The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1912-08-03

written TO Julian Harris OF Atlanta,
Ga, editor of Uncle Remus' maga-
zine and son OF the late Joel Chand-
Ter Harris, Colonel Roosevelt ex-
presses his views on the position of
the negro in national politics and the
representation OF negro delegates in
the convention of the progressive
party in Chicago.
In part Colonel Roosevelt writes:
TN pursuance of our conversation
/ write you this letter. There is q
peculiar fitness in writing to the son
of the man whose work made all Am
ericans his debtors. His life and his
work tended to bring his fellow -coun-
trymen, north and south, into closer
relations Of good will and understand
ing and surely it should be needless
to say that the author of Uncle Re-
mus and Free Joe and the Rest OF
the World, felt deep and most kind
ly interest in the welfare OF the negro.
Many letters dealing with the sub
ject of which you spoke to me have
been sent to me within the last few
days. Those written by men in the
north usually ask me to insist that
we get from the south colored dele
convention. Those written by citi-
zens of the south ask that I declare
that the new party shall be ia white
mans party. am not able TO agree
on either proposal.
I'm this country we can't permanently
succeed except on the basis OF treat
ing each man on his worth as a man.
We can fulfill our high mission among
the nations of the earth, we can do
lasting good to ourselves and to all
mankind, only IL we so act that the
humblest among us, so long as he
behaves In straight and decent fash
ion has guaranteed to him under the
law his right to life, to liberty, to
protection from injustice, his right to
enjoy the fruits of his own honest
labor and his right to the pursuit Of
he does not trespass on the rights OF
others. For us to oppress any class
of our felIow citizens Is not only
wrong to others but hurtful TO our
selves. Surely no man can quarrel
with those principles.
II believe that the progressive move
ment should be made from the be-
ginning in the interest of honest, In
dustrious, law-abiding colored men.
just as it is in the interest of every
honest, industrious, law-abiding white
man. l further believe that the sur
est way to render the movement inn
portant to help either the white man
or the coIored man in those regions
of the south where the colored man
Is most numerous, would be to try to
repeal the course that has been fol-
lowed by the republican party in
those districts for so many years. on
to endeayor in the states in questions
to build up a progressive party by
the same methods which in those
statements have resulted In making
the republican party worse than I'M
potent.
'Tn the south the democratic ma
chine has sought to keep itself para
mount by encouraging the hatred oi
the white man for the black; the re-
ptiblican machine has sought to per-
petuate itself by stirring up the black
man against the white; and surely the
time has come when we should under
stand the mischief in both courses
and should abandon both. ] believe
that wherever the racial issue is per-
rnitted to become dominant In oul
politics, 1t always works harm to both
races, but immeasurably most harm
to the weaker race. / believe that ir
this movement only damage II we
either abandon our ideals on one
to look facts In the face, however un-
pleasant these facts may be.
''In many of the states OF the union
where there is q considerable colorec
population we are able In very fact
and at the present moment to bring
the best colored man into the move
ment on the same terms as the white
man. In Rhode Island and Maryland
New York and Indiana, in Ohio and
Illinois; In New Jersey and Pennsyl.
vania, to speak only of the states Of
which I have personal knowledge, this
10 now being done. and from some OF
all of these states colored delegates
win be sent to the national progres.
sive convention in Chicago.
TN the republican national conven'
tiong the colored members have beer
almost exclusively from the south am
the great majority OF them have beer
men Of slch character that the po-
litical activities were mostly a source
of harm. and OF very grave harm, K
their own race. We, on the contrary
are hoping to see TN the national pro.
gressive convention colored delegate;
from the very places where we ex-
pect to develop our greatest strength
and we hope to see these men of sucf
character that their activities shal
be of benefit not only TO the people
at large but especially to their Owl
race.
"For forty-five years the republicaI
party has striven to build up in thu
southern states in question g. party
based on the theory that the pyramid
will unsupported, stand permanently
on it's apex instead OF on its base. Fol
forty Ave years the republican party
has endeavored in the states to buili
up a party which the negro should lii
dominant, party consisting aln1os
exclusively OF negroes. Those whC
took the lead in this experiment were
actuated by high motives, and no on,
should now blame them because d
what, with the knowledge they theI
had and under the then existing cir.
cumstances, they stroye to do. But II
actual practice the result has beer
lamentable from every standpoint.
has been productive OF evil to tn,
colored men themselves; II has beef
productive only of evil to the whit
men Of the south. and 1t has workeC
the gravest injury to, and finally th'
disruption and destruction of the grea
republican party itself
ssThere has in the past been mucl
yenality in republican national con
yention in which there was an actiy,
contest for the nomination for presl
dent, for the most part among negr,
delegates from these southern states
Finally, In the convention at Chicag
last June, the break~up OF the republi