous en-
ergy Of even Theodore Roosevelt III
he can take the lead in a solution
OF this problem, so perplexing that
the wisest grow grave in contem-
plating 1t. he will have place in his
tory unexcelled by any other Amerl-
can-unexcelled in the history OF
man anywhere.
No other question has so engrossed
the best thought Of the present gener-
alton OF Americans. and a solution Is
no nearer at hand than II was a gem
GRAFTON ago, while the need OF solu- |
ton is much more imperative. It is
said President Lincoln had in mind
some scheme Of colonization, and col |
onization is the only thing that has
even been proposed I'm the way Of
solution. The obstacles I'm the way
of colonization are so vast, so appar-
emily lnsuperable, that the bravest
have qualled before them. one great
man expressed the accepted view
when he said that separation Of the
races is the only solution possible. and
that separatin was absolutely impos-
sible. Can Roosevelt overcome these
obstacles? He probably can come as
near as any living man. Certainly
the Job is big enough to satisfy him
and to keep him busy the rest of his
natural life.
His Views UncprcSscd.
In discussing the matter 1t must be
remembered that President Roose-
welt has never said publicly that he
believes In colonizing the negro But
II is well known that he appreciates
the necessity of doing something in
"A situation that is all the time grow
ing more acute, and that he has Civ
en- some Of his best thought to the |
problem The years since the civil |
war have demonstrated that the races
cannot dwell together in amity, that |
in enforced propinquity OF dwelling |
there is ever the dread prospect of
race conflict, the cruelest, most ruth
less warfare man ever engages in. |
The best of the negroes do not aspire |
to social equality, but they do insist
upon political equality To this end |
the white man, especially the white
man Of the south, will not consent |
Nor is denial of political equality con-
fined to the south. In the north the
negro may vote and hold minor Of
fIces, but neither Massachusetts, nor
Ohio. nor Montana would suffer
negro to be governor nor send him
to the senate of the United States,
The negro enjoys rudimentary po-
litcal rights in the north because he
Is not there in sufficient numbers to
constitute a political menace. If he
were there Is no reason to doubt that
Massachusetts would go as far as
Mississippi in the determination to
prevent political domination by the
negro.
1t was President Roosevelt who de-
Clared the door of hope should not
be closed to any man because of his
race or color.
There are not lacking evidences
that for the past three or four years
Mr. Roosevelt has been at work on
the problem. He has conferred with
negro leaders, with southern white
men and with thinkers in the north.
Perhaps he even now has an embry-
onic plan. If he has set his heart to
this task It would explain many
things that have seemed ineXplicable
I'm the past It is certain the country
would eagerly receive any project he
might enfold, and If 1t appeared he
had found the solution untold resour-
res would be at his command. The
and the Rockefelers would
be shown use for their millions that
would make the building of libraries
and the endowing of universities seem
foolish things.
There are many negro leaders who
are just as anxious for a solution of
The race problem as any white men,
and upon the cooperation of these
Mr.. Roosevelt could count, provided
he evolved a plan that promised a So
luton without injustice to the negro
II goes without saying that Mr..
Roosevelt would not seek injustice to
The negro.
There never was time when a
greater task awaited the coming of a
man II Mr.. Roosevelt has in mind
that he may be the man awaited, he ,
will find his fellow countrymen eager {
Io triva him a trial {