The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1908-09-20
BELIEVES RACE
PROBLEM GREAT
Roosevelt Understands Situa-
ton Confronting Amer
lea Today.
QUESTION TO BE STUDIED.
PRIME MOTIVE OF PRESIDENT
GOING TO AFRICA Is NOT TO
HUNT, BUT TO MAKE STUDY OF
BLACK MAN.

Washington, Sept. 19.-No story con-
corning President Roosevelt in a long
time has aroused so much interest as
the one to the effect that the main
purpose of his projected visit to At
RIGA is not big game at all, but to
study the negro on his native soil.
We are told that Mr.. Roosevelt be-
lieves the race question is the gray
est one confronting American states
manship today, and that a study of
the negro in Africa may go a long
way toward solving the negro ques-
ton In America. There is an intima-
ton that Mr.. Roosevelt is convinced
that, upon retiring from the presi-
dency he can devote his time no more
proftably than to a study Of this
question.
Here lies a field Of endeavor with
possibilities Of achievement vast
enough to satisfy the stupendous en-
ergy OF even Theodore Roosevelt. If
he can take the lead in a solution of
this problem, SO ~perplexing that the
wisest grow grave In contemplating it,
he will have a place in American his
tory unexcelled by any other Ameri-
can-unexcelled in the history of man
anywhere.
No other question has SO e%ngrossed
the best thought of the present genera
ton of Americans, and a solution is
no nearer at hand than it was a gen
Grafton ago, while the need of solu-
ton IL more imperative. 1t is said
President Lincoln had in mind some
scheme of colonization, and colonial
ton is the only thing that has ever
been proposed in the way of solution.
The obstacles in the way of colonial
ton are SO vast, so apparently insu-
perable, that the bravest hi We quailed
before them. One great man express
ed the accepted view when he said
that separation was absolutely impos-
eible. Can Roosevelt overcome these
obstacles? He probably can come as
as any man living. Certainly
the job is big enough to satisfy him
and keep him busy the rest of his ma
tural life.
Appreciates Situation.
In discussing the matter it must be
remembered that President Roosevelt
has said publicly that he be-
lieves in colonizing the negro. But it
is well known that he appreciates the
necessity Of doing something in a sit
uation that is all the time growing
more acute, and that he has giver
some of his best thought to he prob
lem. The years since the civil wal
have demonstrated that the races can
not dwell together in amity, that in
enforced propinquity of dwelling there
Is ever h dread prospect OF race con-
fict, the %cruelest, most ruthless war
fare man ever engages in. The best of
the negroes do not aspire to social
equality, but they do insist upon po-
litical equality. To this the white
man, especially the white man Of the
South, will not consent. Nor is denial
of political equality confined to the
South. In the North the negro may
vote and hold minor offices, but Mas
sa%chusetts, nor Ohio, nor Montana
would suffer a negro to be governor
nor send him to the Senate Of the
United States. The negro enjoys
rudimentary political rights in the
North because he is not there In suf-
hcient numbers to constitute a politi-
cal menace If he were there Is no
reason to doubt that Massachusetts
would go as far as Mississippi in de-
termination to prevent political domi-
nation by the negro. No thinking
man blames the negro for desiring
political equality. Thousands Of them
are educated and honest and much
more worthy of enfranchisement than
thousands of white men who enjoy full
political rights. There are scores of
negroes equipped in mentality and
character to fill the highest places in
the land. Legally and theoretically
they have just as much right to politi-
cal preferment as the white man
Practically, the negro Is an outcast
and an alien, and will always be. 1t
was President Roosevelt who declared
the door of hope should not be closed
- any mar because Of his race or
color. He made some unfortunate at
tempts to live up to his declaration,
but in his heart he knows that in
America the door of hope is CLOSED to
the man in who's veins flows the faint
ed blood of Africa. And he knows
that it will ever be closed.
When Mr.. Roosevelt made his rash
attempt to compel the South to accept
the negro as a political equal he was
unripe in craftsmanship and probably
had given little thought to Americas
greatest problem. That he saw the i'm
possibility Of his course is evidenced
by his having abandoned it The
South resented his early program and
denounced him as a meddler. Is 1t
possible the impulsiYe meddler with a
thing he did not understand may be
the Moses who will lead the way to
light? There are not lacking evil
dences 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. erhaps even now he has an
emhryouic plan. IF he has set his