The Nashville globe. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1906-193?, 1910-09-02
EDITORIAL CLIPPINGS.
Colonel Roosevelt and the colored
Citizen,

OlkN&(ha
Colonel Roosevelt made his first
formal political speech in the United
States-on his return from Africa
before the National Negro Business
League at Palm Garden, in New
York City.
Booker T. Washington told a thou
sand colored citizens, gathered in
Palm Garden, that they should be
proud that Colonel Roosevelt chose
first to speak to the Negroes on his
return, rather than to white men.
The colored citizens who listened
to Mr.. Roosevelt appIauded him po-
litely and generously.
Some enthusiasts suggested that
he be nominated for a third Presiden-
tial term at once-w1thout waiting.
But these "nominators" were not
a majority, and they did not appear
to be among the most intelligent Of
the members of the Negro Business
League"
There were many colored men in the
audience, men that have fought their
way up against every conceivable
form of handicap-beginning in child
hood and continuing throughout life.
Some of the colored business men
listened to MIR. Roosevelt in silence
it is likely that they were men
with fairly good memories.
They remembered probably, and in
telligent colored men generally
should remember:
T.--A 49, NJ. DAo1aryOTk &c, tho MOI
who talks very often about deeds
alone being important and words
without deeds being unimportant.
Second, colored citizens when they
listen to Mr.. Roosevelt, should bear
in mind some of Mr.. R~oOsevelts
deeds and some of his lack of deeds.
For instance, it was Mr.. Roosevelt
who discharged and d~isgraced an en-,
tire regiment when a few men in the
regiment were accused of crime.
This regiment which Mr.. Roosevelt
discharged and disgraced-somethine
that he did not do and would not
have done to any regiment of white
men-was a regiment made up en-.
tirely of Negro soldiers:
In this regiment of Negro soldiers
the great majority were men who haC
served their country honorably, risk
ing their lives and doing their duty
! thoroughly.
If these men had been white men
they would not have been ~disgraced
deprived of a living, and deprived O
an honorable standing, nor impor
tant than a living, because there were
some unworthy men among them.
But, because they were Negroes
and not for any other reason, n o.
Mr.. Roosevelt's deeds was the petu
liant, angry and unJustifiable dis
missal of this entire regiment. II
. make the really intelligent coloret
citizen forget this particular deed Mr.
Roosevelt ought to need a good man!
, words.
Another of Mr.. R~oosevelt's deed'
= lis his most unfriendly criticism 0
Negro soldiers in his public writing
Ia criticism indicative of a prejudic'
against the Negroes, which was IN
doubtedly reflected in his unjust an
unprecedented treatment of an entir
regiment, because they happened t
be Negroes.
. One of the deeds which Mr.. Roost
h welt neglected conspicuously had
q do with Negroes. Mr.. Roosevelt mes
lected, to mention the fact that it wa
> a Negro regiment in Cuba that save
/ him and his men from destruction.
d 1t was a Negro regiment that reall
did the fighting down there, whe
the ornamental young gentlemen r.
cruited by Colonel Roosevelt anon
IL the cotillion leaders, and other hun
il. ers Of glory were asking to be sen
o.. home or wandering around aimlessl
- with good intentions-but getting n
where.
The men that saved the day Their
the men that really did go up Ss
i'll Juan Hill, the men to whom Colon
or Roosevelt owes the fact that he can
= back from San Juan as a hero, we.
Negro soldiers.
ry Mr.. Roosevelt wrote a great de
about Cuba, but he omitted a de-
which would have reflected cree
-. upon him, he omitted the giving
credit to the Negro soldiers for VIII
7S- they did there.
in -
Nice smooth words are pleasal
and they often call forth cheers.
But a good memory is better 1
y the owner than good words.
What the colored citizen has
ed. fear most is strong prejudice again
his color and unjust action bas
oil upon that prejudice.
A man who, like Colonel Rooseve
belittles the Negro in his pub
-.4.-~s tox.1 dicp,feCOs ON Antiro r.